The peaceful beach under two hours from Cambridgeshire where Ice Age giant was found

The beach is often overlooked, but this makes for a more peaceful visit

When the hot weather arrives in England, the beaches quickly fill up with sun-seekers. Unfortunately, people from our landlocked county of Cambridgeshire to travel to get to the coast.

However, there are many beaches within an easy driving distance of the county. One that’s worth the visit is West Runton beach in Norfolk, just a two-hour drive from Cambridge.

This sand and shingled beach is considered one of the more peaceful to visit in Norfolk. There are miles of footpaths and bridleways for people to walk in the surrounding area.

The beach is also backed by cliffs, which offer an “impressive backdrop to the beach”, according to the Visit North Norfolk website. One thing the beach is most famous for is the discovery of a nearly-complete mammoth.

Part of the Ice Age animal was first discovered on December 13, 1990. Local residents Margaret and Harold Hems were walking along the beach when they discovered a large bone sticking out of the cliffs.

The couple contacted a local museum and it was later discovered that the bone was a pelvic bone of a large steppe mammoth. A year later in 1991, fossil hunter Rob Sinclair discovered more large bones in the area.

After the two discoveries, an excavation took place in 1995. Within three months, archaeologists managed to find 85 per cent of a mammoth.

This is the most complete set of bones of a mammoth that has been discovered in the world. As well as this major discovery, other small fossils have been found at West Runton, making it an important archaeological spot.

As well as being a hotspot for fossils, the beach is often overlooked, as more people visit nearby Cromer. However, this provides a more peaceful visit for people.