Coastal Britain

Popular places of interest along the coast of Britain
Beaches, Resorts, Boutique Hotels, Piers, Pubs/Cafes, Seaside Restaurants,
Cultural Attractions, Coastal Paths, Coastal Railway Journeys, Other Attractions

This page was inspired by The Telegraph's The Best of Britain's Coast photo gallery, which was inspired by Coast Magazine's survey of its readers. There was also inspiration from The top 10 beaches in Britain revealed on the UK Travel Blog which was derived from VisitBritain's Top 10 Beaches. And from The Telegraph's feature, "Britain's best coastal railway journeys" as well as other sources.

Beaches

Holkham, Norfolk

Coast Magazine's Best Beach
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
4 miles of golden sand comprise the beach at Holkham Gap. (To the west of the gap is a nudist section of the beach.)
The village of Holkham, Holkham Gap and the Holkham Hall estate are all located in the Holkham National Nature Reserve.

Studland, Dorset

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve
Studland, near Swanage, Dorset Telephone: 01929 450259
Coast Magazine's Best Beach runner-up
Gently shelving bathing waters along 4 miles of golden, sandy beach, ideal for water sports. Also, there are views of the Isle of Wight and Old Harry Rocks.
Portions of the beach are clothing optional.

Botany Bay, Kent

Botany Bay Beach
Botany Bay Beach , Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom
Coast Magazine's Best Beach runner-up
200m long, old fashioned sandy beach. Contains chalk stacks, rock pools and gentle bathing.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth Beach
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
An award winning seven mile long beach, some of the warmest sea temperatures in the UK and a magnificent cliff line make this a good choice for enjoying the beach.

West Wittering

West Wittering Beach
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Internationally recognised for its wildlife, birds and unique beauty, West Wittering beach has excellent facilities and high water quality.

Abereiddi Blue Lagoon

Abereiddi Blue Lagoon
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Not really a beach, this is more of a swimming hole, an old quarry with a tidal channel to the sea.

Holy Island

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
This is the location of a monastery founded in 635 by St. Aidan, as well as miles of deserted beach, good for swimming as well as reflection.

Croyde Bay

Croyde Beach
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Although its surfing is suitable only for expert surfers, its water quality (awarded the Blue FLag) and sandy beaches make it excellent for swimmers and sunbathers.

Great Bay

Great Bay, St Martin's, Isles of Scilly
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Located on the north side of the island, its beautiful cream colored beach is only accessible by foot.

Blackpool

Blackpool Beach
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Miles of sandy beach with a brand new ribbon of Spanish-style steps running along the coastline

Sinclair's Bay

Sinclair's Bay
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Three miles of soft white sand in the most northerly part of mainland Britain means not a lot of warm swimming weather

Porthcurno

Porthcurno
One of VisitBritain's Top Ten Beaches
Ground sea shells form the white beach just southeast of Land's End

Resorts

St. Ives

St. Ives Tourist Information & Accomodation
Coast Magazine's Best Seaside Holiday Destination
Now a tourist town, St. Ives was once an important fishing port. It has world class beaches, galleries and craft shops, magnificent coastal scenery and abundant accomodation and dining options.

Cornwall

Retallack Luxury Cottages Cornwall - Luxury 5 Star Self Catering Cottages Cornwall

Bournemouth

Bournemouth Holidays & Tourist Information
Coast Magazine's Best Seaside Holiday Destination runner-up
A vibrant cosmopolitan town with 7 miles of golden beaches, a vast variety of shops, restaurants and lodging surrounded by beautiful countryside. Combine this with a buzzing nightlife and water sports galore and you have a winning combination.

Brighton

Seahouses

Seahouses Website
Seahouses, located in the north-east of England, can be quite a relaxing break. It has an attractive harbour which is the base for Farne Island tours, cruises to Holy Island, sea angling, diving and commercial fisheries; a main pier; clean sandy beaches; the Seahouses Golf Club; and more.

Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe Tourist Information
Ilfracombe, the jewel of the North Devon coast, offers centuries of heritage and style, rural tranquility, stunning coastal scenery and seaside fun.

Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay & Flyingthorpe
A place for all seasons: sea, sand, secret streets and smugglers.

Cromer

This is Cromer
There is lots to enjoy in Cromer: wide open beaches, the famous pier show, a cinema with three screens, spectacular cliffs and two museums.

Tenby

Tenby Visitor Guide
Virtual Tenby
Originally a Welsh hilltop stronghold, then a Norman castle and walled town, Tenby is a more anglicised part of Wales. Attractions include South Beach, Giltar Point, the narrow cobbled streets, many cafes, gift shops, restaurants and public houses. Along the harbour you can take a trip to nearby Caldey Island or cruise in search of wildlife along the South West coast of Wales. Tenby is also the start of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.

