Home | Blue Flag beaches

North Norfolk has some of the most beautiful coastlines in the country. Here are our 2026 awards.

It's official! We have one of the best stretches of sandy coast in the country. Keep Britain Tidy has awarded Blue Flags in 2026 for Sheringham, West Runton, East Runton, Cromer, Mundesley and Sea Palling.

About the awards

The Blue Flag scheme is an environmental award given to beach operators who make a special effort to manage their coastal water environments and beaches, and educate people on the local ecosystems and water safety. It is applied for and awarded annually. The blue flags will be flown at each location during the Blue Flag season, when the lifeguard service becomes active, which means all criteria are met.

These dates can vary as the lifeguard service has two seasons - main and peak seasons, when the guards patrol at certain beaches.

Criteria

To achieve a Blue Flag Award status, we must meet a number of strict criteria that the beaches have to maintain. This criteria includes:

accessibility
beach management
consistently good water quality results
environmental and educational programs
lifeguards and water safety

The Environment Agency takes water samples throughout the bathing season to monitor water quality. This information is on the Environment Agency's SWIMFO website.

North Norfolk beach awards

Sheringham, West Runton, East Runton, Cromer, Mundesley and Sea Palling have all been awarded Blue Flag status for 2026. Cromer and Sheringham have maintained this status since 1988, the second longest only after Sandbanks and Oddicombe since 1987.