Wells-next-the-Sea

Wells-next-the-Sea is a town on the north Norfolk coast, with a population of 2165 in 2011. The chief attraction is Holkham Hall, and the coast is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

By train
The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, a narrow gauge railway and visitor attraction, has its northern terminus in Stiffkey Road to the east of the town. It operates between spring and autumn annually, with direct trains from Walsingham.

The nearest National Rail stations are in:


 * Sheringham with Greater Anglia trains from Norwich and Cromer. Coasthopper CH1 bus connects Sheringham with Wells
 * King's Lynn with Great Northern trains from London King's Cross, Cambridge and Ely. Coastliner 36 bus connects King's Lynn with Wells.

By bus
Wells-next-the-Sea is on several bus routes:


 * Lynx Coastliner 36 - from King's Lynn (change for: ), Hunstanton, Brancaster, Fakenham and Walsingham;
 * Sanders 46 - from Holt, Blakeney and Thursford (limited);
 * Sanders Coasthopper CH1 - from Cromer (change for: ), Sheringham (change for: ) and Blakeney.

By car
There are several car parks throughout Wells-next-the-Sea, including Wells Beach and on the Quay, but these fill up during the summer months. Use:


 * A149
 * King's Lynn (onward connections include from Ely,  from Newark-on-Trent, and  from Wisbech and Peterborough)
 * Hunstanton
 * Sheringham
 * Cromer (onward connections include from North Walsham)
 * B1105
 * Fakenham (onward connections include, from , Newmarket and London, and  from Norwich)
 * Local routes from Walsingham.

By bike
Wells is on the long-distance National Cycle Network Route 1. The route follows mainly minor roads and some off-road paths along the coastline, and is signposted:


 * from the south: Norwich and Dover, Kent
 * from the west: King's Lynn and Tain, Highland.

By long-distance footpath
The North Norfolk Coast Path, one of the National Trails, follows the county's northern North Sea coastline - from Hunstanton and Brancaster in the west and Cromer and Sheringham in the east.

Get around
Most parts of Wells are accessible on foot, using pavements, off-road footpaths or shopping streets. The town is mostly flat with some shallow inclines. Some of the town's streets are very narrow.

Wells Beach is over a mile to the north of Wells Quay, accessible using off-road footpaths, with its own car park.

See

 * Seals. From Morston, take a ferry to see the seals at Blakeney Point for listing and further information of seal colony and viewing trips.
 * is an attractive village 5 miles south of Wells. In the Middle Ages it was a major destination for pilgrimage, and this tradition was revived in the 20th century. The Augustinian priory was virtually erased in 1538 by Henry VIII, leaving only the east facade. The shrine just north, built in 1938, is an unusual example of an Anglican Marian shrine, commemorating a vision of 1061. The equivalent RC shrine and basilica is just south. There are some dozen other chapels and shrines dotted about. You can get here on the W&W Light Railway (see below), but in a twist worthy of Tolstoy, the original railway station is now a Russian Orthodox chapel.
 * is an attractive village 5 miles south of Wells. In the Middle Ages it was a major destination for pilgrimage, and this tradition was revived in the 20th century. The Augustinian priory was virtually erased in 1538 by Henry VIII, leaving only the east facade. The shrine just north, built in 1938, is an unusual example of an Anglican Marian shrine, commemorating a vision of 1061. The equivalent RC shrine and basilica is just south. There are some dozen other chapels and shrines dotted about. You can get here on the W&W Light Railway (see below), but in a twist worthy of Tolstoy, the original railway station is now a Russian Orthodox chapel.
 * is an attractive village 5 miles south of Wells. In the Middle Ages it was a major destination for pilgrimage, and this tradition was revived in the 20th century. The Augustinian priory was virtually erased in 1538 by Henry VIII, leaving only the east facade. The shrine just north, built in 1938, is an unusual example of an Anglican Marian shrine, commemorating a vision of 1061. The equivalent RC shrine and basilica is just south. There are some dozen other chapels and shrines dotted about. You can get here on the W&W Light Railway (see below), but in a twist worthy of Tolstoy, the original railway station is now a Russian Orthodox chapel.

Do

 * The Beach is west side of the creek outflow, a mile north of town via Beach Road, with sands extending away to Holkham and Burnham. East of the creek is muddy, and with access impeded by wetland.
 * Festival of Sport is a family-oriented taster weekend for various sports, led by big names. It's in the grounds of Holkham Hall (see above), in mid-August.
 * Festival of Sport is a family-oriented taster weekend for various sports, led by big names. It's in the grounds of Holkham Hall (see above), in mid-August.

Buy

 * The village also has many gift shops around and to the S or the Quay.
 * The village also has many gift shops around and to the S or the Quay.
 * The village also has many gift shops around and to the S or the Quay.
 * The village also has many gift shops around and to the S or the Quay.

Connect
As of March 2022, Wells has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, but no signal from Three. 5G has not reached this corner of Norfolk.

Go next

 * Blakeney (Norfolk)
 * Holt
 * Cromer
 * Fakenham
 * Norwich