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Wells-next-the-Sea sits on the North Norfolk coast, though the "next-the-sea" part of its name is slightly misleading today; the town is actually separated from the open water by a mile of salt marsh. Life here revolves around the quay, where local crab boats still work alongside the tide, and the narrow, winding streets of the old town lead up to The Buttlands, a quiet, leafy green surrounded by Georgian houses. The town feels functional and lived-in, maintaining a primary school, a high school, and a proper selection of independent shops on Staithe Street that serve the community year-round. To reach the beach, you follow the raised bank of the mile-long sea wall or take the heritage railway path, ending up at a wide expanse of sand framed by a long row of colourful timber-built beach huts and the pine woods of the Holkham Estate. Because it is a tidal port, the landscape changes completely every few hours, shifting from a deep-water channel to vast, shimmering mudflats that attract significant numbers of overwintering geese and wading birds.