North Norfolk's Secret Beaches

The North Norfolk coastline, much of which is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is home to several ‘secret’ beaches where you can find quiet spots all year round. See our top five secret beaches where you’ll often find it’s just you, the water, the sand and the sky!

Trimingham. The best way to access Trimingham beach is via Mundesley. Head north west along the beach and the further you walk, the quieter it gets! After about an hour of walking, you will reach the secluded sands of Trimingham. You will often find you have the beach to yourself. And as the beach is part of the Deep History Coast, you may well find fossils and sea stones if you do a bit of beach combing. Please steer clear of the cliffs, do not dig into them and ensure you visit during low tide.

Titchwell. Titchwell is best known for its RSPB nature reserve with an abundance of birdlife living among its saltwater habitat and mosaic freshwater. However, if you take the 1km walk through the reserve, head across the marshes and reedbeds, you’ll be greeted with a lovely quiet beach with vast sands and dunes to explore. During the second world war, the beach was used as a firing range and you can see remnants of its past today. As you enter the beach from the path, you will see the ruins of a war bunker which are often home to starfish; you will also see the remains of pillboxes, and if you’re lucky, at low tide, you may see the remains of two Covenanter tanks.

Blakeney Point. Famous for its seals and ground-nesting birds such as avocets and little terns, there are also quiet picnic and paddling spots around beautiful Blakeney Point. You can reach the point by a boat trip (to see the seals) with the option of stopping on the Point, or you can walk from Cley. The western end of the nature reserve is not open to visitors, but you can find your own secret beach beside the channels and dunes elsewhere.

Cart Gap. Not far from Sea Palling beach, which is popular with families in the summer, you will find Cart Gap beach. This is a lovely stretch of quiet beach with sandy dunes, ideal for playing and shelter. There is also a large car park, facilities and a small café nearby.

Weybourne Beach. Here you will find a quiet stretch of shingle beach, all to yourself, as well as deep water for a close-to-shore swim. The beach is so secret, it was a favourite with smugglers centuries ago! Weybourne has long been considered a possible site for invasion, with one reason being the deep waters: "He who would all England win, should at Weybourne Hope begin." You can reach the beach by following the coast path across the cliffs to the east of Weybourne beach before dropping down to the shingle beach. Here you will often find boats drawn up on the shingle.