Burnham Market is a picturesque, leafy village located about 6 miles west of Wells-next-the-Sea. Long popular with second home owners with deep pockets, it has a well-earned reputation for upmarket boutique shopping. In the middle of the village there is a wide green, with a mix of traditional and contemporary shops running along either side.
Surrounded by smaller villages – Burnham Overy, Burnham Thorpe, Burnham Norton, Burnham Deepdale – Burnham Market itself is the result of a merger of three smaller Burnham villages. All are presumed to have taken their name from the River Burn that runs close by.
The village is sufficiently large and wealthy to have retained a good mix of essential retailers such as a butcher, fishmonger and grocer, while providing plenty of recreational shopping. There are several clothes shops, a well-stocked wine merchant, home and garden outlets, art galleries, beauty spa, deli, coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and inn. If you’re off to Fakenham Races’ Ladies Day, have a wedding to attend in the near future, or simply can’t pass a fascinator without trying it on, there’s a large, long-established hat shop.
Parking has improved considerably in recent years with the addition of a new pay and display car park located off North Street – postcode PE31 8HG – just a couple of minutes stroll from the village centre. Details of charges, disabled spaces and free short-term bays can found on the King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Council website. If you’re travelling by bus, the Coastliner service provides connections between Burnham Market and Wells.
You can easily spend an hour or two wandering around the green and perusing the various shops, before recharging with a drink and a meal at one of the village eateries, the most famous of which is The Hoste – originally a humble coaching inn serving local ales and a few ports from a small hatch, now a 62 bed luxury boutique hotel and spa, with an award-winning restaurant.
Relaxed, welcoming, dress-down posh, this quirky yet endearing village is a world away from your typical town centre with its chain stores and predictable brand names. A little Norfolk gem.
Featured retailers in Burnham Market
- Clothing & Apparel: Anna, Joules, Gun Hill, The Hat Shop, Gilly’s, Urban Armour, Raliegh Goss
- Hotels, Restaurants & Inns: The Hoste, The Nelson, Number 29, North Street Bistro, Socious
- Home Interiors & Garden: Norfolk Living, Foras, Birdie Fortescue, Barefoot Living, Fairfax Gallery
- Food & Drink: Gurney’s Fish Shop, Satchells of Burnham Market, The Tuscan Farm Shop
