Salthouse to Weybourne to Sheringham: Shingle, Cliffs and the Steam Railway
📍 Salthouse → Sheringham📏 7 miles⏱ 3–3.5 hours🟡 Moderate🚌 Bus back from Sheringham
⚠ Important — Please Read Before Setting Off
NorfolkWild guides are provided for general information only. You are solely responsible for your own safety and the safety of anyone in your group. Always carry out your own research before setting off on any route described on this site.
✓ Study a current OS Explorer map before every walk (OL24 / OL25 for North Norfolk)
✓ Check tide times before any coastal or salt marsh walk
✓ Verify bus timetables directly with Sanders Coaches before travel
✓ Tell someone your route and expected return time
✓ Carry a charged phone, paper map, food and water
✓ Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for conditions
✓ Assess whether the route suits your fitness and experience
No Liability — NorfolkWild and its authors accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any loss, injury, accident, death, damage, delay or inconvenience suffered by any person as a result of following any guide, route, advice or information published on this website. Route conditions, path closures, cliff erosion, tidal changes and transport timetables may differ from those described. All information is provided in good faith but without warranty of any kind. Walking in the countryside and on coastal cliff paths involves inherent risks. By following any route on this site you acknowledge that you do so entirely at your own risk. In an emergency dial 999 — for coastal emergencies ask for the Coastguard.
This is the walk where the North Norfolk coast begins to change character. The flat salt marshes and reed beds of the west give way to something altogether more dramatic — shingle banks, chalk cliffs, ancient military history and the chalk heath above Weybourne. The reward at the end is Sheringham: excellent fish and chips, independent shops and the North Norfolk Steam Railway.
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Distance
7 miles
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Walking time
3–3.5 hrs
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Difficulty
Moderate
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Bus back
CH1 from Sheringham
Route map — Salthouse to Weybourne to Sheringham
Start (Salthouse)
Finish (Sheringham)
Point of interest
Walking route
🚌 Coasthopper CH1 — Practical Information
Start pointSalthouse village stop (Purdy Street, by Dun Cow)
Finish pointSheringham Bus Station (Station Approach)
Bus backCH1 Sheringham → Salthouse, approx every 60 mins
Journey time by bus~18 minutes
Combine withWalk 2 (Blakeney to Salthouse) for a 13-mile day
Train optionSheringham is on the Bittern Line from Norwich
The Route
Stage 1 — Salthouse to Kelling Beach
2.5 miles · 1 hour
From the Dun Cow pub in Salthouse, join the Coast Path heading east. The path initially follows the edge of the village before joining the shingle bank — a wide, exposed ridge of flint and pebble that stretches east towards Weybourne. The opening stretch runs along a seemingly endless length of shingle beach with birds to spot and coastal flowers, and the timeless sounds of the sea. Look for yellow horned poppies growing from the shingle in summer — bright splashes of colour on an otherwise monochrome landscape. Kelling Beach is a quiet spot about halfway along the shingle — a good place to stop, eat and look out to sea before the path begins to change character.
Stage 2 — Kelling Beach to Weybourne
2 miles · 45 mins
Beyond Kelling the shingle continues but the landscape begins to rise. Behind the beach is Weybourne Cliffs, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, important for its geology. The remains of a wide variety of marine molluscs have been found here along with both small and large animal fossils. The village of Weybourne comes into view as the path descends to Weybourne Hope — a natural harbour where the deep water comes unusually close to shore. This geographical quirk made Weybourne strategically important for centuries; as an old verse noted, "He who would Old England win, Must at Weybourne Hope begin." The Muckleburgh Military Collection is signposted from the beach — well worth a detour if military history interests you.
Local pronunciation
Weybourne is pronounced locally as "Webbun" — dropping the middle syllable entirely. Salthouse is "Sal'ouse" (dropping the h). If you want to sound like a local rather than a tourist, these details matter more than you might think.
