Beaches in South West England
Poldhu Cove Beach, Nr Helston, Cornwall (South Coast)
A small sandy cove with low cliffs on either side
The sandy cove is popular with surfers and swimmers. It’s also a popular location for sailing, jet skiing and windsurfing and zoning is used to increase safety on the water.
Portreath Beach, Portreath, Cornwall (North Coast)
Atlantic beach adjoining a small harbour, enclosed by rock pools and cliffs
Portreath offers a busy Atlantic beach that adjoins a small working harbour which, in turn, is enclosed by rock pools and steep cliffs. The resort incorporates many facilities and serves both visitors and residents from the nearby towns of Camborne and Redruth.
Praa Sands Beach, Nr Helston, Cornwall (South Coast)
Attractive, gently sloping, sandy beach backed by dunes and the village green
At both ends, the coastal path rises up over steep cliffs offering views towards Penzance and the Lizard peninsular. The bay is popular with families and surfers alike, having a south westerly aspect that receives Atlantic swells. Praa Sands stretches over one and a half miles.
Chesil Beach, Portland to Abbotsbury, Dorset
Chesil Beach is 18 miles (28 kilometres) long and, on average, 200 metres wide and rises to 14 metres height. It is a shingle tombolo connecting Portland to Abbotsbury and then continuing westwards to West Bay near Bridport. It is the largest tombolo in the UK.
Pebbles are graded in size from fist sized near Portland to pea sized at Bridport. The pebbles are a mix of flint and chert, with some quartzite pebbles from Buddleigh Salterton. The origin of the beach continues to be argued over with some proposing it is actually two beaches. The stretch from West Bay to Abbotsbury appears to have different characteristics to the stretch from Abbotsbury to Portland.
Woolacombe Village Beach, Woolacombe, Devon (North Coast)
Two miles of magnificent golden sand backed by sandy hills
The vibrant beach is a favourite with families and has a broad expanse of golden sand and offers reasonably safe swimming. Activities on the water include surfing, windsurfing and canoeing and zoning is used to increase safety.
