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Winterton on Sea

A lovely unspoilt East Norfolk Coast village with its roots in fishing.

An Introduction to Winterton on Sea

Winterton Beach
Winterton Sand Dunes
Winterton Beach
Winterton Pub
Fishing Boat

Winterton on Sea is a lovely unspoilt East Norfolk Coast seaside resort, with is roots in fishing. You will find no amusement arcades or brash shops here, just a wonderful beach, sand dunes and a small village with a shop, post office, chip-shop, and village pub. The sand dunes are a nature reserve classified as an area of outstanding natural beauty and is ideal for bird watchers and walkers. Just north of Winterton a colony of grey seals live and can be regularly seen basking on the beach or popping their heads above the waves. The village has a large, cathedral like, church, a holiday park with unusual holiday homes and one of the first UK windfarms on the ridge to the west of the village.

Norfolk Cottages

Winterton on Sea Map

Winterton Map Martham Horsey Hemsby
 

Winterton on Sea Guided Picture Tour


We start our tour of Winterton on sea at the car-park adjacent to the beach (£5 all day or £1 per hour). The beach is usually empty and the wide sandy beach is backed by sand-dunes. You can either walk along the beach itself or along the top of the sand-dunes. An excellent cafe is adjacent to the car-park and serves a wide range of hot and cold refreshments. From the beach you get good views of the offshore windfarm and the sand dunes right along this stretch of coast.
Winterton on Sea Beach
The beach at Winterton on Sea
Winterton Beach
Families enjoying Winterton beach
Winterton Fishing
Fishing from Winterton beach, in view of the offshore windfarm
Sandcastle
A Sandcastle on an empty beach
Fishing Boat
Fishing boat just off the coast at Winterton on Sea

The beach between Winterton and Horsey is home to a colony of grey seals. You can usually see their heads popping up above the waves. In December and January they have pups and come out of the water for several weeks. Around 100 pups are born each winter. The pups are white, the females light grey and males dark grey.
Seal Pup
Seal Pup and its mum on the beach
Seal Asleep
Seal asleep on the beach between Horsey and Winterton

Just behind the beach is a ridge of sand dunes. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and you can walk along the dunes, with views out over the sea to one side and the low lying land on the other. The dunes are home to wildlife including Tern and Adders. A coast watch tower and cafe (seasonal) can be found near the car park.
Winterton Beach
The view from the sand dunes across Winterton beach
Dunes Cafe
Dunes Cafe adjacent to the beach
Winterton Sand Dunes
Winterton on sea sand dunes

Moving in to the village itself, you will find a lovely mix of old and new properties (including some new properties made to look old!). Many are private houses, others are holiday homes for hire. Facilities in the village include a shop, post office, fish & chip shop and a 300 year old pub - The Fishermans Return.
Winterton on Sea Cottage
A cottage in Winterton on Sea
Winterton Post Office
Winterton on Sea Post Office
Thatched Property
A thatched cottage in the centre of the village
Winterton Pub
Fishermans Return, Winterton on sea
Winterton Fish Bar
Winterton Fish Bar

The village sign can be found near the church and is dual sided, with seaside and rural agriculture scenes, indicating the two most important things in village life.
Winterton Village Sign
Winterton on sea village sign, sea scene
Winterton Village Sign
Winterton on sea village sign, agriculture scene
Winterton View
A view of Winterton, showing both elements of the village - agriculture and the sea

The village church of All Saints is as long as it is tall and seems to hide behind its tower, almost as if its a beacon out to sea. A number of the graves around the church show people drowned in the sea or lost in ships, apparently in one night in 1692, over 200 hundred ships and 1,000 lives were lost in a single storm. A special memorial in the church is dedicated to those who were lost to the sea.
Winterton Village Church
Winterton on sea village church of All Saints
Church Tower
Looking up the tall tower!
Inside Winterton Church
Inside the church in Winterton on sea
Inside Winterton Church
The alter in the church at Winterton on sea
Sea Memorial
Memorial to those lost at sea

Overlooking Winterton sand dunes you will find some unusual round holiday homes, with a thatched roof. They were constructed when the owner returned from South Africa's Hermanus Bay. He was so taken by this part of Africa that he wanted to create a part of it in Norfolk and Hermanus Holiday Park was born. Adjacent to the round holiday homes you can see Winterton Lighthouse, now a private residence.
Hermanus Leisure Park
Hermanus Holiday Cottages
Hermanus Leisure Cottage
Hermanus Leisure Cottage
Winterton on Sea Lighthouse
Winterton Lighthouse (private)

Nearby, is one of the first windfarms in the UK at Blood Hill, mid way between West Somerton and Winterton on Sea. The site generates enough electricity for around 1,000 homes. This was originally achieved via 10 wind turbines, but recently they have been replaced by just 2 more efficient ones. Debate rages regarding their appearance, but why don't you visit and judge for yourself!
Blood Hill Windfarm
Blood Hill Windfarm

Destination
Check In Date
Check Out Date

Winterton on Sea summary of what to SEE and DO

Enjoy the outstanding beach
Walk for miles over the sand dunes
Visit the cathedral like village church
Enjoy a pint in the lovely old village pub or a refreshment in the beach cafe
Discover the nearby windfarm
See the unusual holiday huts at Hermanus or the nearby Lighthouse

Our Verdict

The beach at Winterton on Sea is outstanding. A great place to walk the dog or get some fresh Norfolk air in your lungs. The village pub is a great place to have a pub lunch following your walk or try the cafe adjacent to the beach.
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