Web Analytics

Horsey Beach

Popular For Seal Watching

Horsey Beach is one of the many unspoilt and wonderfully quiet sandy Norfolk beaches on the east coast of the UK. 

  • But this beach isn’t just any beach.   It has the huge added attraction of being a fantastic place to come and watch the seals during the winter months, which I’ll come to later.
Horsey Beach

Horsey Beach

With a wild, barren, wonderful feel to it, this beach is lovely for getting away from the crowds and all those seaside amusements and attractions.  It's very similar to Winterton Beach as well. 

Although this beach is great for seal watching, it doesn’t just have to reserved for that winter purpose!   Often you'll catch sight of a seals bobbing in the sea during the summer, or if you're really lucky, you'll see them basking on the sand.

Discover The Norfolk Beaches...

Norfolk Beaches Handbook

This Norfolk Beaches Handbook will help you discover many more Norfolk beaches.  It is the most comprehensive guide on all the accessible Norfolk beaches, detailing information such as postcodes, accessibility, whether it's good for children, walking, wildlife or fishing, whether there are car parking charges and much more.

You can read more about the Norfolk Beaches Handbook here.

It’s a lovely beach to come and enjoy in the summer too.  Bring a picnic and frolic in the sea, or just lie and relax on the beautiful soft sand. 

Unwind on a beach that never gets too crowded.

Map of the Norfolk Beaches


View Norfolk UK Beaches in a larger map



Horsey beach is also a very dog friendly beach so long as you keep them away from the seals during the summer months if there are any.  In the winter months, however, during pupping season, there is no access to the beach, leaving the seals protected from visitors.

Uncrowded Horsey Beach

Facilities on Horsey Beach

There are no facilities here at Horsey beach, but just down the road from the Horsey Gap car park is the Poppylands Tea Room and Restaraunt on the main road which is always good for a cup of tea and cake if you get peckish!

But why not bring a picnic and spend the day on the lovely soft sand; it's perfect for a day out with children.  The concrete sea defences act as quite good shelter too, if it's windy, as well as being somewhere quite good to sit!

Parking at Horsey Beach

There are various places to park in Horsey, and sometimes this causes a bit of confusion. 

If you want to walk straight onto the beach for a bucket and spade day, then Horsey Gap is the car park you want.  This is NOT a National Trust car park, it is an independent car park with plentiful parking and a very easy walk over the sand dunes onto the beach. 

It has a pay and display machine, and the postcode is NR29 4EQ.

Horsey Gap car park

If you're coming to see the seals in the winter, there are 3 possible places to park:

  • Horsey Gap.  As above, and this involves either a ten minute walk or a slightly longer one mile walk turning right when you arrive at the beach to reach the designated viewing areas
  • Horsey Windpump near the mere, owned by the National Trust.  This is another place to park, where you cross the road and walk along the designated path to the beach.  You’ll easily see the Windpump as you drive on the main road heading either north or south
  • The Nelson Head pub in the village is the other alternative, but it only seems fair that if you do park here, you also have something to eat in the pub!

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SEALS IN NORFOLK

Discover the wonders of Norfolk's seal population with our comprehensive and convenient downloadable PDF, "The Ultimate Guide to Seals in Norfolk."  

This invaluable resource provides all the details you need to witness these fantastic creatures in their natural habitat. Whether you're planning a summer visit to Blakeney Point or seeking the best locations during the winter months at Horsey Beach and Blakeney Point, our guide offers all the information you need in one place.

From walking options to recommended boat companies and optimal viewing times, this guide ensures a seamless and unforgettable seal-watching experience.

Purchase your copy today for only £2.99.

Read more about this extremely useful guide here.

Or:

 
Ultimate guide to seals

"Thank you very much, can't wait to go and see them, and your e-book is very useful"

Horsey Dunes

Because the beach backs onto Horsey Warren, the largest dune system in East Anglia, all you can see for miles around are the barren dunes, home to hundreds of different types of wildlife throughout the year.  This is what gives this beach its wild feel.  In the winter it has a desolate austere feel to it, in the summer it’s alive with noisy birds and insects.  Fascinating - and it makes for a much more interesting visit to a beach.

Horsey Warren sand dunes

Dog Friendly Accommodation In Or Near Horsey

Horsey Beach Seals

The seals are the real attraction of this beach and is something you really should come and see if you are in and around Norfolk from November to about February.  It’s a magnificent sight, with hundreds of grey seals breeding here, right on our very own Norfolk UK coast.  You almost can’t believe what you’re seeing.  These wonderful grey seals fill the whole beach!  For much more information on the seals at Horsey, click here

The walk to the seals is about a mile, depending on where you park, but once there, it’s the most wonderful sight, and children will absolutely love it as much as you will. 

A seal at Horsey Beach

They look so incredibly soft and cuddly, (they aren’t though!), but it’s extraordinary to see these huge mammals in their natural environment, breeding happily here in Norfolk. 

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SEALS IN NORFOLK

Discover the wonders of Norfolk's seal population with our comprehensive and convenient downloadable PDF, "The Ultimate Guide to Seals in Norfolk."  

This invaluable resource provides all the details you need to witness these fantastic creatures in their natural habitat. Whether you're planning a summer visit to Blakeney Point or seeking the best locations during the winter months at Horsey Beach and Blakeney Point, our guide offers all the information you need in one place.

From walking options to recommended boat companies and optimal viewing times, this guide ensures a seamless and unforgettable seal-watching experience.

Purchase your copy today for only £2.99.

Read more about this extremely useful guide here.

Or:

 
Ultimate guide to seals

"Thank you very much, can't wait to go and see them, and your e-book is very useful"

As an aside, the other place you can watch the seals in Norfolk is on the North coast at Blakeney Point.  This involves a boat trip to The Point which is a fun way to go.


Dog walkers, please be responsible though!  Please don’t let your dogs near them as it really does disturb them.  I would go as far as to suggest you leave them behind on this particular trip.  It will make your day more enjoyable.  There are other excellent dog friendly beaches that would be far  more appropriate at this time of year such as Waxham and Happisburgh beaches.

Horsey Windpump

Horsey Windpump

Just across the dunes from the beach heading inland is the beautiful sight of Horsey Windpump.    It’s also happens to be one of the places you can park to reach the beach.   And there's a fantastic circular walk starting at Horsey Windpump which you'll find by clicking here.

If you’ve come to Horsey beach and then would like something else to visit in the area, Horsey Windpump is an idea.   Being so close to the beach, you don’t have to go out of your way to go and see it.  It was restored by the National Trust and opened to the public in 1990.  

Book your next unforgettable experience on Tripadvisor, with flexible bookings and free cancellations.

So, if you want to get away from it, and enjoy the quietness and wilderness on the Norfolk coast, then Horsey beach, one of Norfolk's many fantastic beaches, is one that is definitely worth investigating.