One of Norfolk’s lesser-known beaches, Waxham is usually quiet as it’s a little off the beaten track. Located between the more popular Sea Palling beach and Horsey Gap, it is a beautiful golden sandy beach only marred by the concrete sea defences and rock groynes placed to prevent coastal erosion.
Grey seals can often be seen playing and swimming offshore all year round. During breeding season between November and February they come ashore to give birth and pups spend a few weeks on the beach before they learn to swim.
The Norfolk Coast Path runs along the beach. It’s just a short walk to Sea Palling over the sand dunes, a haven for wildflowers, insects, and plenty of birdlife. Common cranes can sometimes be spotted feeding in the fields towards Waxham village. Your four-legged friend will enjoy accompanying you on the walk, but keep it on a lead during bird breeding season to ensure it doesn’t disturb ground-nesting birds.
Behind the beach is Waxham Great Barn, a thatched Tudor tithe barn and the longest in the county. It houses a small exhibition featuring Elizabethan agriculture, local history displays, and information about smuggling and the shipwrecks that lie along the coast.
Next to the barn is Dunes Café, a family run business that serves food all day. Enjoy hearty breakfasts, local seafood, cream teas, and a selection of homemade cakes.
The southern end of the beach is officially known as Waxham Sands which is slightly busier as there is a holiday park nearby. The spacious grass pitches welcome tents and caravans, and it has excellent onsite facilities including toilets and washrooms, a children’s play area, a beach toy library, body board hire, and doggy showers. In the summer, pop-up food trucks serve a range of street food and seaside favourites such as fish and chips. There are also bins available for disposing of barbecues.
Access to the beach is along a sandy, tree-lined path. There are no facilities on Waxham beach itself. Car parking is available at the holiday park and there is limited roadside parking in the village.
