top north norfolk beaches
It's official - north Norfolk has the best beaches in England! There are six Blue Flag beaches in the district: East Runton, West Runton, Cromer, Mundesley, Sea Palling and Sheringham are in the top tier of English beaches in the UK. This means these north Norfolk beaches have the highest quality of water, facilities, environmental education and management, with superb levels of cleanliness and safety. Read more about our top beaches below and #niptonorthnorfolk!
Wells: Just along from Holkham you'll find award-winning dog-friendly Wells-next-the-Sea, also part of the coastal nature reserve. Wells Beach was awarded in May 2017, a Seaside Award, which means visitors can enjoy a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal stretch. You can reach the beach from the town by the Wells Harbour Railway which was the first 10.25 inch railway to operate a scheduled service and appears in the Guiness World Records (check running times).
If you travel by car, there is the main beach car park with an excellent cafe. Walk through the pretty shady pinewoods and you'll be greeted with a stunning sandy beach, past the row of colourful beach huts. You can walk to Holkham beach by the two mile pine walk, part of the Norfolk Coast Path and Peddars Way. At low tide, children will love splashing around in The Run, which you can walk a mile or so out to its end. Head back when the hooter signals the incoming tide.
Sheringham: This Blue Flag beach set in a traditional seaside resort, is well known for its fine seaside setting and cliffs surrounded by picturesque wooded areas to the north with views over the sea. When the tide is out, the sands and rock pools of this pebbly beach are revealed, perfect for exploring.
Cromer: Just along the coast from Sheringham is Blue Flag beach, Cromer, with its Victorian Pier, great for crabbing. The beach is sandy and flat and you can enjoy watching the fishing boats catching the famous Cromer crab. Close to the shore you will find the Cromer Shoals Chalk Bed, created when dinosaurs roamed. It is the longest in the world at 20 miles long and you can see it by swimming out and snorkelling. The Cromer crabs feed off the reef, which gives the delicacy its rich and sweet flavour. The pristine sands, luscious green cliffs and dainty Victorian buildings make it a very enchanting place to visit.
