Famous for its iconic red and white striped light house, the village of Happisburgh on the north Norfolk coast is a great place to visit year round ! Approximately 40 minutes from Norwich its perfect for those early Sunday morning walks, leaving the perfect amount of time for a traditional roast in the afternoon.
Where to park
As you enter the village you are greated with the impressively sized St Mary’s church of Happisburgh village before travelling along ‘The st’ and finally into Beach Road which takes you to the sea front. Enter the postcode NR12 0PR into your sat nav to get straight to the main car park. There is plenty of parking available in the recently renovated car park with a toilet block aswell. The car park itself is approximately £3 therefore offers good value for money for being so close to the beach front and also providing toilets.
What to see
First entering the car park you face the previously mentioned light house which stands proudly out and still to this day is an operational light house. Simply cut through the opening behind the toilet block and you can follow the path right up to the base of the lighthouse, a perfect opportunity for a photo if you didn’t notice.
Walking across the field you will see the remains of an old military pill box which overlooks the North Sea, a cool historical addition. Providing some context to the children who surprisingly found the concept of an impending onslaught from across the channel as one of dads far fetched fantasies was exciting however pieces like this bring it to life.
Heading down the sandy slope to the beach you are presented with the beauty of most Norfolk beaches, Golden sands that stretch uninterrupted for miles. What makes Happisburgh stand out from other beaches is the obvious coastal erosion which is slowly eating away at the coast line.
The exposed cliffs show the many layers that make up the ground beneath us from the sandy upper layers down to the grey clay at the base. Although a nice view, sites like this demonstrate the true power of the sea and the helplessness we feel when attempting to slow its ever growing reach.
The length of this walk is entirely up to you, personally we walked about a mile up before turning back. Happisburgh village also have a website which offers their own trail for you to follow – Find the link below to check out this walk: http://happisburgh.org.uk/explore/.
Looping back round the car park there is a well stocked play area for the children including a tyre swing, swings, climbing frame etc, therefore providing plenty of entertainment for the little ones. I took this opportunity to take my new portable camping stove for a spin, making hot drinks for the whole family and a bite to eat for myself whilst looking over the park and lighthouse.
The Norfolk Explorers therefore would highly recommend this adventure; it provides something for everyone from coastal walks, play areas and a bit of history. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog, so go ahead leave a comment, follow the blog and we’ll see you soon!
Cost – Parking Approx £3
Distance – 2 miles – Journey can be aslong as you like along the sea front.
Toilets – Yes
Catering – No
Dog Friendly – Yes
Norfolk explorers - Family Blog 
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