Greylag Cottage in Wells-next-the-Sea

Outside Property

Garden: Fully enclosed with lawn, patio, super new summer house (2020), barbecue, table and chairs. Parking roadside opposite the house and on Freeman St and other recommended parking - note that this is not designated parking. Weekly season tickets, weekly tickets available from North Norfolk District Council for Stearman's Yard car park - 2 mins from property.

Surrounding Area

Wells is situated on the North Norfolk coast which runs for some thirty miles from Hunstanton to Cromer.

The North Sea is now a mile from the town, as a result of the silting of the harbour. The town has long thrived as a seaport and is now also a popular seaside resort with a popular beach that can be reached on foot or by a narrow gauge railway that runs partway alongside the mile-long sea wall north of the harbour.

The Quay in Wells is the hub of activity during the summer months, especially at weekends. People come to walk or take the miniature train to the beach, to fish for crabs on the Quay (called gillying), sample locally caught fresh shell fish and, of course, partake of good old local fish and chips! You can also buy Samphire which is found growing on the marshes locally.
If you want to see the quieter side of Wells, head off through some of the back streets and you will find plenty of pretty traditional cottages and gardens or wander up Staithe Street which has a wealth of shops, both traditional and modern.

Wells and Holkam Beaches

To get to Wells beach you can either walk along the sea path, take the railway to the Caravan Park or drive and park in the carpark. Beware as in the summer the car park can be very busy indeed and you may have to queue. Wells beach is famous for its gaily painted beach huts and sand dunes. Some beach huts can be rented by the day. The beach is backed by dense pine woods which are part of the Holkham National Nature Reserve. The woods comprise Scots pine, Maritime pine and Corsican Pine growing on sand. More pinewoods exist to the east of the beach over the shipping channel at an area called the East Hills. This can be accessed on foot at low tide though all of the tidal sands in the area are extremely dangerous due to the speed and currents of the rising tide. It is not advisable to cross the channel without detailed local knowledge.

The sea is very shallow and swimming is only really possible at high tide. However, since the channel was built for the boats to supply the building of the new off-shore wind farm, there is a new channel which you can use for swimming. Do take care when the tide starts to come in - it's fast.
Wells has its own lifeboat station on the beach and has both an all-weather lifeboat and an inshore rescue boat. The old lifeboat house, now used as the harbour offices, is at the western end of the quay

In 1880, Wells was the scene of a lifeboat disaster in which 11 of the 13 lifeboat crew drowned, leaving 10 widows and 27 children without fathers. A memorial to the crew stands adjacent to the old lifeboat house. Visitors are welcome to look around the lifeboat house on the beach and there are open days and displays at various times of the year.
Further to the west you will find Holkham beach and, of course, Holkham Hall, home to the Earl of Leicester. You can park in Queen Anne's Drive which leads up to the beach (it's paying). Holkham Bay is a stunning flat expanse of sand which gives you quite a walk to the sea when the tide is out. It's great for kite flying, exploring the sand dunes, horse riding or just taking in those big Norfolk skies.

Surrounding Wells

The North Norfolk coast has a varied landscape. In the West, the coastline is a maze of creeks and inlets in a vast expanse of salt marsh and mudflats. It's a birdwatcher's paradise and whatever time of year you visit, there will always be plenty to see. Further East towards Cromer, the countryside takes on a more rolling aspect, with steep cliffs rising from the sea.
The coast is rich in nature reserves and bird sanctuaries including Titchwell and Cley Marshes, Pensthorpe Waterfowl Park and Fairhaven Garden Trust. There is also the Norfolk Coast Path, which runs from just outside Hunstanton to Cromer.
If birds don't take your fancy, you can also go and see the seals at Blakeney Point. You have to take a boat trip and these are available all along the cost including Wells, Morston and in Blakeney itself.

Staying with the coast, there are plenty of pretty villages to visit with traditional flint cottages and quaysides including Blakeney, Cley and Brancaster. Some of these have good access to the brach and most have pay and display car parking during the summer months. Brancaster has a beach road and a car park and the beach is stunning, particularly if you walk away from the busier stretch where you can sometimes have the place pretty much to yourself.
Inland, there are a number of attractive village which are well worth a visit. For example, there is the small village of Burnham Thorpe where Nelson grew up. Here you'll find the Nelson pub and the village church, which has a small exhibition about its most famous son. If you want something more up market, you could visit Burnham Market which has a number of high class shops and restaurants including the renowned Hoste Arms - booking essential. Further to the East and slightly inland is the town of Holt which is another old market town with good shops and restaurants. You could take the scenic route to Holt by travelling from Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway, the Poppy Line. In the season there is an old double decker bus which will take you from Holt station into town and back again. It's a fun trip.

Norfolk is also littered with country houses, many of which are open to the public. The most famous is Sandringham, a favourite retreat for the Royal Family. Holkham Hall, the family home of the Earl of Leicester is certainly worth a visit and is walkable from Wells. You can visit the Hall itself, the Bygones Museum or just have a snack in the Stables cafe. There are many events throughout the year including drama, concerts, annual Halloween fun and much more. Be prepared to pay though - the 'young' Earl is a shrewd business man whose determined to keep the Hall alive and kicking. A good round walk from Wells is a round trip to Holkham, around the grounds and back again. It will take you about three hours but you can always stop for a drink and some food at the Victoria pub and restaurant at the entrance to the Hall on the coast road.

Further afield - Norwich and King's Lynn are both approximately 30 miles from Wells and offer a good day out, be it shopping, museums, theatre, cinema, eating out or dancing. Hunstanton is also worth a visit either for walks along the beach in search of ammonites, or to visit the Sea World Centre - the stingray pool is always a big hit with the children. At the other end of the Coast lie Sheringham and Cromer, two larger resort towns. Sheringham is also home to the North Norfolk Railway. The railway operates both steam and diesel trains. There's lots of other things as well as the train ride, including meals aboard The North Norfolkman, education days, numerous special events throughout the year including an annual Thomas the Tank Engine Day when you can meet the Fat Controller in person. You'll pass through some lovely countryside and might want to stop off at the picturesque station at Weybourne which has been recreated as a traditional station and can be seen in Love on a Branch Line starring Leslie Phillips as well as featuring in Dad's Army and the Inspector Alleyne series, amongst many others.
More things to do

http://www.visitnorthnorfolk.com/attractions/attractions.aspx
or drop into the Tourist Information Centre in Staithe Street. The staff are very helpful adn there are lots of leaflets and guides.