The Best Beaches in England

Rugged and windswept, Northumberland might not conjure thoughts of some of the best beaches in England. Yet you would miss out if you overlooked Bamburgh Beach. Nestled in the heart of the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and only 25 miles south of the border to Scotland, this beach offers 2.5 km/1.5 miles of soft sandy beach. With a gentle slope, this pretty beach becomes an impressive expanse of light, clean sand at low tide. If the beach alone wasn’t enough, the views add an extra dimension – the mighty Bamburgh Castle looks over Bamburgh Beach. Over 1,400 years old, the impressive castle stands watch on a hill above the sand.

Don’t admire Bamburgh Castle from afar. After a morning enjoying the feel of the sand beneath your toes, head up to the castle for a step back through history. As you pass through Bamburgh village, enjoy this charming community, winner of Which? Travel’s Best Seaside Town in Britain 2021 and 2022. The village is home to the RNLI Grace Darling Museum. A Victorian heroine, Grace Darling gained national recognition in September 1838. After a storm wrecked the steamship Forfarshire, Grace and her father saved nine people stranded on a rock out to sea. Today, the museum commemorates the life and legacy of this brave young girl.

Don’t just take our word for how lovely Bamburgh Beach is. The beach has been awarded a place in the top 10 of ‘The 25 Best Beaches in Europe’ in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022. It was also ranked sixth in Kuoni Travel’s ‘Most Eye-Catching Beaches In The World’ in 2021.

 

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Tucked in northwest East Anglia is Brancaster Beach. A wide beach with a smattering of shingle, Brancaster is a quieter alternative to the famed Holkham beach, 13 km/8 miles to the east. Both beaches sit within the Norfolk Coast AONB. Brancaster Beach is a pristine stretch of golden sand. It can get reasonably busy at high tide but offers a large expanse of sand at low tide.

The receding North Sea also reveals the wreck of the SS Vina. Vina was built in the late 1800s to carry cargo between England and the Baltic States. The Navy requisitioned Vina during WWII to defend against a possible attack on the Norfolk coast. A storm blew her onto the sand bar in 1944, and she has remained here. Although it might be tempting to explore the wreck, the tide comes in very quickly here. The National Trust manage the beach and warn against exploring the wreck.

Instead, head 8 km/5 miles inland to the pleasant Georgian village of Burnham Market. Burnham Market is a charming dwelling, rated among ‘The 20 Most Beautiful Villages in the UK and Ireland’ by Condé Nast Traveller in 2022. The village has links to the famed Royal Navy officer, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson. He was born in the neighbouring village of Burnham Thorpe. If you are passing through Burnham Market, leave time to stop in Socius, a Michelin-star restaurant and the AA Restaurant of the Year 2022/23.

 

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On the northeast coast of England, on the same stretch of coastline as Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and Scarborough, lies the seaside town of Filey. In summer 2022, Which? Travel reported Filey was one of the UK’s least crowded beach towns, alongside Bamburgh (above).

The shoreline beneath the town is Filey Beach, an 8 km/5 miles stretch of soft, pale sand. 400m or a quarter of a mile wide at low tide, this lovely beach disappears as the waves come in. Visitors at low tide can enjoy the mysterious world of rockpools and sightings of seals and oystercatchers. The beach is always large enough to find your own space.

If you visit Filey at high tide, look out for fishermen on the water as you explore Filey Brigg. A narrow peninsula at the end of the beach, Filey Brigg is the site of an old Roman signal station. A walk out here offers stunning views both out to sea and back at the glittering beach below.

Make a day of your visit to Filey by heading 6.5 km/4 miles south to Flamborough Headland Nature Reserve. Home to the most northern outcrop of chalk in Europe, this is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area due to the seabird colonies here. Out at sea, the offshore environment is a Sensitive Marine Area and a Special Area of Conservation where you might spot porpoises, dolphins and even minke whales.

 

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Last but certainly not least on our list of the best beaches in England is Porthcurno. On the Penwith Heritage Coast, south of Penzance, the beach at Porthcurno offers soft white sands and shimmering turquoise waters. Nestled in a cove, large cliffs on either side of the beach offer shelter from the full force of the sea. The waves here can still be powerful, but an RNLI lifeguard is on duty during the season, and the beach offers excellent swimming and surfing.

This is a small beach, but it is undoubtedly beautiful. There is a good reason the BBC drama, Poldark, used Porthcurno as the filming location for Nampara Cove. For a quieter alternative, head along the coast path to Pedn Vounder at low tide.

The beach at Porthcurno is lovely, but don’t miss the small village of the same name. This charming village is home to PK Porthcurno, a museum celebrating the communication history of the area. In 1870, Porthcurnon was the site of the British termination of early telegraph wires between the UK and India. This innovation reduced the communication time from weeks to less than 10 minutes. 150 years later, Porthcurno is where six fibre optic cables come ashore.

Another landmark to enjoy in Porthcurno is the Minack Theatre. Built into the natural clifftop on the coast, this impressive theatre is the brainchild of Rowena Cade.