Burnham Market
Burnham Market is a large village in Norfolk, near the North Norfolk coast. This busy village is packed with boutiques selling local food, artwork, jewellery, wet weather gear and wellies, and beachwear. Although there is no beach in Burnham Market, the village is less than 15 minutes from the seaside destinations Brancaster, Burnham Overy Staithe and Holkham. There are road and bus connections from surrounding towns, including Fakenham, Hunstanton, King's Lynn and Wells-next-the-Sea.
Understand
Burnham Market is one of the Norfolk Burnhams:
- Burnham Deepdale
- Burnham Market
- Burnham Norton
- Burnham Overy (Burnham Overy Staithe and Burnham Overy Town)
- Burnham Thorpe
Burnham Market came about after three of the original "seven Burnhams by the sea" merged: Burnham Sutton and Burnham Ulph to the east, and Burnham Westgate to the west. St Mary's is the former Burnham Westgate church, while All Saints was the church of Burnham Sutton and Burnham Ulph.
The village is sometimes known as "Chelsea on Sea". Essentially England says Burnham Market is "decidedly more fashionable" than some other Norfolk villages and in 2022, Muddy Stilettos said its one of the top 250 places to live in the country.
Get in
By bus
There are bus connections to some of the surrounding villages during the day, but there are few evening and night-time services.
- Lynx Coastliner 36 stops at The Green in Burnham Market. Connections to King's Lynn Interchange (), Hunstanton, Brancaster, Burnham Deepdale, Burnham Overy Staithe, Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea, Little Walsingham and Fakenham.
- Sanders 26 stops at The Green in Burnham Market. Weekdays only with a limited timetable. Connections to North Creake, South Creake and Fakenham.
There are other, more limited bus routes in the village which run as infrequently as once per day. You can check your bus route on Traveline.
Lynx Coastliner 36 connects with the Sanders Coasthopper CH1 at Wells-next-the-Sea, with connections to Blakeney, Sheringham and Cromer along the coast.
By car
Burnham Market is signposted from main roads nearby, including the Norfolk Coast Road, and the near Fakenham:
- From the direction of Docking (including from Great Bircham): B1155 eastbound, which runs into the centre of the village
- From the direction of Fakenham (including from London, Norwich and Swaffham) - B1355 northbound from the , through South Creake and North Creake
- From the direction of Wells-next-the-Sea (including from Holkham and Cromer): B1155 westbound from the A149, through Burnham Overy Town
The Norfolk Coast Road connects the area with Hunstanton, Brancaster, Wells, Sheringham and Cromer.
Burnham Market is approximately three hours from central London by car. The near Fakenham connects the wider area with the (for towards London Stansted Airport and London, and the for Cambridge), and the for Great Yarmouth. The near Fakenham connects the wider area with Norwich.
There is limited parking on local roads. A 186-space car park is off North Street, which is signposted from main roads.
By rail
Burnham Market is not connected with the rest of the UK by rail. Bus Coastliner 36 connects the village with King's Lynn railway station. The nearest railway stations are:
- King's Lynn: Great Northern trains from Downham Market, Ely, Cambridge and London King's Cross.
- Sheringham: Greater Anglia trains from Cromer, North Walsham and Norwich.
You can buy Coastliner 36 tickets on the bus using cash or contactless cards.
By bike
National Cycle Route 1 follows some country roads and bridleways throughout Norfolk, including Church Walk and Station Road in Burnham Market. The fully signposted route comes from Burnham Thorpe and Walsingham in the east (ultimately Dover, Kent), and Ringstead in the west (ultimately Tain, Scotland).
Get around
The village is small and flat. You can likely get around on foot or wheelchair easily, although some footpaths are very narrow.
See
- 🌍 Burnham Norton Friary. The ruins of a Carmelite (White Friars) friary.
Do
Annually there is a popular craft which takes over the entire village and a wonderfully festive atmosphere when everyone turns out to see a new celebrity each year as he or she turns on the Christmas lights.
- 🌍 Salt Glass Studios (Glass Blowing Courses & Shop), Walsingham Rd, Burnham Thorpe, PE31 8HL, ☏ +44 1328 738873, info@saltglassstudios.co.uk.
