Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

We chose Wells-next-the-Sea because it had a youth hostel – and there aren’t so many in this east of England area. It’s clearly a hostel that attracts walkers, bird watchers and some fairly unusual people – of whom we may well be two. Lovely, friendly warden, a very compact but fully sufficient room with communal shower/toilet area nearby, self-catering kitchen… Outside the hostel is a lovely old flint church and a short walk down the lane brings us to the centre of Wells-next-the-Sea – which is no longer ON the sea, as it once was, but on a sort of estuary created by the river as it flows out to the sea a mile further east. Wells was once a major port in the area.

On our first night we wandered to the waterfront at dusk and ate fish and chips by the estuary, enjoying the boats, birds, salt-marsh, the old granary buildings and gantry. On our second day, following a visit to Norwich, we set out to explore Wells a little further. We visited the remarkably commodious town church, directly across the road from the Youth Hostel. Then down through what must have been the more prosperous part of the town – big Georgian houses around a green. On to the waterfront and briskly along a sea wall, in the teeth of a fair old grumpy gale, for about a mile to the sea itself. Constant sound of wind in the boat riggings; little wagtails on the shore.

This is not a coast of cliffs but of flat marshland, wide skies and remarkable cloud formations. Well offshore in the distance we could see giant wind turbines. On the sea shore itself at the end of the harbour defences, a tiny inlet housing boats that service the wind turbines. A coastguard lookout. And round the corner, to our surprise, golden sandy beaches and a host of neat bathing sheds painted in various pastel colours

We walked back, frozen but very happy and crowned a lovely day with a meal on the Albatros – a former Dutch cargo ship built in 1899 as a North Sea clipper, now permanently moored and serving delicious Dutch food including amazing pancakes. The atmosphere was warm and cheerful, people shared tables and conversations and it was a lot of fun.