Out of Season — Wellington Pier, South Beach

2 miles | beach & promenade | grey low cloud | breakfast at hotel

A cold January Sunday morning found us walking north along Great Yarmouth’s wide, open South Beach. The sky was a soft, unbroken grey, the kind that flattens colour and sharpens detail. The air had that familiar coastal bite, not dramatic, just quietly persistent, enough to keep hands in pockets and collars turned up.

Great Yarmouth sign near the Pleasure Beach

The beach itself was almost empty. No families, no deckchairs, no summer noise, just sand stretching ahead and the muted rhythm of the North Sea rolling in. The absence of people made the space feel larger somehow, more exposed. A few joggers passed occasionally along the promenade, heads down, moving with purpose, while the beach below remained still and largely untouched.

South Shore, Great Yarmouth

Wooden posts on South Shore

Along the shoreline, weathered wooden groynes leaned at uneven angles, their surfaces darkened by salt, rust, and years of tide. They felt like markers of time rather than structures, reminders of how long this coast has been holding its ground.

As we walked north towards Wellington Pier, the familiar seaside landmarks appeared slowly through the haze. The pleasure beach buildings sat quiet and closed, waiting for warmer days, while the ferris wheel stood motionless against the sky, stripped of its usual brightness.

The cold kept the walk short, around two miles end to end, but one that suited the season perfectly. No views demanding attention, no highlights to chase. Just space, movement, and a sense of unease as colour, noise, and people seemed to have slipped quietly away.

Sometimes a winter walk isn’t about where you’re going at all, just about being out there when almost no one else is.

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Walking Anyway — Gedling Country Park

4.5 miles | easy paths and gentle inclines | rain, mist, low cloud | cafe at visitor centre

Today we were in two minds.

We needed to complete a recce walk for next week’s shortish walk that we’ll be leading, but the weather offered little encouragement; steady rain, low mist, and heavy skies. Still, we went. Partly because the walk needed doing, but also because days like this remind us that not every outing has to be perfect to be worthwhile.

The route was an easy 4.5 miles around Gedling Country Park which is a substantial local green space with multiple trails, views, nature, and even heritage touches from its colliery past, just west of Nottingham. Straightforward terrain and familiar paths, with the AllTrails app ticking quietly in the background, recording distance rather than directing the journey.

We were well wrapped up, thankfully. The rain had little intention of easing, and the higher ground near the Millennium Torch was exposed, with no shelter to speak of. It was the sort of weather that narrows your focus; head down, hands warm, steps steady.

Even so, people were still out walking. Others had gathered in the visitor centre, drawn by warmth and routine as much as coffee. We joined them briefly before heading back out.

By the time we set off on the second part of the walk, the rain had softened. We paused at the memorials, one for Queen Elizabeth II, another marking the colliery that once stood beneath the park. Quiet reminders that landscapes, like lives, are layered with what came before.

When we had finished, felt better for it. The body loosened, the mind settled, and the day had gently shifted shape. Although simple and low risk, the route is now confirmed for next week. More than that, it had been exactly the walk we needed.

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