Wells Next The Sea - The Place To Be

Wells-Next-The-Sea, Norfolk, England East Of England

Recommendation added: 12/03/2006 20:46
By: Yerrell1 (YSUK rating +181)

Yerrell1 has been thanked 6 times for this contribution

"Miles of beautiful landscape, small seaside shops, friendly pubs, crab fishing on the dock - If this sounds like you, then get to Wells as quick as you can! In my opinion, Wells is one of the most unspoilt seaside resorts in the whole of the UK. Not plagued down by modernisation and giant Tesco stores, it has a special shine about it you can't seem to find much anymore. It may be a small seaside town, but it is ideal for relaxation and fun times alike!

Location: Wells-Next-The-Sea is located in North Norfolk. It is an ideal base for walking, bird watching and nearby towns such as hunstanton (14m) Fakenham (20m) and Sherringham (16m)

Where To Stay: Wells-next-the-sea has plenty of family run guest houses, all offering plesent accomodation. Expect to pay no less than £45 per room per night. If you are looking for a budget place to sleep, why not try the youth hostel? People seem to have this image of youth hostels being full of spotty teenagers, students and rowdy people, but this is not the case. Young and old are welcome at youth hostels nationwide, and although the standard of accomodation is usually basic, it is always comfortable and the staff always welcoming. There are no hotels as such in wells, if you are looking for a travelodge (or any other leading hotel chain) try outside wells, but be sure to visit. There is also the famous Pinewoods site, offering camping and mobile home lettings. Prices are reasonable, and on site is shower/WC facilities, a chip shop, convenience store, golf, fun and games, a park and much more. Camping starts at around £10 a night upwards, and if you want the luxury of a mobile home, check out the internet, your local friday ad, or even this website for future advertisers. Pinewoods do not let caravans directlly.

What To Do:

The famous crab fishing! Cost - Free!

There is plenty to do in wells itself, without having to travel outside of the town. Entertain the kids, or infact yourself by crab fishing off the key/harbour situated opposite the harbour front shops. Its easy to do, simply buy a crab rod (around £1 from the surrounding shops) and some seafood to put on the hook (bacon works too!) drop it in the water and watch the crabs roll in!.

Walking - Cost - Free!

Wells has miles of beautiful landscape, just waiting to be explored. miles of coastline and golden sands are just a 20 minute walk from the town centre or 10 minutes from pinewoods caravan site. Explore the forests, listen to the birds sing, and relax with the wonderful surroundings

The Famous Train - Cost between 50p and £2 depending on season

A little tired? why not take the superb train from the town centre to pinewoods caravan park. Ideal for late night drinkers, people wanting to avoid the walk to the beach or train enthusiasts alike. The kids will love watching it sail past!

Wells also has a couple of amusement arcades, full of games and fruit machines. Why not visit the pop in leisure and try their token machines with the kids. the more you collect, the better the prize!.

Bingo - There is a local bingo hall (room!) situated opposite the harbour. 10p a card, with various prizes to choose from. Again, good for young and old alike, with a great chance of a prize

Public Houses - By far, the best public house in Wells is the Ark Royal. The staff are absolutlly fantastic, they have a vast selection of real ales and beers, along with house drinks and spirits. From the moment you step in, the relaxation stance takes over - you feel right at home! Find it located near the pop in leisure, near the harbour

Food - Again, the Ark Royal stands out from the crowd. Beautiful home cooked food, local seafoods and a nice, comforting resturant area, it gets top marks from me. There are also several fish and chip shops, all of equal quality, local take aways and an indian cusine. One tip for the fish and chip shops - look for the one with the biggest queue and just wait! It usually shows the best quality!

Outside of wells - In the nearby surrounding villages, you will see various companies offering seal trips, which is well worth the money. I would reccommend you visit fakenham, a wonderful market town, ideal for shopping and sherringham, with its wonderful scenes of costal beauty. If you fancy swimming, there is a great swimming pool in sherringham too. There is also plenty of national trust places around norfolk, such as holkham hall, full of history.

Top Questions I expect you to ask:

Is it suitable for the kids or is it more of a grown up place?

Kids love it. There is plenty for them to do in and around wells, and although wells is a mature seaside destination, they will not be dissappointed. If you take the kids, pinewoods caravan park is HIGHLY reccommended.

What makes wells different from other seaside towns?

Wells has not been taken over by big companies like tesco, with their shining blue lights. It is truly a seaside place that has not been taken over. Local business keep the town going. Its clean, well looked after, and the people have great pride in their town

I seriously reccomend you visit wells. If you have never been before, you have to give it a try! Trust me, when I first heard of the prospect of going to wells at the age of 15, I was so dissappointed it was not great yarmouth, but even then I realised I was wrong! 6 years later, we visit every few months if we can - its like a different world from the hustle and bustle of the city."