Barmouth

Barmouth in Gwynedd West Wales
Located in the southwest corner of Snowdonia National Park, Barmouth, at the mouth of the river Mawddach, lies between a mountain range and the sea. Its steep steps and slate-roofed cottages on the side of a mountain make the old town well worth a visit. Walk across the spectacular Barmouth Bridge, enjoy the large beach or bird watch in the Mawddach estuary.

Clovelly

Clovelly, North Devon
Famous for its donkeys carrying goods up the cobbled high street, built into a cleft in the 400 foot high cliff, the lovely town of Clovelly also has links with the Spanish Armada, Turner, Dickens and Charles Kingsley.

Boutique Hotels

The Scarlet

The Scarlet Cornwall's luxury eco hotel
Tredragon Road, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, tr8 4dq Telephone: 01637 861800
Coast Magazine's Best Boutique Hotel
Built to the highest eco standards with grass roofs, solar panels and a biomass boiler, this is a 37 room adult hotel. The Ayurvedic inspired spa and delicious locally sourced food make this a place to remember.

The Reading Rooms

The Reading Rooms, boutique B&B in Margate
31 Hawley Square, Margate CT9 1PH Kent, UK Telephone: 01843225166
Coast Magazine's Best Boutique Hotel runner-up
A luxury 5 Star Gold boutique bed and breakfast in Margate with only 3 rooms, but each occupies an entire floor of the house. Breakfast is served on a table by the window in your room.

The Rosevine

The Rosevine, a big house by the sea in Cornwall
Nr Portscatho, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 5EW Telephone: 01872 580 206
Coast Magazine's Best Boutique Hotel runner-up
There are 12 guest apartments where you can have your own self-contained space but still use the rest of the house. There is an indoor swimming pool, sunny dining room, a family den, a children's playroom, a peaceful drawing room and more.

Piers

Bangor

Garth Pier in Bangor, built in 1896, was saved from destruction by local residents in 1974. It is 1550 feet long and boasts a tea room, with homemade buns and cakes, in a mogol style pavilion at the end.

Blackpool

Blackpool Attractions
Central Pier is the most popular of the three piers in Blackpool, with a ferris wheel and a show bar.

Brighton Pier

Brighton Pier
Coast Magazine's Best Loved Pier runner-up
Restaurants, arcades, funfare, bars and shops provide something for everyone.
The West Pier
The Brighton West Pier Trust runs onshore tours of the pier which is now a twisted wreck.

Clackton Pier

Clackton Pier
Built in 1871, it has many attractions including a seaquarium and an underground fairground.

Clevedon Pier

Clevedon Pier & Heritage Trust
This 140 year old pier is the only surviving Grade I-listed pier and has a heritage centre and art gallery.

Cromer Pier

Cromer Pier and the Pavilion Theatre
Coast Magazine's Best Loved Pier
Cromer has had a pier or jetty since 1391. The current structure was built in 1901 after gales damaged the old wooden jetty so much that it had to be dismantled. Enjoy the seaside town while you are here, and use the Cromer Road Runner road train to get to the pier. There is a theatre with family shows, a restaurant and bar.

Penarth Pier

Penarth Pier Pavilion
Built in 1895 in Wales and restored in 1998, the pavilion is a popular entertainment venue, along with the paddle steamer on the Severn.

Southend-on-Sea

Southend Pier
The world's longest pier extends more than 2km into the Thames estuary. It was a mustering point for convoys of ships during WWII. The wreck of the American ship SS Richard Montgomery, which ran aground nearby, still contains tons of explosives and is a hazard for shipping in the area.

Soutport

Visit Southport
The pier at Southport is the second longest in Britain. Refurbished in 2002, it features a tram link that runs from the town center to the end of the pier, where there is a penny arcade, several vintage amusements and a cafeteria.

Southwold Pier

Southwold Pier
Coast Magazine's Best Loved Pier runner-up
Shops and restaurants and two arcades for lots of good times and family fun.

Weston-super-mare

Grand Pier at Weston-super-mare
Built after the previous pier burned down in 2008, the Grand Pier has rides and attractions, function rooms and conferencing, and event space in a weatherproof arena.

Pubs/Cafes

East Beach Cafe

East Beach Cafe
Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5GB Telephone: 01903 731 903
Coast Magazine's Best Coastal Pub/Cafe
Traditional English menu and simple seaside food sourced from sustainable sources, right on the beach, bizare facade.

Hive Beach Cafe

Hive Beach Cafe on the beach in Dorset
Beach Rd. Burton Bradstock, DT6 4RF Telephone: 01308 897070
Coast Magazine's Best Coastal Pub/Cafe runner-up
Local foods and fish with great views of Lyme Bay. Families, children and even dogs are welcome. Homemade food, coffee and ice cream.

