Winterton beach is just 10 miles from Great Yarmouth but doesn’t get nearly as busy. At 3 miles long there’s plenty of space for families, dog walkers, and those who have come to enjoy the nearby wildlife.
Children will enjoy building sandcastles and the wide-open space is ideal for flying a kite or playing beach games. Although paddling near the shore is fine, swimming is not recommended due to the strong tidal currents, and there is no lifeguard cover.
Behind the beach is an extensive dunes system which has been designated a National Nature Reserve. Part of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Winterton Dunes is a mix of low-lying wet dune slacks and acidic heathland with areas of scattered scrub and woodland.
In spring, look out for migrant birds such as wheatears and ring ouzels passing through, while in early summer, little terns and ringed plovers arrive to breed. On warm evenings, nightjars can be heard ‘churring, and skylarks and stonechats are often seen and heard.
Shallow pools support important colonies of natterjack toads, and the damp habitats attract a variety of insects such as sand wasps, dragonflies, and damselflies. Look out too for butterflies including dark green fritillaries, rock graylings, and common blues.
Seals can be seen along the edge of the sea at Winterton all year round with grey seals coming ashore to breed in the winter and common seals in the summer.
Winterton-on-Sea village has a fishing heritage and on the beach are some black-painted fisherman’s huts which are very photogenic but sadly at risk from the encroaching sea. There are other clues to the history of the village. For example, at the junction of The Lane and Black Street is a glossy black boulder known as an erratic stone that was deposited by glacial ice at the end of the last Ice Age.
The stone is said to bring luck and in 1931 when it was moved to make way for a new road, the villagers rioted blaming the interference on a poor fishing year.
Although less popular than it was due to the installation of reefs at Sea Palling which means the beach has shallowed up, sea-anglers still have the opportunity to catch bass, flounders, codlings, and eels.
In the village is a lighthouse built in the 1860s although a lighthouse is thought to have stood at the site since the 17th century, which was mentioned in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe published in 1719.
It was decommissioned in 1921 after which it was sold by Trinity House to a buyer from London to use as a summer residence. Today, the lighthouse is still privately owned and is available for holiday rentals.
For fish and chips, head to Winterton Fish and Chips in the village which also serves pies, burgers, and chicken and is consistently voted as one of the best fish and chip shops in Norfolk.
Alternatively, The Fisherman’s Return, a 300-year-old brick and flint freehouse serves pub classics, with fresh fish delivered daily from Lowestoft, and meat and game from local butchers, as a well as a good selection of real ales, cider, wines, and spirits.
There is a large car park near the beach with a café and public toilets. In the summer attendants are on duty to help drivers find spaces. Alternative parking can be found in front of the village hall.
From the car park follow the path north past the black huts where there is a further level path that takes you onto the beach.
