101 places to go – UK beaches
In advance of British Beach Week on the 23 July, and with summer 2011 set to be a scorcher, we’ve decided to focus on British beaches for the latest entry to ‘101 places to go in the UK, Ireland and France’.
With golden sands and crystalline blue waters spanning the breadth of the country, there’s a wealth of choice on the UK’s shores. This is great for budding beach bums and holidaymakers looking for the best way to appreciate Britain’s seaside heritage, but not so great if you’re looking to choose just one beach to visit. So we’ve decided to focus on a few of our personal favourite UK beaches before asking you for yours.
• With 800 feet of soft sand lying on the Heritage coastline of North Devon, Croyde Bay isn’t exactly short of reasons for visiting. Its large sheltered bay, full of large barrelling waves, also makes it one of the UK’s premier surfing beaches – though it’s recommended for experienced boarders only.
• Bournemouth Beach offers 7 miles of golden sands on Dorset’s stunning coastline. There’s a wealth of things to see and do on the beach, including the seaside staples of deckchairs, piers and sandy strolls. And if you fancy something a little different there’s a varied schedule of events taking place all year round, including the annual Bournemouth Air Festival.
• Scarborough arguably captures the essence of Britain’s seaside past better than any other resort in the UK. Essentially Britain’s first seaside holiday hotspot, Scarborough’s offering to UK holidaymakers remains relatively unchanged: it still offers a host of fun activities in a splendid seaside location.
OK, so they were a few of ours but what are your favourite UK beaches?