Wells-next-the-Sea Beach

A long, open stretch of sand on the North Norfolk coast, reached through pine woodland from a car park beside a café. Families come for sandcastles, shell collecting and paddling in the shallows when the tide is out, while adults relax on the dunes or in a deckchair. The row of striped beach huts along the pines gives the place its postcard look, and a walk east or west along the sand leads towards Holkham Beach and the Norfolk Coast Path. Dogs are welcome on most of the beach, with one section set aside as dog-free. Lifeguards patrol through the summer holidays. The beach suits a relaxed, all-ages day out, and the café and beach bus make it easy to base a day there.