Norfolk'n Way

Hike along the Norfolk Coast Path

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Walk 5 hrs (18km)

Total Ascent 292 m

Highest Point 70 m

Welcome to this Signature Hike

Welcome to your ultimate hiking adventure along the stunning Norfolk coast! This journey begins in the serene village of Gunton, known for its tranquil beaches, and winds its way through picturesque coastal paths, charming seaside towns, and captivating natural reserves, culminating in the historic town of Sheringham. As you trek this scenic route, you’ll experience the unique blend of unspoiled nature, rich history, and vibrant local culture that makes Norfolk’s coastline truly special.

Read the infomation below to learn more about your walk before you head off.

Ready to walk?

Be sure to download your PDF guide for the walk and make sure you have the OS maps app downloaded.

Or email yourself the guide:

Before you start

Here’s 3 important things you need to know before you head off:

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Save This Guide

Save the PDF guide on your device that you’re going to use on the walk. (This contains all the handy information, from how to get there, points of interest and pubs, taxis etc).

📱

Download OS Map App

This is how you will navigate your way around the route. The link for the route is in this guide and will take you to the OS Maps app.

Click here for Apple
Click here for Android

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Battery

Make sure you have plenty of battery. We hope you have a great walk.

The Curator Andy Sloan

Meet the Curator

Andy is Head of Marketing at the amazing foundation Walking With The Wounded, one of our charity partners. He is an avid walker, and you can often find him out exploring the coastal paths, rain or shine! As a Norfolk local, he brought to our attention not only this stunning area, but also some top places to eat, drink and sleep.

“There are so many wonderful things to do and see in north Norfolk, it’s hard to fit them all in! Both the scenery and the wildlife are brilliant in this corner of the world, and there’s always something to look out for. This route really does include some of the best of Norfolk’s coastal paths and villages. The beautiful, varied scenery is peppered with lots of fantastic places to grab a bite to eat or drink along the way – a personal favourite is Rocky Bottoms and their delicious, fresh seafood! Both Holkham and Hunstanton beaches are particularly beautiful, and with lots of other great places to visit, this hike is the perfect chance for a Weekender. An overnight stay in Cromer or Sheringham is definitely recommended, or for a more remote stay, the art-filled Gunton Arms.”

Adventure Summary

Norfolk Coast

The quaint station at Gunton is a few miles inland from the Norfolk coast and is the starting point for this great walk. The beginning of this hike is filled with fresh country air, as you find yourself amidst green fields and birdsong. Joining the Paston Way, a path linking the medieval churches of the area, you can expect cute country lanes, expansive farmland and romantic old railway lines.

The Paston Way leads you to Overstrand and the Norfolk Coastal Path, home to some of the UK’s most beautiful coastal walking. Our route then heads west, all the way up to Sheringham, passing characterful Cromer along the way.

Hike Highlights

Explore a British AONB

The Norfolk Coast boasts unspoiled beaches, charming seaside villages, and unique wildlife habitats.

A wild dip in the North Sea

If you are feeling brave, take an invigorating paddle in the sea.

View from Beeston Bump

Breathtaking panoramas of the Norfolk coastline, encompassing sweeping sea vistas.

By Train

Trains from London to Gunton station require a change at Norwich, with a journey time of usually around 3 to 3.5 hours. You will be returning from Sheringham station, which is on the same line back to London, via Norwich.

By Car

If you are driving, then we recommend parking at Gunton station (NR11 8UE). At the end of the hike, you can catch the 20 minute train back to Gunton from Sheringham, where this walk ends. If you are staying in Sheringham or Cromer, then we recommend parking at your accommodation and getting the train to Gunton to start your walk.

Sometimes, we can get so caught up in reaching our destination that we forget to take in our surroundings. When in fact, some of the best moments on a walk are the ones spent not walking. It is not until you stop and look a little closer, that you truly see the magic of where you are.
Our hikes are not about how fast you walk, but about how much you take in. We share these beautiful trails with an abundance of wildlife and there’s always something to marvel at – so long as you take the time to look around.

Rocky Bottoms’ history dates to the 1800s, where there originally stood a kiln, used for firing bricks. But the arrival of larger competitors meant the kiln could not keep up and it was closed down after WWII. Fast forward to 2008, a local fishing family thought the kiln had some great potential and decided to restore the building. The Matthews family spent years doing up the building and opened Rocky Bottoms in 2015. They serve delicious, fresh-as-anything seafood dishes with a lot of love and care – they believe in “enjoying the simpler things in life”.

Points of interest

Places to enjoy along the route

ST JAMES CHURCH, SOUTHREPPS

This is the first church on the hike to boast a very tall belltower (34m). The evidence of the church’s dedication to St James can be seen in the scallop shells around the base of the tower, which are the pilgrim symbol of the saint.

ROCKY BOTTOMS

BEESTON BUMP

This hill, locally known as Beeston Bump, stands at 63m high. Originally, there were two hills next to each other, but over time they eroded and formed one hill. During WWII, the Bump served as a signals intelligence site that went by the name of ‘Y’. There is also a legend surrounding the hill, that it is home to a hound-like beast, Black Shuck, which roams the hills of Norfolk. A sighting of it is a sure sign of impending death. It is said this beast was the inspiration for the infamous Arthur Conan Doyle story, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

NORFOLK COASTAL PATH

The Norfolk Coast Path is a longer distance footpath, part of which is featured on this hike. Opened in 1986, it runs for 83 miles across the north Norfolk AONB. This popular route takes in some of its stunning coastline, complete with long stretches of flat beaches and the beautiful, undulating dunes.

CROMER

Although a relatively small, Cromer an endearing atmosphere and a colourful history. The St Peter and St Paul Church, visible as you approach Cromer and when on the seafront, boasts the largest church tower in England, standing at 158m high. It has some particularly striking stained-glass windows which are a tribute to famous lifeboatman Henry Blogg GC BEM, and crew members; Mr Blogg is the most decorated lifeboatman in RNLI history and in total saved 873 lives. Look out for the bust of him before you get to the RNLI museum.

The insiders guide to

The Norfolk Coast

🍽️ EAT

Shambles Café, North Walsham

Fat Teds, Sheringham

🍺 DRINK

The Gunton Arms, Gunton

The Gangway, Cromer

Suffield Arms, Gunton

👀 SEE

Holkham Hall

Seal spotting in Blakeney

Houghton Hall

📍 DO

Trip to Holkham beach

Visit Sandringham House

Take a trip on the North Norfolk Steam Train

🛏️ SLEEP

Alton House, Sheringham

Hooray Henrys, Sheringham

The Saracen’s Head, outside Cromer

Weybourne Forest Lodges, outside Cromer

What’s Next?

Done the hike? Let us and fellow members know how you got on and leave any tips and advice!

There aren't any reviews for this hike yet.

Norfolk’n Way, Norfolk Coast ⏱️ 5hrs