At first we contemplated putting together a very short walk around just Caister-on-Sea Roman Fort, but you would probably need quite a few laps of the site to get a decent walking distance!
So, instead we came up with this: A Walk from Caister-on-Sea beach to the Caister Roman Fort and back. The beauty about this is you can extend the walk as much as you like by strolling along the beach. Or a few laps around the fort site if you wish!
We start our walk at Caister Beach car park near the lifeboat house, which is nicely located on the sea front. A picture of a car park is pretty boring, so here’s the Lifeboat Station instead!
It’s up to you whether you decide to walk or chill on the beach first. We would suggest walking to the fort and back first, and then relaxing on the beach (maybe enjoy a picnic, but make sure you take any rubbish with you) before enjoying a pleasant wander along the beach.
Whenever you’re ready to walk to the Roman Fort, here’s the directions. We’re actually going to walk along the beach a little anyway to kick things off with a bit of scenery. So, here’s a glimpse of the coastal defences amongst sand dunes at Caister, with a hint of the beach beyond and the sea off the Norfolk coast in the background. You can head down to the beach if you like, or walk close to this wall.
Our route takes us past a caravan park, after which we need to leave the beach and head in-land. Note, our route shows a couple of exit points (purple dots on map, below) off the beach, and we then want to go down Braddock Road, and follow straight down this road until you reach Ormesby Road.
Walk down Ormesby Road until you reach a crossroads with High Street, Norwich Rd and Old Hall Gardens (where a supermarket is).
Take the Norwich Road, then carry on along the Norwich Road for about 0.2-0.3 miles (5 minutes at my pace) and you’ll find the fort. Voila!
We have a few more pictures of Caister Roman fort for you.
Enjoy a nice stroll around the grounds of the fort, and then follow the route back to return to the beach car park.
You could follow the outbound route, but we’ve made a circular route for you. So, at the crossroads go down High Street until you reach Beach Road, which will bring you back to the beach car park. Easy peasy!
Of course, as mentioned earlier, the best way to finish off this walk would be to enjoy another walk along the beach or the dunes. Of course, you could also go for a paddle in the sea! So, let’s hit the beach!
Depending on the shifting sands you may this World War 2 “Pill Box” sticking out of the sands. Note, structures like this are dangerous, so don’t let children play in or near it.
Field Notes
FACILITIES – There are no facilities at the fort . There is paid parking at the beach car park, plus other smaller locations to park around Caister. There is also lay-by parking area next to Caister Roman Fort with space for a few cars. There is a supermarket not far away from the fort, as well as public toilets, shops, places to eat and other amenities near by.
DOGS – Dogs on leads are welcome at the fort. the beach is also dog friendly.
SAFETY – You will be walking near busy roads with several roads to cross, so keep an eye on little ones.
WHEELCHAIRS – The walk from the beach to the fort should be fine for wheelchairs. The Roman Fort site is mainly flat grass but there are short sets of steps in a couple of places, so wheelchair access is possible except in a few limited areas. The section of the walk along the beach would not be accessible to most wheelchairs.
CLOBBER – The walk is on paths, grass (at the Fort), or sand (the beach!), so normal everyday footwear should be okay, unless yu want to take your flip-flops for the beach!
DISTANCE AND DURATION – The circular walk from the beach car park to the fort and back is approximately 2 miles, and the duration of this depends on your walking speed. We spent maybe 30 minutes at the fort, and longer on the beach. You can make the walk longer by enjoying a pleasurable stroll along the beach. You can also shorten the walk a little by taking a slightly different route.
ANYTHING ELSE? – This walk should be fine any time of the year. As always at the coast, please be aware of the tides. Oh, nearly forgot to mention, you get a great view of Scroby Sands Wind Farm from the beach.
Where to Next?
Read more articles on walks or browse the rest of our articles.
Find things to do or somewhere to stay in Greater Norwich.
Why not check out our Norfolk quizzes and games.
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