Historically, the parish of Sheringham comprised the two villages of Upper Sheringham, a farming community, and Lower Sheringham, which combined farming with fishing.
Upper Sheringham is in the Domesday Book and was an Iceni settlement occupied by the Roman Empire. Lower Sheringham has existed for about 700 years, but by 1600 the village had been swallowed up by the sea. The crab and lobster fishing made the local fishermen major suppliers to the London fishmarkets. The industry collapsed in the 180s due to over-fishing. With the opening of the railway line, Sheringham recovered its lost fortunes and became a seaside resort.
Today, the town has no harbour, so the lifeboat has to be launched by tractor, and the fishing boats are hauled up the beach. An old sail-powered lifeboat is preserved in the old lifeboat shed.
In 1811, the Sheringham Estate was bought by Abbot and Charlotte Upcher. They asked Humphry Repton to design Sheringham Hall. The Upcher family also built a school. The Hall is still privately occupied, but Sheringham Park is in the care of the National Trust and open to visitors.
Sheringham is twinned with the German town of Otterndorf.