Snettisham Beach

Snettisham Beach is a wild Wash beach south of Hunstanton, best known for the spectacular wading bird events that take place here on high tides in late summer and autumn when tens of thousands of knot, dunlin and oystercatchers take to the sky simultaneously in one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles in Britain. The beach is primarily shingle, which gives way to wet sand and sticky estuary mud at low tide. The adjacent RSPB Snettisham Nature Reserve is one of the most important wetland sites in the UK. A car park sits directly adjacent to the beach, and the dog friendly Rose and Crown pub is in the village, along with a fish and chip shop.

Dogs are welcome at Snettisham Beach, but restrictions apply from 1 April to 31 August to protect beach-nesting birds. During this period, dogs must be kept on leads on the upper beach where ringed plovers and oystercatchers nest, and cordoned-off areas must be respected. Look out for signs and roped areas indicating nesting zones. On the RSPB reserve adjacent to the beach, dogs must be on leads at all times. Outside the nesting season, this is a dog friendly beach with the car park right at the beach, easy flat walking and outstanding wildlife watching. The grassy path on the landward side of the dunes provides an alternative to the shingle for easier walking.