Snettisham Country or Coastal Park as it is sometimes referred to as, is situated on the east of the Wash and borders an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are two marked trails and it is possible to walk all the way to South Beach Heacham.
The park comprises 143 acres of land with a variety of habitats, including, scrub(Bramble, Hawthorn, Gorse, Willow), open grassy areas, open water, and dense beds of phragmites reed.
To the west of the park lies the Wash which is one of the largest and most important estuaries in Britain From July onwards vast flocks of waders begin to congregate including Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Redshank, Turnstone and Knot. In spring the park may hold many migrants including Redstarts, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear and Spotted Flycatchers. Summer visitors staying to breed include Sedge and Reed Warbler and Common Whitethroat. Resident species include Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Skylark and Goldfinch.
In addition to the scrub a wide range of other interesting plants occur. Grass Wort, Cord Grass, Sea Purslan, Sea Lavendar, Sea Holly and Sea Poppy.
A flourishing colony of Common Blue Butterflies exist in the middle of the park, others which can be found are, Gatekeepers, Meadow Brown, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Copper and Green-veined White. Seven species of Dragonfly have also been recorded in the park.
DIRECTIONS
From King's Lynn head north on the A149 Hunstanto road. Snettisham is just a few miles south of Hunstanton. Turn left off the A149 following the sign for beach and RSPB. As you cross the sea wall you can see the country park on your right. The entrance is about a quarter of a mile further along on the right. There may be a car park fee to pay.
| OS MAP | Landranger 132 |
| Grid Ref | TF648335 |
| Open | All Year |
| Toilets | South along sea defence in caravan park |
| Refreshments | Various shops, cafe etc |
| Terrain | Level other than sea wall, uneven |
| Sevices | N/A |
Sites Close By
Snettisham RSPB, Sandringham Country Park, Dersingham Bog, Hunstanton, Ringstead Downs