Heacham – South Beach
Overview
Heacham South Beach is a relatively short stretch of beach, backed by caravan parks and holiday chalets. It’s quiet and peaceful with west-facing sunset views.
Though not quite as wild and natural as neighbouring Snettisham Beach, Heacham South Beach is quieter than its sibling to the north.
The car park is small, with public toilets and a few facilities including a café serving cooked breakfasts and kiosks that sell sugar in various forms.
Heacham South Beach is sandy, but with a fair amount of shingle. It’s a good dog-walking beach, but dogs must be kept on a lead between April and August to protect nesting birds.
As with the other beaches along this stretch of coastline, it’s a fantastic place to watch the long, spectacular sunsets.
Key Features
- Sand and shingle
- Length: 2km (1.2mi)
- Pay and display parking
- Nearest bus stop 1km (0.6mi)
- Dog restrictions between April & August
- Public toilets
- No ramps or access provision
- Food & drink at café
- Small beach shop
- No lifeguard services
Situated between Snettisham Beach and Heacham North Beach, Heacham South is a relatively short stretch of beach, backed by dunes, some chalets, Heacham River and fields beyond. It’s quiet and peaceful, relatively wild and undeveloped with west-facing sunset views.
As you progress northwards from King’s Lynn along the A149 coast road, Heacham South Beach is the second beach you come to. There’s a progression of development as well, so while not quite as wild and natural as Snettisham, Heacham South Beach is quieter than its sibling to the north.
The car park is small, but unlike Snettisham there are public toilets, and some facilities available – the Heacham Halt Café that opens for breakfast, some small kiosks selling donuts, ice creams and beach toys which normally don’t get going until later in the day, and a caravan park with a convenience store 200 metres back down the beach road.
Almost a mirror image of Snettisham Beach to the south, your choices when accessing the beach are to turn left, where the beach is backed by heathland, marshes and the river, or right with a backdrop of caravan parks behind the dunes. Not that you’ll notice once you’re on the beach, as the rise of the sand and the dunes behind effectively block any views inland.
Directly in front of you when you walk onto the beach is a large concrete outfall. It’s nothing to worry about as it just carries the water from the Heacham River out into The Wash.
Heacham South Beach is more sandy than Snettisham, but still with a fair amount of shingle. There are bands of sand and shingle as you go from the dunes down to the water’s edge, so you can find suitable construction areas for building sandcastles if you wish.
Although Heacham South Beach is a good dog-walking beach, there are restrictions during spring and summer months. Dogs must be kept on a lead between April and August to protect nesting birds.
As with the other beaches along this stretch of west-facing coastline, it’s a fantastic place to sit or take a leisurely stroll and watch the long, spectacular sunsets.
Small hard surface car park with 20 spaces, 2 disabled. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Pay & display. Daytime charges apply. Reduced evening charges.
No parking charges apply between 1 November to 28 February.
Address: South Beach Road, Heacham PE31 7LH
For opening hours and prices visit the BCKLWN website.
Heacham South Beach is served by the Coastliner 36.
Nearest stop: Jennings Close
Distance: 1km (0.6mi)
More information: lynxbus.co.uk
There are public toilets (refurbished in 2022) located at the entrance to Heacham South Beach car park. The Heacham Halt Café (often called Heacham Holt Café) is also on site, together with donut and ice cream kiosks, and a small beach shop.
A little further away, approx 200m back along the Beach Road, Heacham Beach Holiday Park has small a convenience store.
There are more facilities, including a pub selling food, a fish and chip shop, and other small shops at Heacham North Beach, around 600m to the north, which can be reached by foot along the beach.
Dogs are allowed with some restrictions. Heacham South Beach is great for dog-walking, but dogs must be kept on a lead between April and August to protect nesting birds.
There are no lifeguard services at any time of year.
