Most would agree that the best time to visit the coast is in the summer when the sand is warm, the sea is blue and inhibitions are, generally, relaxed. And yes, that can be very pleasant indeed. However, a visit to the East Coast in winter, especially the Lincolnshire coast, will gladden both the heart and the spirit (provided you wrap up warm, as it is difficult to feel at one with nature if you cannot feel your extremities). The landscape has a certain stark beauty to it: mudflats and salt marshes, long beaches perfect for ambling along or flying a kite, coastal defence banks providing views over an expanse of flat landscape and nature reserves with thousands of wading birds. The magnificent skies seem to go on forever and, if the wind drops, a wonderful stillness can permeate the scenery and the mind, a single-pointedness you cannot experience in the hustle and bustle of the crowded and busy summer.
The North Norfolk Coast has its charms too and is great for birdwatching but, facing the northerly winds straight from the Arctic, often bears a striking resemblance to the inside of a Siberian wind tunnel. I have only ever been warm once at Titchwell (even in the summer) and a visit to Snettisham left my hands so cold I was unable to unzip my pocket to get the car keys out. An extra jumper, a Thermos full of hot coffee and plenty of chocolate are therefore recommended.
http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/gib/
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/f/freistonshore/index.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/nature/uk/record/1429
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/snettisham/
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/t/titchwellmarsh/index.asp
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