The Lord Nelson

The Lord Nelson on the Southwold waterfront
42 East St, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6EJ Telephone: 01502 722079
Coast Magazine's Best Coastal Pub/Cafe runner-up
Serving Adnams beers and bitters on the waterfront in Southwold

Seaside Restaurants

Fifteen Cornwall

Fifteen Cornwall
On The Beach, Watergate Bay, Cornwall TR8 4AA Telephone: 01637 861 000
Coast Magazine's Best Seaside Restaurant
Founded by Jamie Oliver in 2002 and owned by the Cornwall Foundation of Promise. Offers disadvantaged youths in need of a second chance.

Eddie Gilberts

Eddie Gilberts, Ramsgate
32 King Street. Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 8NT Telephone: 01843 852123
Coast Magazine's Best Seaside Restaurant runner-up
A member of the The Sustainable Restaurant Association, the restaurant is located above the fish shop.

Urban Reef

Urban Reef, Bournemouth
Bournemouth, Dorset BH5 1BN Telephone: 01202 443960
Coast Magazine's Best Seaside Restaurant runner-up
Informal bar, deli, cafe and restaurant with panoramic views of Bournemouth Bay

Seafront Cultural Attractions

The De La Warr Pavilion

The De La Warr Pavilion
51 Marina, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, UK TN40 1DP Telephone: 01424 229 111
Coast Magazine's Best Seafront Cultural Attraction
Regular exhibitions of modern art and architecture.

The National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum, Cornwall
Discovery Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3QY Telephone: 01326 313388
Coast Magazine's Best Seafront Cultural Attraction runner-up
Despite its name, it is not included in the Government's list of national museums and does not receive any Government funding or grants. Therefore, it does charge an entrance fee. Their mission: To promote an understanding of boats and their place in people's lives, and of the maritime heritage of Cornwall.

The Tate St. Ives

The Tate, St. Ives
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1TG Telephone: 01736 796226
Coast Magazine's Best Seafront Cultural Attraction runner-up
International Modern and Contemporary Art

Coastal Paths

Norfolk Coast Path

Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail
Coast Magazine's Best Coastal Path
45 miles long, it starts in Suffolk at Knettishall Heath Country Park and follows the route of a Roman road to Holme-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast. At Holme the Peddars Way meets the Norfolk Coast Path as it runs from Hunstanton to Cromer.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path

Pembrokeshire Coast National Trail
Coast Magazine's Best Coastal Path runner-up
186 miles of breathtaking coastal scenery from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south.

South West Coast Path

South West Coast Path National Trail
Coast Magazine's Best Coastal Path runner-up
630 miles from Mineheadon the edge of the Exmoor National Park to the shores of Poole Harbour in Dorset. Wonderful coastal scenery, wildlife and heritage.

Northumberland Coast Path

The Northumberland Coast Path in Six Stages
64 miles from Cresswell to Berwick upon Tweed — part of the international North Sea Trail.

Coastal Railway Journeys

Carlisle to Lancaster

The fine beaches of the intriguing old Victorian seaside resorts of Seascale, St Bees, Allonby, and Silloth, along the way cater well for tourists.

Map of the towns between Carlisle and Lancaster

Carlisle, Roman Britain
Seascale, Cumbria
St. Bees, A Cumbrian Coastal Village
Allonby, Cumbria

• Wordsworth House
  Main Street, Cockermouth, CA13 9RX Telephone: 01900 820884
  The childhood home of the poet William Wordsworth. The National Trust has recreated the atmosphere that must have existed here when the young William lived here with his two parents, four siblings, four servants and a variety of animals.

Silloth, Cumbria
Lancaster Guide

Durham to Berwick

This route includes dramatic sea views, historic castles and a Second World War airfield.

Map showing Durham and Berwick

This is Durham official tourism website
Berwick

• The Lowry Trail information from the Northumberland website.
  The Lowry Trail information from the Berwick-upon-Tweed website.
  Berwick-upon-Tweed
  A 5 mile walk, or you can just walk sections of it.
  This walk identifies the sites where L. S. Lowry painted sights around the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Glasgow to Stranraer

This route passes between the Firth of Clyde and Galloway Forest Park. At stop at Ayr will provide access to some Robert Burns history.

Map showing the Glasgow to Stranraer route

Glasgow Guide

• The Robert Burns Museum
  Murdoch's Lone, Alloway, Ayr KA7 4PQ Telephone: 0844 493 2601
  Burns Country
  Everything you wanted to know about Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard (and lots more besides).
  Alloway
  Information from Trip Advisor about the town in which Robert Burns was born.

About Stranraer, Guide and Tourist Attractions — Ports and Harbour Guide to Stranraer

Other Attractions

Brent Knoll Hill Fort near Weston-super-mare

Brent Knoll Village website
Bronze Age people lived on this site in 4000 BC. It became an Iron Age hill fort in 2000 BC. The Romans used it as a fortification.
The Home Guard had a gun emplacement on the summit during the Second World War. (Hey, John Cleese, maybe this is why the Germans bombed here!)

Weston-super-mare Helicopter Museum

World's Largest Dedicated Helicopter Museum
The largest undercover attraction in Weston-super-mare, with a coffee shop and a children's play area.