Holkham Estate is building a new bridle path at Lady Anne’s Drive

The Holkham Estate has started laying a new 500-metre bridle path for horses to run parallel with Lady Anne’s Drive, which connects the A149 coast road with the pathway that leads down to Holkham beach. 

Iain Wolfe, the estate's operations manager, said the £100,000 project would make the area safer for all and allow wildlife and nature to flourish.

Mr Wolfe said: “With the wide and varying user groups and ever-increasing footfall comes increased risk, and with such a high volume of vehicle traffic and pedestrians, the need to separate the parking and access for pedestrians and horse riders is paramount.

“We will consider how we can make the parking area more user-friendly with the potential addition of mounting blocks and hitching posts.”

Mr Wolfe said the project was three years in the making, and should be finished by early winter. 

The first phase will involve levelling the ground on the eastern side of the fields, parallel to Lady Anne’s Drive.

The carstone surface will then be topped with woodchip and a hedge will then be planted alongside the bridle path.

Jake Fiennes, director of the Holkham National Nature Reserve, said: “This will undoubtedly make a considerable improvement to public safety at Lady Anne’s Drive whilst at the same time improving a range of habitats that will in turn benefit a wide range of species.”

Lady Anne’s Drive, in Holkham (Image: Holkham)

Mr Fiennes said the new hedge would yield biodiversity benefits within five to 10 years. 

Holkham beach attracts around 1 million visitors a year - ranging from dog walkers to holidaymakers, bird watchers and film crews.

It is regularly named among the UK's best beaches and has been called the best beach in Norfolk.