Best beaches to blow the cobwebs away

Bracing beach walks to clear the head

It’s Boxing Day. You are full to the gills with turkey, Christmas cake, mince pies and a few glasses of your favourite tipple. The beautiful Norfolk beaches are calling. But which one to go to?

You are spoilt for choice but here are a few of our favourite beaches.

The nearest beach to West Beckham is Sheringham. Whether this is your best beach to go to depends on what you are looking for. The beach itself is quite stoney and in rough weather the sea can be very wild. It is however, exhilarating and in terms of blowing away the festive cobwebs, a brisk walk along Sheringham beach will do the trick. A nice out and back walk along the Norfolk Coastal path to Weybourne is just over six miles and is a mix of undulating countryside with quite magnificent scenery.

Seeking the shy Bittern

If you like to mix walking with birdwatching then you can do no better than a visit to Cley next the Sea. Home to one of the best nature reserves in Norfolk, the beach is reached via a mile walk across the marshes. The beach itself is mainly shingle and quite challenging to walk on. But if you want the chance to spot Marsh Harriers, Egrets, Great Crested Grebes, Woodcock and even the elusive Bittern, then this is the beach for you.

On the hunt for fossils

West Runton is the beach to go to if you love combing the sands and cliffs for fossils. It is a sand and shingle beach, with an expanse of sand and rock pools when the tide goes out. The cliffs offer an impressive backdrop to the beach. The West Runton Mammoth was discovered here. This was the largest nearly-complete mammoth skeleton ever found in Britain, and the oldest found in the UK. Do note, the cliffs at West Runton are a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of their geological importance. It is illegal to dig onto these cliffs or remove anything directly from them without permission.

In the footsteps of the stars

A little further afield and you come across one of the best known beaches in the UK at Holkham. The sandy expanses of Holkham has been used as a film locations, (notably Shakespeare in Love). It is also the summer holiday resort for the horses of the Royal Household Cavalry. In the winter, Holkham Beach is a wild and expansive beach. The pine woods lining the beach offer a sanctuary if the weather gets a little too rough. Take a bracing walk from the car park on Queen Anne’s Drive, along the beach to Wells and back through the pine forests.

End of the pier fun

For a traditional sea-side town, then Cromer is your best bet. Its famous pier is home to a lifeboat station and Pavilion Theatre. The UK’s only remaining traditional end of the pier variety show takes place here each winter. The pier is an enduring example of Victorian architecture. Over time it has withstood storms and tidal surges. The Government even tried to blow it up in WW2 to prevent the pier being used as a landing strip for enemy invaders. After exploring the sea front, try No1 Cromer, the fish and chip shop run by renowned chef Galton Blackiston (Morston Hall).

For more information on places to visit during your stay in Norfolk, do talk to one of the team at Rookery Farm Barns.