Holkham Beach
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.