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Coastal Walks In Norfolk

Coastal Walks in Norfolk are plentiful, and whether you walk on many of the designated trails such as the Norfolk Coast Path, Peddars Way, The Wherryman's Way, The Paston Way, or even through some of the Nature Reserves, you’re guaranteed to experience the following:

  • the beautiful and stunning beaches
  • curious fossilised cliff tops,
  • board walks
  • vast reclaimed salt marshes
  • some amazing species of birds and wildlife
  • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Once you have walked on some of these stunning coastal walks, you'll then understand why the North Norfolk coast is loved by so many.

Explore a part of the the UK that you don't know, but that we can help you get to know!

We also feature some inland walks below as well.

Coastal Walks in NorfolkHolme Dunes

Walk 1:  Stiffkey to Wells
Walk 2:  Holme Dunes
Walk 3:  Cley Marshes
Walk 4:  Cromer Lighthouse circular walk
Walk 5:  Horsey Windpump Walk
Walk 6:  Cromer to the Roman Camp 
Walk 7:  Salthouse Circular Walk
Walk 8:  Hunstanton Circular Walk
Walk 9:  Cromer and Felbrigg Circular Walk
Walk 10:  4 Short Coastal Walks


CLICK HERE FOR SOME INLAND WALK SUGGESTIONS


16 Dog Walks Around The Norfolk Coast

Some of these Norfolk coastal walks are suitable for dogs too.  

16 Coastal Dog Walks Around The Norfolk Coast

Here's your chance to purchase the very popular Dog Walks Around The Norfolk Coast book.  It has 16 coastal dog walks where you'll hardly need a lead.  I found many dog walks required a lot of road walking, so decided to put together a dog walking book where you could let you pet off the lead as much as possible.  You can find much more detail about the book here.


Explore Norfolk By Foot

Exploring Norfolk by foot is by far the best way to get a feel for what the Norfolk coast is really all about.  The vast expanse of open landscape provides the most incredible scenery, and the wildlife is second to none.   Here on the Norfolk coast you have some of the best bird watching in the UK

Some of these walks form part of the beautiful Norfolk Coast Path which covers 83 miles of the North Norfolk coast from Hunstanton to Hopton-on-Sea. 

Bird watching

Norfolk Coastal Walk 1

Stiffkey to Wells-next-the-Sea (and back again!)

Length:  6 miles return journey.
Ease of Walk:  easy walking
What you’ll see:  many species of birds, mud flats, salt marshes, creeks, Wells-next-the-Sea working fishing harbour and Wells town, fishing boats and sailing boats, flora and fauna.

This is a wonderfully flat walk, not difficult at all and will probably take you about 3 hours, (3 miles one way, 3 miles back).  And most important, you can grab something to eat at one of the many eateries in Wells-next-the-Sea at the half way point, and then, revitalised, walk back for the return journey. 

The salt marshes along this coastal walk are vast and many a time you'll spot an owl flying low of the marshes, or egrets and other species in the creeks.    

This is a very pleasant walk and for all abilities (if you’ve got children, this is a great one for tiring them out and leaving you to have a quiet night!).

Click here for more details on the walk from Stiffkey Marshes


Norfolk Coastal Walk 2

Holme-next-the-Sea

Length:  Approx 3-5 miles (1.5 miles to NWT tea room or 2.7 miles to Thornham)
Ease of walk:  easy walking
What you’ll see:  sand dunes and beach, golf course, board walks, information boards, many species of birds, walking within the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, tea room.

This coastal walk can be as long or as short as you wish.  It just depends on how far you want to walk.  You can easily walk from Holme to Thornham, which would be about 5-6 miles return journey.   However, this shorter walk is a good walk with children as it’s not too long, and you have the added bonus of a bribe of refreshments half way, at the NWT Visitor Centre and tea room!  Easy walking with delightful scenery; both out to sea and inland. 

