Winterton-on-Sea beaches, Norfolk Travel Guide

About Winterton-on-Sea beaches, Norfolk

The North Norfolk coast is dotted by picturesque villages that lie close to wide, long, sandy beaches. Winterton-on-Sea is a marvellously off-the-beaten-track kind of place: a small, sleepy village dominated by top-heavy-looking thatched cottages, and close to some spectacular, secluded sands.

Beach:

Winterton-on-Sea is a beautiful, custard-sanded Norfolk beach, with a wonderfully lonely feel. Backed by sand dunes and a nature reserve, it's a seemingly endless stretch: the type of beach where you can walk for miles and barely see another soul. Pools of water often form on the beach, creating safe places for children to play.

Beyond the beach:

Visit Norwich, with its medieval wool churches, Norman castle (with lively interactive museum and sinister dungeons) and fine Norman cathedral with its carved 16th-century ceiling. The town also harbours Origins (www.originsnorfolk.co.uk), a state-of-the-art interactive museum about the region's history.

Family fun:

On the beach between Winterton and Horsey you can see a colony of grey seals - it's easy to spot their heads popping up above the waves. In December and January they have pups (around 100 are born each winter) and come out of the water for several weeks. The village itself is enchantingly pretty, with thatched cottages and a church, and nearby is the Hermanus Holiday Centre (www.hermanusholidays.com), with its unusual thatched round houses.

Exploring further:

Just along the coast, Great Yarmouth is a lively seaside resort with a vast stretch of sandy beach, amusement arcades, gardens and museums. The town even as some literary connections - Charles Dickens used it as a key location in his novel David Copperfield.