BRITISH BEACH OF THE WEEK- HOLKHAM BAY (Sunday Telegraph 22/07/2007)

Continuing our tour of Britain’s coast, this week collie pup Finn and I find ourselves walking mile after glorious mile along the vast expanse of beach on North Norfolk’s Holkham Bay.

THE BEACH

Holkham Bay, Norfolk

THE LOWDOWN

A seemingly infinite stretch of golden sands running down to blue-green North Sea waters backed by huge horizons – you feel as though you could walk forever here, and the sensation of space and freedom is totally liberating – especially if you’re a collie pup…

WATER QUALITY

The bay is part of one of the largest coastal nature reserves in the UK and has correspondingly high water quality.

ACCESS

From Wells-next-the-Sea at the east end of the bay, or from Lady Anne’s Drive at Holkham village, just off the A149. Although Holkham is a popular beach it’s so huge that it’s easy to find solitude, and its associated dunes, saltflats and pinewoods, inhabited by a wide variety of bird life, add to the wild yet tranquil atmosphere.

GOOD FOR

Solitude; swimming (although beware of currents); dog walking; riding; picnics; birdwatching; naturists (usually lurking in the dunes).

BAD FOR

Cold northerly winds – in which case shelter in the dunes and pine woods above the beach.

WHERE TO PARK

Park in the large car park at Wells-next-the-Sea (£4 a day) or at Lady Anne’s Drive (£3 a day).

WHERE TO EAT

There are plenty of options in Wells-next-the-Sea, and the Victoria Hotel (01328 713230; www.holkham.co.uk) at Holkham village has a fine restaurant specialising in local produce. But surely the best option is to buy all the requisites for a picnic in Wells and dine in style on the beach.
WHERE TO STAY The obvious port of call is the much acclaimed Victoria Hotel (see above; double rooms from £120) – each room is an individually designed mix of the opulent and esoteric and the hotel is just a 10-minute walk from the beach. A good value b & b option is Arch House (01328 710112; www.archhouse.co.uk; rooms from £28) in Wells-next-the-Sea, an 1830s Excise house just a few minutes’ walk from access to Holkham Bay. Or if you’re on a budget, head for Deepdale Backpackers Hostel (01485 210256; www.deepdalefarm.co.uk) at Burnham Deepdale. This neat and welcoming hostel has dorm accommodation (from £10.50), and rooms from twin (from £28) to family (from £63) plus camping pitches and tipis; it’s also well placed for dining at the award-winning White Horse (01485 210262; www.whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk) gastropub at nearby Brancaster Staithes.

DID YOU KNOW? Gwyneth Paltrow strolled across Holkham’s endless golden sands in the closing scene of Shakespeare in Love.