Heacham to Snettisham Walk

2.8 miles (4.5 km)

This 3 mile coastal trek begins at the Heacham Beach car park, where you join the Norfolk Coast Path heading south with the vast expanse of The Wash on your right.
The route initially takes you past the small, atmospheric Heacham Harbour, where local fishing boats are often seen resting on the mudflats at low tide.... This stretch of the path is remarkably flat and open, providing a sense of immense scale as the sea and sky meet on the horizon.
Continuing southward, the scenery shifts as you enter the Snettisham Coastal Park nature reserve. This wilder landscape is a mosaic of scrub, grass, and shingle ridges that serves as a vital sanctuary for wildlife. During the autumn and winter months, the area is world-renowned for the "whirling" displays of thousands of knot and the honking overhead flights of pink-footed geese arriving from Iceland. In the warmer months, you might spot common lizards basking on the path or hear the song of whitethroats and sedge warblers in the gorse bushes.
The walk leads you toward the area known as Shepherd's Port, which is characterised by deep lagoons formed from old gravel pits. These pits are now managed by the RSPB and offer a different perspective of the local ecosystem, attracting a wide variety of wading birds and wildfowl. As you reach the southern end of the reserve, the path provides a tranquil environment to appreciate the raw beauty of the Norfolk coastline before you retrace your steps or continue toward Snettisham village.