Wells-Next-The-Sea is a traditional seaside town on the beautiful North Norfolk coast. It's home to everything we love about the seaside - amusement arcades, hungry seagulls, fish 'n chips, ice cream and cockles. But it's also so much more, a most interesting and fascinating place, charming and picturesque, having lost none of its historical character.
The name Wells derives from the many clear spring wells that were found in the area. Wells became Wells-next-the-Sea in the early 1800's to distinguish the town from other places in Norfolk of the same name. Wells-on-Sea was also used, but in 1956, Wells-next-the-Sea became the town's official title and has been in use ever since.
Despite its name, Wells-Next-The-Sea is over a mile away from open water. In the late 16th Century, when the town benefited from much easier access to the sea, it was one of the major ports for the area. The town remains a commercially viable port today.
Wells has been a port for at least 700 years and was at its peak in the middle of the 19th century, when the quay was built. There were 3 shipyards in Wells in that century, and between 1801 and 1860, over 60 ships were built in the town. There were also many flourishing trades connected with ship building, including ropemakers, sailmakers and ship chandlers. Then, the primary trade was the import of coal, timber and salt, and the export of corn, barley and malt for breweries. One of the other main industries of the town at that time was malting.
Some of the many granaries and maltings still exist, reminders of this once considerable industry, but most have been converted into housing or commercial use. An impressive feature of the harbour is the large granary building with its distinctive overhanging gantry. Built in 1903, the granary has now been turned into luxury flats with magnificent views of the harbour.
The arrival of the railway in 1857 marked the beginning of the decline in the sea-going trade of Wells, signalling a drastic drop in the number of ships bringing cargo into the town. One of the oldest sailing ships still afloat, moored at Wells harbour, is the beautiful Dutch sailing barge The Albatross, now available for charter by corporate and private groups.
Fishing, too, was for centuries a mainstay of Wells. A handful of fishing boats still go crabbing, shrimping and whelking. Watching the boats go about their business and unload at the quay is still a great attraction.
The town is a delightful network of narrow streets, old alleys and yards, and boasts some impressive Georgian and Victorian architecture. Some of the buildings are hundreds of years old, including former coaching inns and public houses. Many are now listed buildings.
The Parish Church of St. Nicholas dates from about 1460. It was burnt down in 1879 after being struck by lightning but was skillfully and carefully rebuilt.
During the peak summer holiday season, over 10,000 holidaymakers join the 3,000 permanent residents, and Wells comes very much alive.
Shops are dotted amongst the narrow lanes of the town centre, along the Quay and up into Staithe Street, the main shopping street. It bustles with shoppers and browsers, who are well served by a diverse selection of small and friendly shops selling everything from buckets and spades, books and paintings, to high end clothes and designer gifts.
At the top of Staithe Street lies the Buttlands, a quiet green lined with lime trees and elegant Georgian and Victorian houses. The name originates from the days it was used for archery practice. It is now home to The Crown Hotel, a former coaching inn from the 16th century, and the recently renovated Globe Inn.
At the bottom of Staithe Street stands the busy fishing Quay, an ever popular attraction. Children fish for crabs from the edge of the quay, you can feed the sea birds whelks and cockles bought from the fish stall, or simply watch the fishing boats come and go, as they have for centuries. The freshly caught seafood is a speciality in many of the local restaurants.
In Summer, the oldest and most traditional event is the Carnival. Various events take place over a one week period, including live music, competitions, BBQ, workshops, and disco. This culminates in a Carnival procession which starts and finishes at the Buttlands, winding its way around the town, and the recently crowned Carnival Queen joins the procession.
Just off the Quay you can catch the miniature steam train that takes you the mile or so down to the beach. The beautiful sandy beach, with its pine trees, sand dunes and colourful beach huts, stretches for miles towards Holkham and was famously featured in the film Shakespeare in Love. The wide, flat beach is ideal for collecting a wide variety of shells. You can also spot oyster catchers and ringed plovers, who nest on the beach, along with some common and little terns.
The pinewoods can be accessed via the Wells beach car park, or directly from the beach via numerous sets of wooden steps. The mature pines were planted over a hundred years ago, and have been joined by other trees such as silver birch and sycamore. The woods are home to wild flowers, rare birds and grey squirrels.
With its salt marshes, sand dunes and pines, Wells attracts a rich variety of bird life throughout the year. Nestled between the famous bird reserves of Titchwell and Cley, it's a haven for birdwatchers.
Tucked behind the dunes, near the Pinewoods caravan site, is Abraham's Bosom, an outdoor leisure area by the side of a natural 5-acre boating lake where you can hire canoes and rowing boats.
The lifeboat house on the beach is often open to visitors and houses a collection of items illustrating the history of the lifeboat.
There has been a lifeboat at Wells for over a hundred years. In 1880, the Wells Lifeboat was launched to help the Ocean Queen. The conditions were treacherous, and 11 of the 13 crew lost their lives after being hit by a wave. A memorial can be found by the Harbour Offices, the old Lifeboat house and the crew are remembered every year by residents of the town.
Wells is the perfect base to explore the many delights in the area. Holkham Hall, one of Britain's most majestic stately homes, is a 5 minute drive away along the coast road. Royal Sandringham is just over 20 miles away. Drive to Blakeney just 15 minutes away and take a boat trip to Blakeney Point, famous for the colony of common and grey seals you can see basking on the sandbanks. Cley Marshes Nature Reserve, One of the finest bird-watching sites in Britain, is just 10 miles away. Little Walsingham, a place of pilgrimage since medieval times, is only 5 miles away, linked to Wells by a miniature railway similar to that which links the town and beach.
The list goes on and on. For more information on places to visit, click here.
The Norfolk coast is a walker's paradise. Take the footpaths through the surrounding fields and countryside, follow quiet leafy roads and explore the numerous pretty villages, complete with historic church, and stop for lunch at a friendly country pub.
Popular National Trails in this area are the Peddars Way & Norfolk Coast Path. It starts in Suffolk at Knettishall Heath Country Park and follows the route of a Roman road to Holme-next-the-Sea on the coast. At Holme the Peddars Way meets the Norfolk Coast Path as it runs from Hunstanton to Cromer, including Wells. Fantastic scenery and landscape cover the 93 miles of the two trails. The majority of the Norfolk Coast Path run through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
Unfortunately, the Norfolk Coast Path is not open to cyclists. The Norfolk Coast Cycleway that uses a route slightly inland from the coast. The Norfolk Coast is extremely well served by the Coast Hopper bus service making it easy to get to just about any part of the Path.
Wells and the surrounding coastal villages are a favourite with artists, attracted by the beautiful Norfolk scenery, the wildlife, and the peace and tranquility to be found there.
For those seeking the traditional family holiday, Wells is hard to beat. There's the beach, a miniature railway, small family-run amusement arcades, candy floss and crabbing. For a relaxing break, there are scenic walks, antique fairs, birdwatching and sightseeing. And for the more energetic, there's boating, sailing, swimming, wind surfing and water skiing. Whatever your taste, Wells has something for everyone.
