Walk this way... Holkham Bay

Follow in Gwyneth Paltrow’s footsteps along this vast, sandy beach in north Norfolk, fringed by pine woods and a grand, ancestral estate. By Alex Reece

  Photo: Visit BritainThis circular beach walk around Holkham Bay begins at the car park on Lady Anne's Drive off the A149 (opposite the Victoria Hotel). From here, take the raised walkway down to the beach and turn right. Make tracks along the sand for around one-and-a-half miles, until you arrive at the lifeboat station in Wells-next-the-Sea. Once you have taken in the views of Wells harbour and the saltmarshes beyond, turn back along the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path, keeping the pine woods to your right and the boating lake and marshes to your left. The path will eventually lead you back to the starting point.

 

Why go? This easy-going stroll leads you across the vast, golden sands of Holkham Bay, immortalised in the closing scenes of the film Shakespeare in Love, during which Gwyneth Paltrow treads along the shore. A National Nature Reserve and part of the historic Holkham Estate, the bay is made up of a variety of habitats, such as sand dunes, saltmarshes and pine woods.

 

How long will it take? You should manage the three-mile walk within two hours, allowing for stopping time to admire the East-Anglian vistas.

 

Stamina required? No special footwear is required on this straightforward route, which runs mostly over firm tracks and flat sand.

 

Refuelling options Pop into the Marsh Larder Tearooms in Holkham Village for tea, cake and venison sausage rolls (01328 711285).

 

What else can I see? For a touch of grandeur, visit the 18th-century Holkham Hall - home to the Coke family and the Earls of Leicester. Surrounded by a deer park, it is worth a look for its imposing state rooms and classical statues (admission £7, £3.50 for children - find out more at www.holkham.co.uk or call 01328 710227). 

 

Wildlife highlights The bay is a haven for birds such as ringed plovers, oystercatchers and little terns, while common seals bask on the shoreline close to Wells lifeboat station. Stick to the obvious paths and keep dogs on a lead when visiting in June, as the aforementioned
bird species nest on the beach around now.

 

And for kids? The Bygones Museum, on the Holkham Estate, is stacked with more than four thousand artefacts and curios, including vintage cars and mechanical toys (admission £5, £2.50 for children, see www.holkham.co.uk).

 

Getting there The nearest train station is King's Lynn, 23 miles away. From there, catch the Coasthopper bus, which stops in Holkham Village (timetables at www.norfolkgreen.co.uk).

 

Where to stay Just ten minutes' walk from the beach, the Victoria Hotel at Holkham is supremely stylish. Sleep in an individually designed room, artfully decorated with antique finds and Indian furniture. From £120 double B&B (01328 711008, www.holkham.co.uk/victoria).

 

Don't miss... There is a rolling programme of cultural events on the estate. One summer highlight is the celebrity performance of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro on 26 July (see www.holkham.co.uk/html/events.html).

 

Wells-next-the-sea TIC 0871 200 3071, www.visitnorfolk.co.uk.

 

OS maps Landranger Map 132: King's Lynn & Fakenham; Explorer Map 251: Wells-next-the Sea & Fakenham. Click here for the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map Service to see your chosen area online

 

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