Happisburgh

Happisburgh ( ) is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is on the coast, approximately 14 miles to the south-east of Cromer, and 20 miles to the north of Great Yarmouth, and is to the east of the B1159 from Bacton on the coast to Stalham. It is a nucleated village. The nearest substantial town is North Walsham 6 miles (10 km) to the west. The place-name 'Happisburgh' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Hapesburc. The name means 'Hæp's fort or fortified place'. Happisburgh is known for its distinctive red and white lighthouse, medieval church and the secluded beach, which has become a site of global archaeological importance, having provided evidence of early human activity, dating back 800,000 years. The village has also become well known for the effects of coastal erosion. The 2021 Census shows the parish (which also includes the settlements of Happisburgh Common and Whimpwell Green) to have a population of 870.