Holkham Beach

Holkham is the most spectacular beach in England. That's not hyperbole — it's a vast, flat expanse of golden sand backed by pine woods, with the sea often hundreds of metres away at low tide. The walk from the car park through the pine trees, emerging onto the seemingly infinite beach, is one of the great reveals in the English landscape. On a clear day you can see for miles in every direction. The beach was the filming location for the final scene of Shakespeare in Love (Gwyneth Paltrow walking into the distance), and you can see why — the scale is cinematic. In winter, huge flocks of geese fly in from Scandinavia and the beach feels genuinely wild. In summer, families spread out across the sand, but the beach is so enormous that it never feels crowded. Holkham Hall, the magnificent Palladian mansion behind the beach, is worth a visit — the Marble Hall is breathtaking. The estate also has a deer park, a walled garden, and excellent cycling along quiet estate roads. Wells-next-the-Sea, the nearest town, has a pretty harbour and good fish and chips at French's. This stretch of the North Norfolk coast is simply outstanding.