Beaches in South West England
A long, coarse sandy beach that is overlooked by cliffs and farmland. The water is clean but there are strong currents and care should be taken when swimming.
An idyllic strip of sandy beach bordering Christchurch Harbour and adjacent to the ancient headland of Hengistbury Head. A picturesque, peaceful site without vehicular access.
Castle Beach, Falmouth, Cornwall (South Coast)
Sparkling rock pools - the stuff of childhood memories.
A rocky, sandy beach west of Pendennis Point. Plenty of rock pools to play in and explore.
The beach is located at the bottom of the River Seaton valley and is popular with swimmers and surfers It’s also close to the Seaton Valley Countryside Park for anyone who wants a good excuse to get out of the sun.
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.
