A short visitor's guide to Heacham, Norfolk: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Heacham is a large village in West Norfolk overlooking The Wash, set between King's Lynn (fourteen miles to the south) and Hunstanton (about three miles to the north). It has been a seaside destination for well over a century, drawing visitors to its wide sandy beach and calm, west-facing shoreline where sunsets over The Wash can be spectacular.
The village is best known as the home of Norfolk Lavender at Caley Mill, one of the largest lavender farms in the country, with around a hundred acres of fields, a working distillery and gift shops. Heacham is a practical, unhurried place with a good range of pubs, restaurants and a handful of cafes.
The star attraction in Heacham is Norfolk Lavender at Caley Mill on Lynn Road, one of the largest lavender producers in England: about a hundred acres of fields, an oil distillery you can watch in operation, well-stocked gift shops and an on-site restaurant. The peak flowering season runs from late June to early August, when the fields are at their most vivid, but the visitor centre and shop are open year-round. For families, Farmer Fred's Adventure Play Barn shares the Caley Mill site and provides a well-equipped indoor playground for younger children when the weather turns.
Crazy Outdoor Golf on South Beach Road at the Park Resorts site is a fun option for a holiday afternoon, particularly for families staying near the beach.
Heacham Library operates from St Mary's Church Hall on the High Street. It is part of the Norfolk Library Service and useful if you need a quiet hour out of the weather or want to pick up local information.
Heacham has a solid spread of pubs for a village its size. The most-reviewed is the West Norfolk on Station Road, a family-run local serving traditional high-quality food with a strong reputation among regulars. The Fox and Hounds, also on Station Road, is a reliable no-frills alternative. The Bushel & Strike on Malthouse Crescent is the characterful option: a late 19th-century open-plan pub with a large garden, pool table and a dog-friendly welcome. On the waterfront, the Silver Sands Pub at North Beach is a seasonal bar at the beach. The Boathouse Tavern near South Beach completes the spread.
Heacham's eating options run from smart hotel dining to beach-side takeaways. The top table in the village is The Mulberry Restaurant at Heacham Manor Hotel on Hunstanton Road, which holds an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence and offers breakfast, Sunday lunch, afternoon tea and dinner using local Norfolk produce. The Mill Kitchen at Caley Mill (also on Lynn Road, within the Norfolk Lavender site) is the daytime restaurant on the lavender farm. For fish and chips, Heacham Fish Bar on the High Street has a consistently strong reputation, as does Tony's Fish & Chips on Jubilee Road (seasonal, March to November). Spice Garden on the High Street covers Indian cuisine; Silk Road II covers Chinese on Lynn Road. Yard Pizza at the Heacham Showroom is a newer entry with a perfect rating.
The best coffee shop in Heacham is Breakfast & Brownies on the High Street, a small independent known for excellent specialty coffee, velvety hot chocolate, sourdough toasties and hand-made brownies. It is highly rated and a good stop before or after a walk on the beach.
Heacham is straightforward to reach by car or bus, sitting on the A149 coastal road between King's Lynn and Hunstanton. By car, King's Lynn is fourteen miles to the south and Hunstanton is about three miles to the north. The nearest railway station is King's Lynn, served by Greater Anglia from Cambridge and London King's Cross.
By bus, Lynx runs frequent services through Heacham on the King's Lynn to Hunstanton corridor. The village had its own railway station from 1862 until 1969, when the branch line was closed.