Sheringham Beach

Allegedly there is a sandy beach at Sheringham. Having visited Sheringham numerous times throughout my life, I have yet to see more than the merest hint of sand peeking out from beneath the pebbles. But photographs do exist of the sand in question, and unless they’re the product of some sophisticated CGI work, I must accept that Sheringham does indeed possess a sandy beach.

If you wish to enjoy the elusive sandy reaches of Sheringham Beach it is necessary to pay close attention to the tides. For at least half of the time between tidal extremes, only the rocks and pebbles along the base of the promenade are visible. The shallow sandy beach makes its fleeting appearance in the 2 hours or so either side of low tide.

The beach is clean, regularly winning awards, and there is a tidy promenade that runs 1.1km (0.7mi) along the seafront. Dogs are not permitted on the central section of beach during summer, and must be kept on a lead when walked on the promenade itself.

A series of substantial timber and stone groynes dissect the beach, offering protection from longshore erosion, but their presence makes it necessary to climb back up to the promenade if you wish to go from one end of the beach to the other.

At the east end of the prom you’ll find a long row of colourful beach huts, while the RNLI Lifeboat House marks the western end. In between there are cafés, ice cream kiosks and public toilets. About half way along is Sheringham Museum, containing an impressive boat hall and various galleries telling the story of the town and its agricultural and maritime history.

Up above the western end of the prom the manicured Leas clifftop gardens provide a calm and genteel setting to take in the views, with well-protected seating to escape the wind. An impressive raised model boating lake provides a opportunity to test your sailing skills in miniature.

Sheringham is a large seaside town with all the shops and facilities you’d expect, with the main high street just a short stroll from the beach. One of the town’s major visitor attractions is the North Norfolk Railway, a heritage steam train which runs from Sheringham to Holt via Weybourne and Kelling. The Poppy Line passes through some of Norfolk’s most enchanting countryside and the return trip takes a little over an hour.

Sheringham is a place of extremes – bursting with visitors in summer, abandoned in winter; a binary beach that’s there one minute and gone the next; and a seafront of colourful beach huts atop grey concrete and stone below, hard and unyielding against the drifting sands and restless waves.