Again, this is easy walking, along the board walks and compacted paths, but fascinating scenery both inland and out towards the sea with a large channel going out to sea, breaking Holme beach in two.   You'll also be walking past  the site of the Seahenge discovery in 1998 when a timber circle was laid bare at low tide.  

There are also 3 circular walks which I have put a link to, so you can actually choose from 3 different lengths of walk.

Click here for more details on the Holme Dunes walk


Norfolk Coastal Walk 3

Cley Marshes Circular Walk

Length:  Just under 3 miles
Ease of walk:  Easy walking although once on the beach, it is very stony.
What you’ll see:  Copious amounts of bird life, board walks, reeds and meadows, hides (when open), Cley beach, NWT Visitor Centre for refreshments, gifts and binoculars, World War II relics in the form of a Pill box and gun turret.

This is another easy coastal walk which will take you just under 2 hours, with amazing bird watching all the way around.  Stop at benches or hides (if you've paid to go into the hides), take in the incredible Norfolk coastal landscape, dabble your feet in the sea, or admire the old World War II relics.  The Nofolk Wilflide Trust Cley Marshes has an excellent Visitor Centre where you can find out all sorts of information about the reserve, as well as enjoying the coastal views along with a coffee in the cafe!

Click here for more details on Cley Marshes circular walk


Norfolk Coastal Walk 4

Cromer Lighthouse circular walk

Length:  4.7 miles return journey
Ease of Walk:  Easy, apart from 236 steps from beach to cliff top
What you’ll see:  beaches, woodland, heathland, lighthouse, golf course

This is a fairly flat and really nice coastal walk, but does have an ascent from the beach to the cliff top which included 236 steps.  The views are stunning from the cliff tops and are well worth the effort. The majestic Cromer Lighthouse overlooking Cromer Golf Course and the pretty heathland make it an beautiful walk with fantastic scenery.  

Click here for more details on the Cromer Lighthouse Circular Walk


Norfolk Walking Holidays

If you really enjoy walking and want to explore Norfolk on foot, then why not take a look at the choice of walking holidays we offer on our Norfolk Walking Holiday page.  These can be on the Peddars Way, the Norfolk Coast Path, The Wherryman's Way or bespoke short break walking holidays. 


Norfolk Coastal Walk 5

Horsey Windpump Circular Walk

Length:  5 miles
Ease of walk:  Easy walking, flat, could be muddy
What you’ll see:  Dykes, the mere, the beach and seals in winter, dunes, reed beds, meadows, farmland, WWII pill box on dunes.

This very varied walk is an easy one, and will take about 2.5 hours.  It's a fantastic walk in the winter months as you can stop on Horsey beach and admire the swathes of seals and their pups on Horsey beach, an experience in itself.

this walk passes two windpumps; the Horsey wind pump at the beginning of the walk which was restored in 2019 and which you can now pay to go into, and the derelict but very picturesque Brograve Drainage Mill near the end (or beginning depending on which way you walk).  You'll be walking over fields, alongside dykes with swishing reeds, along the sand dunes of the beach and behind Horsey mere. 

Click here for more details on the Horsey Windpump coastal walk


Norfolk Coastal Walk 6

Cromer to the Roman Camp at Beeston Regis

Length:  6.25 miles
Ease of Walk:  Moderate, there is  a climb up to the top of the Roman Camp, and Incleborough Hill if you wish, but once up, there’s only ever one way back, and that’s down!  
What you’ll see:  views over the North Sea, woodland, heathland, golf course, views towards Cromer from Incleborough Hill, crossing over  railway line, fields and open countryside.

This is a slightly longer walk which takes you from the middle of the bustling town of Cromer to the peace and quiet of the Roman Camp at Beeston Regis, one of the highest points in Norfolk.  You'll catch wonderful views over towards the sea, and from Incleborough Hill you'll be able to see Cromer in the distance and you'll walk through pretty woodland and over heathland covered in gorse and heather.

Click here for more details on the Roman Camp circular walk.


