Horsey
The village of Horsey is 15 miles north of Great Yarmouth and close to the seaside villages of Sea Palling and Waxham. Horsey Mere lies below sea level but has survived the sea's attempts to encroach on it. It covers an area of 2,000 acres and includes sand dunes, maritime fen, marsh, farmland and the mere itself. It qualifies as a mere, rather than being classed part of the broads, as it is surrounded by high level banks. Most people come to Horsey to see the restored Windpump, which is owned by the National Trust. The pump is vital for maintaining the water level of Horsey Mere and draining the farmland. The beach is a lovely stretch of sand and is scattered with pebbles, shells and seaweed and seals come up onto the beach and dunes to give birth. Horsey church, All Saint's, has a thatched roof, Roman tower and 15th century belfry.
Visit the Grey Seals at Horsey, Norfolk
From late October through to February a large colony of grey seals come onto the beach at Horsey, Norfolk to have their young. It is one of the few accessible UK mainland breeding sites where visitors can observe the grey seals and their pups.
Latest Norfolk news, articles & events
Have you got a business that’s worth shouting about? Advertise with us for FREE
There are several advertising options available, these include:
- Simple business, accommodation or restaurant listing - FREE
- Full page business listing advertising your brand, accommodation, restaurant
- Full page article
- Bespoke banners
Contact us for options available and costs
Get startedLocal information
Around Horsey
Horsey at a glance
- District
- Great Yarmouth
- Distance to Norwich
- about 17 miles
- Nearest town
- Acle (8.2 miles)
- Height above sea level
- 1 m
Places to eat, drink and stay near Horsey
The closest pubs, cafés, restaurants, takeaways and B&Bs, with their official food hygiene rating.
- 5/5
- 3/5
- 5/5
- 5/5
- 5/5
- 5/5
- 5/5
Ratings: Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Ratings change after each inspection – tap a name for the latest.
Wildlife recorded around Horsey
The most frequently recorded species within 3 km of Horsey since 2022 (19,041 records submitted to the National Biodiversity Network).
Birds
- Woodpigeon
- Carrion Crow
- Jackdaw
- Herring Gull
- Magpie
- Wren
- Robin
- Blue Tit
- Blackbird
- Black-headed Gull
- Goldfinch
- Skylark
Other wildlife and plants
- Grayling
- Common Darter
- Small Heath
- Marmalade Hoverfly
- Emperor Dragonfly
- Muntjac
- Small Copper
- Dune Robberfly
- Fan-bristled Robberfly
- Four-spotted Chaser
- Flea Bee-fly
Source: NBN Atlas – records from Norfolk recorders and conservation groups. Please follow the Countryside Code and keep to paths.
Villages near Horsey
- Somerton 1.1 miles
- Winterton-on-Sea 1.6 miles
- Martham 2.4 miles
- Hemsby 2.7 miles
- Newport 3.3 miles
- Rollesby 3.7 miles
- Waxham 3.8 miles
- Bastwick - 3.9 miles
- Potter Heigham 4.0 miles
- Ormesby St Michael 4.0 miles
Live weather
Weather in Horsey
Loading the latest forecast…
Updated every time the page loads · Data: Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)
Nearest town guide
Finding the nearest town to Horsey…
Getting to Norfolk
- Train: Greater Anglia runs direct trains from London Liverpool Street to Norwich, plus lines to Cromer, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Cambridge. National Rail journey planner
- Road: the A11 (from Cambridge and London) and the A47 (east–west) are the main routes.
- Air: Norwich Airport is 4 miles north of the city.
- Bus: plan local journeys on Traveline.
Useful links
- Visit Norfolk – official tourism site
- Visit the Broads – Broads Authority
- Met Office weather warnings
- RNLI beach safety and tide advice
- National Trust in Norfolk
In an emergency
- 999 – police, fire, ambulance and coastguard
- 111 – NHS urgent medical advice
- 101 – Norfolk Police, non-emergency