Salthouse Beach

The shingle beach at Salthouse stretches out grey and wide, backed by a sea wall and marshland that draws serious birdwatchers from across the country. It's a proper Norfolk coast experience - no arcades, no ice cream vans, just the sound of pebbles underfoot and the smell of salt air. The beach itself is functional rather than picturesque. There's a car park right by the entrance which takes some of the romance out of arrival, but it means you're actually walking on the beach within seconds.

What you get here depends entirely on what you're after. Ornithologists absolutely lose their minds over Salthouse Marshes - the reed beds behind the beach are cracking for spotting marsh harriers, bitterns and countless migratory species. The RSPB has been interested in this stretch for decades. For casual beach walkers with young kids, it's decent enough for an hour or so, though the shingle gets uncomfortable quickly if you're not wearing proper shoes. There's no sand, no rock pools, and the water's cold even in summer.

The village of Holt sits just inland - a proper market town with decent pubs and shops if you need to sort yourself out before or after. With Kelling Heath Holiday Park only 2.5 miles away and other caravan sites scattered nearby, Salthouse works as a quick stop during a broader North Norfolk coast tour. Worth the detour if you're into nature or want to tick off an authentic, unglamorous stretch of East Anglian coastline. Everyone else will probably tire of it within an hour.