Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk: A Family Day Out at the Beach Huts

Wells-next-the-Sea is the harbour town that gives North Norfolk most of its character — a tidal harbour at the top of a narrow channel, a row of brightly-painted beach huts on stilts, a long sweep of pine-backed sand stretching west to Holkham. The town itself is small and walkable, the seafront is a mile out — a flat walk along the harbour embankment — and the whole place feels like a children’s-book version of the seaside.

Main things to see and do

1. The Beach Huts. The most-photographed scene in North Norfolk. Walk along the front of the dunes to see them at high tide. Some are hire-able for the day in summer.
2. The walk to the beach. The beach is a flat mile from the quay along the harbour embankment; the old harbour railway closed in 2021, so allow time with smaller children, or use the beach car park at the pinewoods end.
3. Wells Quay & the crabbing. The quay is the heart of town life; crabbing lines and bait are sold in any of the seafront shops. Crabs are returned to the water at the end.
4. The Pinewoods walk to Holkham. Three miles of flat, sheltered pine-backed sand. One of the great easy beach walks of England — finish at Lady Anne’s Drive at Holkham for the bus or a taxi back.
5. French’s fish & chips. The town’s best chippy. Plan around it; queues form. Eat on the quay watching the boats come in.

Where to stay

If you are making a weekend of it, North Norfolk has more good self-catering than is reasonable for a coastline its size. We use Sykes Holiday Cottages for most of our family breaks on this coast — their holiday cottages in wells-next-the-sea and the surrounding coast cover most of the price brackets and most of the dog-friendly properties. (Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Practical bits

• Postcode: NR23 (centre of town)
• Region: North Norfolk
• OS map: OS Explorer 251 — Norfolk Coast CentralBuy from OS →
• Public transport: Coasthopper bus runs the length of the coast in summer; check the live timetable on Coastliner.