Beach in Norfolk

Holkham Beach on the north Norfolk coast is widely regarded as the finest beach in England, a vast expanse of sand backed by ancient Corsican pines extending for several miles within the Holkham National Nature Reserve whose combination of the enormous scale, the quality of the sand, the framing woodland and the wild natural character of the entire setting creates a beach experience quite unlike the managed resort beaches of most of the English coast. The combination of the beach quality, the reserve wildlife and the great Palladian mansion of Holkham Hall immediately behind the reserve makes Holkham one of the most richly rewarding coastal destinations in East Anglia. The beach at Holkham is accessed through the pinewoods planted in the nineteenth century to stabilise the dunes behind the beach, the walk through the tall straight pines creating a remarkable transition from the landlocked parkland of Holkham Hall to the open beach that suddenly reveals itself at the end of the pine path. The effect of this woodland approach on the perception of the beach is one of the most celebrated arrival moments in English coastal tourism. The National Nature Reserve encompasses the beach, the dunes, the pinewoods, the saltmarsh and the freshwater lagoons behind in a mosaic of coastal habitats of exceptional ecological importance. The wintering pink-footed geese, the breeding marsh harriers and the terns that nest on the beach all form part of the wildlife interest that complements the beach experience throughout the year.

Wells-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast is one of the most attractive and most characterful small coastal towns in East Anglia, a working port and seaside town whose combination of the active quayside, the excellent beach a mile north across the salt marshes and the character of a genuine fishing and leisure community preserves the identity of a traditional north Norfolk coastal settlement in a way that larger and more developed resorts have lost. The town's quirky name reflects its historical position behind the extensive salt marshes that separate it from the open sea. The quayside is the heart of Wells, the fishing vessels and pleasure craft moored alongside the quay and the crab stalls, fish merchants and shellfish outlets providing the most direct connection to the sea fishing tradition that has sustained the town through its history. The crab and lobster caught in the offshore pots and dressed in the sheds beside the quay provide some of the finest shellfish in Norfolk, and the seafood eating in Wells is among the best on the north Norfolk coast. The beach at Wells, a broad north-facing strand backed by pines planted to stabilise the dunes, is accessed by a miniature railway from the quay or by the walk along the harbour channel through the salt marshes. The beach huts on the wooden platforms above the sand and the extensive sandy beach behind the pine bank provide an excellent and distinctive beach experience of great charm. The Holkham National Nature Reserve, with its magnificent beach and the great Holkham Hall and park immediately adjacent, provides an exceptional complementary destination a short drive to the west.