Buy
Burnham Market has a traditional post office, butcher, baker, hardware shop, fish shop and chemist for all the necessities of everyday life, and has over 30 very original independent and specialist shops. Beauty salons and galleries, selling a wide range of exciting deli products, vibrant and stylish accessories for home and garden, paintings, prints and unique coastal artworks, trendy and traditional clothes for all the family, and books old and new.
- 🌍 Burnham Market Stores, Overy Rd, Burnham Market, PE31 8HH, ☏ +44 1328 738259. M-Sa 8:30AM-7:30PM, Su 9AM-1PM. Food and village store.
- 🌍 Gurneys Fish Shop, Market Place, Burnham Market, PE31 8HF, ☏ +44 1328 738967. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-1PM. Range of fresh and cooked fish.
Eat
The village has many food outlets including traditional bakeries and cafés. Most of these outlets are nearby the village green in the centre of Burnham Market.
- 🌍 Hoste Arms, The Green, Burnham Market, PE31 8HF (on the Green), ☏ +44 1328 738257. Various times from 7:30AM until 9:15AM. The Hoste Arms is a popular pub in Burnham Market, often fully booked during summer months! There is a restaurant serving meals most of the day, and an afternoon tea service.
- 🌍 Tilly's, Bower Hse, Market Place, Burnham Market, PE31 8HF (Situated near many of the Burnham Market outlets on the Green.), ☏ +44 1328 730300. M-Sa 10:30AM-4:30PM. Tilly's is a small, friendly café, serving soft drinks and a selection of cakes. Lunch is also served there. Although there is outdoor seating, the café is often full, without tables.
- 🌍 Panda Kitchen, Creake Rd, Burnham Market, PE31 8EA (on the B1355 Creake Road, just south of the village), ☏ +44 1328 738866. M W-Su 5-10PM. A Chinese takeaway, with a range of meals. At some times, you may need to phone to place your order. There are few eat-in facilities. Parking is available near the petrol station.
- 🌍 The Mermaid Traditional Fish & Chips, Creake Rd, Burnham Market, PE31 8EA (one of three shops behind the petrol station on the B1355 Creake Road, just south of the village centre), ☏ +44 1328 738851. M-Sa 11:30AM-11PM, closed Sundays.
Drink
- 🌍 The Nelson (Pub, Restaurant & Rooms), Creake Rd, Burnham Market, PE31 8EN, ☏ +44 1328 738321, stay@the-nelson.com.
Sleep
- 🌍 The Hoste, The Green, Burnham Market PE31 8HD (at the village's hub), ☏ +44 1328 738777, reservations@thehoste.com. A nationally acclaimed hotel which takes centre stage overlooking the village green. It offers a range of wonderful restaurants, bar, beauty spa and 58 bedrooms across six properties which include the main hotel, a small and charming boutique hotel across the village green and a converted railway house.
- 🌍 Railway House, The Green, Burnham Market PE31 8HD, ☏ +44 1328 738777, reservations@thehoste.com.
- 🌍 Vine House, 71 Market Place, Burnham Market PE31 8HD, ☏ +44 1328 738777, reservations@thehoste.com.
- 🌍 Deepdale Backpackers & Camping (Deepdale Granary), Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale PE31 8DD, ☏ +44 1485 210256, stay@deepdalebackpackers.co.uk.
- 🌍 Whitehall Farm (B&B, Camping, Yurt), Walsingham Rd, Burnham Thorpe PE31 8HN, ☏ +44 1328 738416. Check-out: 10:30AM.
- 🌍 Titchwell Manor, Main Rd, Brancaster PE31 8BB (on A149), ☏ +44 1485 210221. Farmhouse hotel, peaceful in spite of being on main road, good food. They also have glamping shepherd's huts. Near RSPB Titchwell Marsh. B&B double from £175.
- 🌍 The White Horse, Main Road, Brancaster Staithe PE31 8BY (On A149), ☏ +44 1485 210262. Slick contemporary hotel looking onto the salt marshes, great dining. B&B double £170.
Connect
As of May 2022, the Burnham villages have patchy 4G from EE and O2, but no signal from Three or Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.
Go next
- Blakeney (Norfolk) with Blakeney Point Seal Colony and Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve
- Hunstanton
- Wells-next-the-Sea with its oysters and its seal-watching trips.
- Fakenham