West Runton Beach

The beach at West Runton is what happens when Norfolk decides to show off - a proper stretch of golden sand backed by those distinctive rust-coloured cliffs that make this part of the coast unmistakable. It's just east of Cromer, close enough for a quick drive but far enough to feel less crowded than the town centre beach.

What you get here is classic Norfolk seaside: rock pools at low tide that'll keep kids occupied for hours, plenty of sand for building and digging, and those cliffs to explore if you're feeling energetic. The geology buffs will have a field day - these cliffs are famous among fossil hunters, and you do occasionally spot ammonites and belemnites if you know where to look. Fair warning though: don't expect Caribbean turquoise. This is the North Sea, so the water's bracing and the light's often grey, which somehow makes it more genuinely English.

It's free to access and there's no time limit - you come, you stay as long as the tide and weather permit. Best visited on a calm day when the beach is actually passable; high tide and rough seas make it considerably less appealing. Families camped at West Runton Camping & Caravanning Club or Woodhill Park (barely half a mile away) have it sorted for easy beach access.

Worth the detour if you're doing the Norfolk coast circuit. Don't come expecting resort glamour - come for honest, unpretentious seaside that works just as well for a solitary walk as a family afternoon.