Rupert Parker Discovers Great Yarmouth hiking trails offer more than just seaside resort breaks.
In the distinguished pantheon of British seaside resorts, Great Yarmouth is up there with the best of them. Yet like most in Britain it’s suffered over the years as holidaymakers board cheap flights to the med. If its star attractions of sandy beaches, iconic Britannia Pier and Golden Mile prom are not for you, then look outside. It makes an excellent base for walkers, birdwatchers and cyclists, keen to explore the rest of the North Sea coast and Norfolk Broads.
Great Yarmouth has been welcoming holidaymakers for more than 250 years. The Golden Mile is the heart of the resort, offering stretches of sandy beach alongside amusement arcades, cafés, and entertainment. During the summer months, the promenade comes alive and my visit coincides with the annual Wheels festival, classic cars parked on the seafront.
The Britannia Pier has been a fixture here since 1858 – sticking out into the North Sea, the Grade II listed pier combines classic seaside charm with modern entertainment. Walk through the traditional amusements and cafés to enjoy spectacular sea vies and seasonal performances at the Britannia Pier Theatre.
Beyond the classic seaside entertainment lies a fascinating historic town with medieval alleyways known as “The Rows”. The Time and Tide Museum tells the story of the town’s fishing industry and maritime traditions. And, on the edge of town, Breydon Water is a European Union Special Protection Area (SPA) where you can see vast numbers of wading birds, such as Golden Plover, Lapwing, Pink Footed Geese, Redshank and Wigeon.
Day 1 Great Yarmouth to Winterton-on-Sea – 4 hours, 9 miles
This is the Robinson Crusoe walk – in the book he’s shipwrecked off Winterton but reaches land in a rowing boat. He then makes his way along the beach to Great Yarmouth. It’s one of the most rewarding coastal routes in East Anglia and links seaside resorts, expansive dune systems, and wide-open beaches that feel increasingly wild the further you go.
I start by walking south along the promenade at Great Yarmouth, past rows of beach huts until I reach the caravan sites. It’s then time to switch to the beach and, arriving at Caister-on-Sea, the landscape shifts subtly. The famous Caister Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest in the UK, vital for saving lives from the unpredictable North Sea.
The beach here is broad and backed by low dunes and I continue north past the tiny hamlet of California. Apparently it got its name around 1840 after a quantity of gold coins was discovered in the cliff, echoing the American gold rush of the time. The dunes are higher here and impressively steep.
Hemsby is holiday central, all caravan parks and amusement arcades, with families making the most of the beach. It’s a good place to stop for a surprisingly good pub lunch at the Lacon Arms. Cliff erosion is a constant problem here, and massive clusters of stones sit on the beach in an effort to keep the sea at bay.
The final stretch leads into one of the most beautiful sections of the entire walk and the coastline becomes wilder. The Winterton Dunes National Nature Reserve is home to rare plants, migrating birds, and seals can sometimes be spotted on the sandbanks offshore,
The village itself is small and peaceful, with a pub, a church, and a handful of cottages. It feels like a natural endpoint to the journey, where human activity steps back and the landscape takes over. I make my way back to Hemsby on the cliffs and catch the Coastal Clipper back to Great Yarmouth.
Day 2 Acle to Great Yarmouth, Weavers’ Way – 5 hours 13.5 miles 5 hours
The Weavers Way commemorates the cottage weaving industry, a fixture here from the Middle Ages. The trail runs from Cromer to Great Yarmouth for 61 miles but I’m only attempting the final section. My starting point is Acle, known as the “Gateway to the Broads”, an easy bus journey from the coast.
I leave the town and, after passing through woodland, the trail enters gently rolling farmland where fields of wheat, barley and oilseed rape change colour with the seasons. This is easy walking and skylarks spiral overhead framed against the vast East Anglian sky.
Tunstall appears almost unexpectedly, a scattering of houses in the fields. Its ruined medieval church of St Peter and St Paul rises up from landscape, the tower a vital landmark. Soon afterwards comes Halvergate, one of the oldest settlements on the route.
I now enter Halvergate Marshes, one of the largest remaining areas of grazing marsh in Britain. The horizon seems to stretch endlessly, interrupted only by drainage ditches, reedbeds, grazing cattle and the occasional historic wind pump.
One of the best preserved is Berney Arms Windmill, dating from 1865, The red brick tower originally ground cement clinker before being converted into a drainage mill that helped reclaim the surrounding wetlands. At 21.5m high, it’s the tallest surviving drainage windmill in Norfolk and an iconic symbol of the Broads.
As the trail approaches Breydon Water, birdlife becomes even richer. This broad tidal estuary is one of Norfolk’s most important wetland reserves and attracts thousands of avocets, redshanks, black-tailed godwits and other waders during migration periods. A wide gravel track follows the water’s edge, offering uninterrupted views across mudflats and the water.
It seems like a long final slog to Great Yarmouth, always visible on the horizon, but the path is good and I have it entirely to myself. Just before I reach the town, there’s railway siding full of ancient rolling stock. It’s where carriages go to die, some even retaining their original British Rail livery.
As I walk through the Yarmouth’s busy streets I’m determined to boldly go where no other person dares. At the beach, off goes my walking gear, then straight ahead to the sea. I wade into the water telling myself it’s not cold, but at least I have it all to myself. Beats Benidorm any day.
Tell Me More about this guide to Great Yarmouth.
Greater Anglia runs trains from London’s Liverpool Street via Norwich.
First Bus runs the Coastal Clipper Cabriolet along the coast and buses to Acle.
Visit Great Yarmouth has information about the town.
Hotel Ocean is a comfortable boutique hotel on the seafront with rooms from £90 per night.
The Prom Hotel Bistro in Great Yarmouth serves ample Sunday lunches.
The Lacon Arms in Hemsby has excellent pub food.
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