Norfolk Coastal Walk 7

Salthouse Circular Walk

Length of walk:  Approx 5.5 miles
Ease of walk:  Moderate – incline up to the top of the heathland and shingle along Cley beach
What you’ll see: Stunning views over the countryside to the coast, remains of a WWII Radar Station, goats with long horns, heathland and gorse, Cley Nature reserve and wildlife, shingle beach, WWII pill box

This walk starts in a very typical flintstone village on the North Norfolk Coast and takes you up to the magnificent Salthouse church and  on to the heathland and countryside with amazing views over the coastline.  It then brings you back down to the salt marshes and water meadows around Cley Nature Reserve and along the shingle beach to eventually return to Salthouse.

Click here to read more about the Salthouse Circular Walk.


Norfolk Coastal Walk 8

Hunstanton Circular Walk

Length of Walk:  5 or 7 miles

Ease of walk:  Easy, flat but can be muddy in the winter months

What you’ll see:  coastal scenery, beach huts, dunes, nature reserves, walking alongside the River Hun and adjacent to Hunstanton Golf Course.

This walk can either start in the middle of Hunstanton (7 miles) at the beginning of the Norfolk Coast Path by the Band Stand overlooking the coast or at Old Hunstanton car park (5 miles).

It then takes you along a small stretch of Norfolk Coast Path with stunning views over the beach huts at Old Hunstanton and on to the wild dunes of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Holme Dunes Nature Reserve.  You then come back on yourself with a more rural feel to the walk as you amble alongside the River Hun and Hunstanton Golf Course, ending up on Hunstanton beach if the tide is low.

Click here to read the detailed route of the Hunstanton Circular Walk.

Hunstanton circular walk

Norfolk Coastal Walk 9

Cromer and Felbrigg Circular Walk

Length of Walk:  6.5 miles

Ease of walk:  Moderate to easy.  There are a few inclines but on the whole it is fairly flat

What you’ll see:  The National Trust property and grounds of Felbrigg Hall, woodland and coastal views. 

This walk starts in Cromer and takes you along the first stretch of the Weaver's Way.  You then pass in front of the 17th Century Jacobean Felbrigg Hall and out into the woodlands above the Hall.  If you take a little detour at the Roman Camp you can sit on a bench and have some coastal views.  Once you've done that, you then head off back down towards Cromer.

You can see more details on the Felbrigg circular walk here.

Felbrigg circular walk starting at Cromer

4 Short Coastal Walks

Here I give you 4 short coastal walk ideas.  All along parts of the Norfolk Coast Path, these are walks you may already know about but don't think about doing.  Catching the Coasthopper bus makes these walks an enjoyable day out, or a morning walk with a pub lunch afterwards.  (One of the short coastal walks is covered above - Wells to Stiffkey).

Click here for more details on the 4 Short Coastal Walks.


WONDERING WHAT TO DO IN NORFOLK?

Download your free copy of the "Quick Guide To Norfolk Beaches" and join our newsletter to keep up to date with 4 different tips every month for enjoying what Norfolk has to offer. 


Inland Walks

Below are some inland walks you may enjoy.

Norfolk Walking Books

Norfolk Walking Books

  • The 16 Coastal Dog Walks book is very dog friendly, as I wanted to discover walks that didn't require much road walking or time on leads.  They are all around the Norfolk Coast.
  • The Norfolk Heritage Walks book contains 18 walks with an interest.  The walks are dotted all around Norfolk depending on where there is something fascinating to visit, be it a priory ruin or castle ruin, a stately home, windpumps or lighthouses and more.
Coastal Dog Walks
Norfolk Heritage Walks

Other Walking Pages You Might Be Interested In



Enjoyed your coastal walk?

Have you enjoyed a Norfolk coastal walk and which one did you do? We'd love you to share it with us!

What Other Visitors Have Said

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The Pingo Trail 
I just wanted to say that we really enjoyed the Pingo Trail. I know this isn't a coastal walk, but it is under your Inland Walks! You mention on the …

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