I love the sea and going to the seaside is always one of my top priorities. And living in the UK it is really easy to be at the seaside in about 2 hours. Even when you live in the Midlands, which I do.
So every few months or so, I start complaining around the house that I need an escape to the seaside. My housemate usually complies, he knows I won't stop and life will be difficult if we don't go for a few hours to the seaside. We usually go early in the morning, have some fish and chips and ice cream (yes, even in November, if the sun is shining, it's ice cream time).
Now the beaches I consider the best in the UK have one thing in common. They are generally empty, populated with older people and not so many children. Especially if we decide to go during summer. So here are the best beaches I have been so far in the past 2 years.
Land's End, Cornwall
Land's End is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. It is the most westerly point of mainland Cornwall and England, and it is literally the end of the land. Now Cornwall in itself is absolutely amazing, and I will write specifically about Cornwall in another post, this one is just about beaches around the UK.
Land's End has a large tourist complex, but if like me (and my housemate) you enjoy a quieter outing, travel outside holiday times. It will make it also cheaper for you, but it won't necessarily mean you will have nice weather, this is the UK we are talking about.
We went in September and although we had a few rainy days, the last few days we spent in Cornwall were absolutely amazing. People have been travelling to Land's End and the First and Last Inn since the nineteenth century.
The walk along the coast is absolutely breathtaking, as are the views. It is very rocky, but there are secluded beaches you could go to and the sand is very fine and soft. It is perfect for a nice walk along the coast to enjoy the beautiful views over the sea and then enjoy some rays in one of the coves around.
Holkham Beach, Norfolk
Holkham beach is a beautiful stretch of land. Sandy dunes, a wonderful walk through a stretch of pine trees to reach the beach. Holkham National Nature Reserve is one of the largest in the country and is home to many rare species of flora and fauna.
The beauty of this beach lies in how long and wide it is. You have enough space on a very busy day without it feeling overwhelming. There are two sections where you can park, depending on if you have kids or not. One of the areas has fewer amenities for families. We chose to park along Lady Anne's Drive. There is a small circular building, called the Lookout, that houses a cafe and toilets. The walk to the beach and bay itself is rather a long one, but worth it.
Bring a picnic and enjoy.
Sutton-on-Sea, Lincolnshire
Sutton-on-Sea is the nearest one to us, with about 2 hours drive. It is a small village in Lincolnshire and with a long sandy beach opening up to the north sea. It is a very small village so there is not a lot there.
You can find some shops, a hotel and a restaurant, but it's mostly the quietness of the area that I enjoy. It is not far from Mablethorpe, you can walk along the beach or the promenade to Mablethorpe and maybe go an grab something to eat there.
I enjoy it again because of the same things, there are not many families as there is not much to attract families to Sutton-on-Sea and the beaches are very sandy. Also, even when it is busy it doesn't really feel busy and crowded. We tend to visit Sutton-on-Sea in any month of the year.
Hunstanton Beach, Norfolk
Hunstanton beach is the only resort in East Anglia which faces west, so the beach is relatively sheltered. It is a bit rockier than other beaches but when the tide is out you can get nice sandy beaches.
The reason I enjoyed it? Fossil hunting. It is a bit busier with families, so is not as quiet as we would normally go for. But who doesn't like a spot of fossil hunting?! We went in November so it was rather cool outside, didn't stop us from having some fish and chips and ice cream after. I mean, we are in Britain after all. As I have been told many times, it is sunny, you have ice cream.
Saltfleet Beach, Lincolnshire
Saltfleet beach is unspoilt and sandy and usually extremely quiet. Mainly because it takes a while to walk to the beach, similar to Holkham, and there are no amenities. So families tend to avoid it.
Also due to the expanse of the beach and how long it actually is it never feels very busy. One plus point of this particular beach, you can sometimes spot seals. Which is what we spotted the last time we were there. Seal pups playing in the water calling out to each other.
And yes, we did have a fish and chips on our way back home. I mean, we are at the seaside, where else can you get a nice fish and chips?!
Scarborough Beach, Yorkshire
I am not the biggest fan of Scarborough beach, mainly because it is a town and it tends to get rather busy. The beach itself is nice, long and sandy. It is busier with people as well and many more families.
You do find more shops and restaurants around Scarborough so you do not need to hunt for places to go and eat if you visit the beach outside of tourist season, which we sometimes do.
The one attraction in Scarborough I do enjoy is Scarborough Castle managed by English Heritage. You have beautiful views of the town and the sea. Definitely worth a visit.
I hope you enjoyed this list of beaches and it gave you ideas for seaside travel once lockdown is lifted of course and it is safe to do so. I certainly can't wait to be able to go to the seaside again and have a dip in rather ice-cold waters.
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