Brancaster Boards

The wooden boardwalk at Brancaster stretches out across the salt marshes like a finger pointing toward the North Sea, and it's one of those rare coastal walks that actually delivers on the promise of 'getting you closer to nature'. You're walking on proper timber planks - the sort that go slick when wet - with water on both sides and birds everywhere if you know what to look for. Waders, terns, the occasional heron if you're lucky and patient.

It's a dead straightforward walk, flat as anything, which makes it brilliant for families with younger kids or anyone who can't manage steep terrain. Allow an hour for a gentle wander and a bit of birdwatching; longer if you've got binoculars and the inclination to sit and stare at the marsh for a while. Go at low tide if possible - the light's better and you get a proper sense of how much water's in those channels.

The boards themselves are free to use, no facilities out there worth mentioning, so come prepared. From King's Lynn it's a straightforward drive north toward the coast. If you're staying at Deepdale Camping just down the road, this is your perfect morning before breakfast. Even Dreamy Hollow, a few miles inland, makes it an easy trip. The Norfolk coast has better-known spots - Wells-next-the-Sea pulls bigger crowds - but Brancaster's quieter and frankly more interesting if you care about wildlife rather than ice cream shops.