Jane’s Walk 2023 – Day 6

We wake up to a thick mist covering, which gets denser as we approach the sea. Richard drives us into the village of Burnham Ovary Staithe, as the start point means we would be walking along a busy ‘A’ road on a foggy morning, something we promised ourselves we would not do anymore.

Our morning walk is again on the well-maintained sea wall, passing lots of local dog walkers, but we are a bit frustrated by the poor visibility. The wall then leaves the salt marshes behind, and we struggle through the sand dunes leading to Holkham Sands. This is a vast stretch of sandy beach, probably covering at least 4 miles. As the set path is on soft sand and it is low tide, we walk some distance to the sea, which is easier walking and a good time for Moses fetching sticks in the sea.

The beech is practically empty except for the occasional nudist sunbathing in the mist! Lots of horse activity is visible in the sand. It is obviously a popular area for horse exercise early in the morning.

We leave the beech reluctantly and walk through a wooded area of fine specimen trees to the Lady Ann’s Drive visitors centre, part of the Holkham Estate, where we meet Richard for lunch. This popular tourist attraction is bustling despite the murky weather.

After lunch, we continue along the wooded path to the beech road running down to Wells-Next-the-Sea, alongside a wide water channel teaming with pleasure boats of all sizes and shapes. The village is an attractive and popular seaside resort.

After a short break for an ice cream, we head off to our host, who lives just outside the village. We are staying here for 3 nights, which is a joy as it means we can unpack and do the washing!