Stage 3 — Weybourne to Sheringham
2.5 miles · 1 hour
The reward is the cliff walk from Weybourne to Sheringham which is stunning. From Weybourne the Coast Path climbs onto the chalk cliffs and follows the clifftop east. Halfway between Weybourne and Sheringham, a little way inland on high ground, is Sheringham Park, landscaped in the early 19th century by Humphry Repton, who considered it his favourite work in Norfolk. The clifftop path offers wide views across the North Sea, and on a clear day you can see the wind farms far offshore. The path skirts along the edge of Sheringham golf course — some sections are close to the cliff edge, so take care — and descends into Sheringham along the promenade past the famous beach huts. Sheringham's seafront promenade has the early 20th-century gardens of The Lees, and the Boulevard was constructed in 1887 to link the seafront with the newly built railway station.
Points of Interest
1
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Muckleburgh Military Collection
One of the largest privately owned military collections in Britain, housed in the former NAAFI building of a wartime camp just inland from Weybourne Beach. Tanks, guns, military vehicles and extensive exhibits covering conflicts from the Second World War to the present day. A stroll along the seafront at Weybourne leads to the nearby Muckleburgh Military Collection. Worth at least an hour if military history is of interest — particularly good for families.
The walk takes in the Weybourne Priory ruins as a diversion from the official route of the North Norfolk Coast Path. The remains of an Augustinian priory founded in the 12th century, standing in the village just behind the beach. The flint walls are largely intact and give a vivid impression of the scale of the original buildings. Free to view from the exterior — a quiet, atmospheric spot.
📍 Weybourne village, NR25 7SY · Free, exterior viewing
3
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Weybourne Hope — The Strategic Beach
The beach at Weybourne Hope has strategic significance stretching back centuries. Deep water unusually close to shore meant large vessels could land troops here without needing a harbour — a fact that concerned English defenders from the time of the Spanish Armada onwards. The beach was heavily fortified during both World Wars; the remains of some military structures are visible in the cliff face. Nowadays it's a quiet, undeveloped beach — one of the least crowded on this stretch of coast.
📍 Weybourne Beach, NR25 7SZ · Free access
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Weybourne Cliffs SSSI
Weybourne Cliffs is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, important for its geology. The remains of a wide variety of marine molluscs have been found here along with both small and large animal fossils. The chalk and flint cliffs between Weybourne and Sheringham are actively eroding, which means fresh fossil-bearing material is regularly exposed. Look along the beach at the cliff base for fossils — particularly after storms when new material has fallen.
📍 Between Weybourne and Sheringham · SSSI protected
5
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North Norfolk Railway — the Poppy Line
The North Norfolk Railway runs steam trains between Sheringham and Holt through some of the most beautiful countryside in the county. From the coast path it is possible to see the steam trains of the North Norfolk Steam Railway chugging in and out of Sheringham. The station at Sheringham is where the heritage railway meets the national network — you can arrive by train from Norwich and leave on a steam train to Holt (or vice versa). The railway runs year-round with a seasonal timetable.
📍 Sheringham Station NR26 8RA · nnrailway.co.uk
Food and Drink
The Dun Cow, Salthouse
Pub · Start of walk
Start (or end) your walk here. Good food, fine garden views over the marshes, dog friendly. One of the best pubs on the North Norfolk coast.
📍 Purdy Street, Salthouse NR25 7XA
The Ship, Weybourne
Pub · Midway
Traditional Norfolk pub in Weybourne village, a short detour from the coast path. Good for a midpoint pint and lunch before the cliff walk section.
📍 The Street, Weybourne NR25 7SY
Sheringham Fish & Chips
Takeaway · End of walk
Sheringham has several excellent fish and chip shops on the high street. The No. 1 Cromer Crab on Church Street is consistently outstanding. Eat on the promenade.
📍 Sheringham town centre
Woodfields Cafe, Sheringham
Café · End of walk
Friendly café on the high street — good coffee, cake and full breakfasts. A warm, welcoming place to sit after a long walk before catching the bus back.
📍 High Street, Sheringham NR26 8DS
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Waterproof Walking Boots
Essential for the shingle bank section — the loose stones are hard on ankles without proper support. The cliff path is well-drained but can be muddy near Weybourne after rain.
⚠️ Cliff edge warning: The clifftop path near Sheringham golf course passes close to actively eroding cliff edges. Never approach the edge and keep dogs on leads. The cliffs can collapse without warning.
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NorfolkWild
Independent guide to this section of the Norfolk Coast Path. Updated May 2026.
