The 30 best beaches near London
We don’t usually associate beaches near London with some of the best beaches in the UK – but they can be found if you know where to look. There’s a surprising number of places for a day at the seaside within easy reach of the capital, whether you want a secluded dip, a bracing stroll or even some sunbathing (when the British weather allows). From the wild, shingled shores of Dungeness to remote sandy stretches and the very best seaside-town beaches complete with ice cream and pier walks, here are the best beaches near London that you can reach in less than two hours by car – although many of these are just as easy to get to by train. And since not all beaches are found on the coast, we’ve included some of our favourite wild swimming spots: idyllic inland beaches where all that’s missing is the sea.
We recommend always travelling responsibly – being mindful of the fragility of the beautiful local environment you are visiting. You can also check water pollution levels in real-time using the Safer Seas & Rivers Service (SSRS) map from Surfers Against Sewage.
What is the closest sandy beach to London?
It depends on where you are driving from in London, but one of the closest sandy beaches to the capital isn’t by the sea at all: it’s at Frensham Great Pond. This surprisingly big sandy beach is within an hour’s drive from west and south-west London, in the greenery of Surrey. If you’re in east or northeast London, the nearest sandy beaches are at Southend-on-Sea – Chalkwell Beach, the closest to the capital. And from southeast London, the Isle of Grain Beach is only an hour’s drive.
Which beach has the clearest water near London?
You’ll want to get out of the muddy Thames Estuary and head to beaches along the Kent coast for the clearest water. The beaches of Thanet – Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate – are known for their clear water, as are Folkestone Beach and Samphire Hoe at Dover.
What is the closest beach to London?
The closest beach to London is actually in London: Ruislip Lido, which is easy to get to by tube and bus. It’s a large sandy beach surrounded by woods with a café and kids’ play area. The only downside is that swimming is not allowed.
Which seaside is within 1.5 hours of London?
If you’re driving from southeast London, there are some great beaches within 1.5 hours: you can reach the Isle of Grain, Shellness Beach on the Isle of Sheppey, Whitstable or even Margate if the traffic is good. From east London, the beaches of Southend-on-Sea or Tollesbury Tidal Pool are within 90 minute’s drive. And if you’re travelling by train, then Sunny Sands in Folkestone, Brighton Beach, Whitstable Beach and Ramsgate Beach are within 1.5 hours of mainline London stations.
- Getty Images
1. Joss Bay, Broadstairs
I'm not saying Joss Bay is quiet in the peak of summer, but I am saying it offers something of an escape from the crowds you see at Whitstable on a sunny day. This picture-perfect little bay has everything you could want from a British beach; soft sand, swimming and surfing opportunities and a small, old-school café serving up chips and ice cream aplenty. It's known locally as one of the best places for catching a wave on the Kent coast, but if you're more inclined to sunbathe than surf, it's somewhat shielded from the wind by the surrounding white cliffs. Don't forget your bucket and spade!
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: There'd paid parking next to the beach. - Alamy
2. Main Sands and Western Undercliff, Ramsgate
Although less widely feted than neighbouring Margate and Broadstairs, Ramsgate has perhaps the most spectacular beaches of the three. At low tide, the Main Sands seem to go on forever, and you can walk on the sand to Broadstairs (though check the times so you don’t get cut off). Alternatively, there’s a more secluded sandy beach at the Western Undercliff by the decommissioned port. Afterwards, walk up the cliff to Ramsgate Boating Pool for delicious pizza and a pint with a view.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: There are two car parks along Marine Esplanade (CT11 8NB), right next to the Main Sands. For Western Undercliff Beach, parking is free along Royal Harbour Approach, overlooking the beach. - Alamy
3. Southend-on-Sea
England’s newest city is also London’s nearest seaside town, with more than seven miles of seafront. It’s a lovely walk from the quaint pubs of Old Leigh to Chalkwell Beach: a low-key sandy favourite. Neighbouring Westcliff-on-Sea has the famous Rossi ice cream parlour for a gelato stop, and from there, it’s not far to Southend Pier: the longest in the UK, with its own miniature railway. Then, keep going for even more sandy (and slightly less busy) beaches at Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness. Be aware, though; you can’t swim at low tide anywhere along this coast: the estuary mud stretches for miles offshore.
Driving time from London: 70 minutes
Find it: Parking isn’t always easy in Southend, especially on a sunny weekend. A smart move is to ditch the car in the large NCP at Leigh-on-Sea station (SS9 2ET) and walk or catch a train along the coast to the beach of your choosing. There are some spectacular sea views from the carriage windows, too. - Alamy
4. Folkestone Beach and Sunny Sands, Folkestone
There are two beaches at Folkestone, with two very different characters. The expansive shingle of Folkestone Beach is best for a walk: it stretches for well over a mile to the west of the town centre, crossed by a curving boardwalk and dotted with artworks. But for swimming and sandcastles, you’ll want to head to Sunny Sands, a much smaller sandy beach facing east towards Dover. Check the tides before you set out: it disappears completely at high water. Between the two beaches, Folkestone Harbour Arm is an essential stop for street food and a pint – or a glass of prosecco in the converted lighthouse at the end.
Driving time from London: 85 minutes
Find it: From the Harbour Arm Car Park (CT20 1QH), walk through the converted station to Folkestone Beach, or cross the swing bridge and stroll around the harbour for less than ten minutes to reach Sunny Sands.
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5. Dungeness East, Lydd, Kent
This atmospheric shingle spit is strangely beautiful. It’s a place frequented by gulls, terns and gadwalls, as well as artists and philosophers who established retreats in the old railway cabins and fishing huts on the bleak expanse. The whole shingle mass is moving eastwards at two yards per year – or it would be if trucks were not constantly moving it back to where it came from to ensure the nearby nuclear power station does not fall into the sea. This is one of the largest shingle beaches in Europe – a unique and sensitive habitat.
Driving time from London: 80 minutes
Find it: From Lydd roundabout follow signs to Dungeness and Pilot Inn, built from shipwreck timber (TN29 9NJ). Drive for 650ft and before the pub turn for ‘RH&DR Dungeness’ and continue to black-and-yellow-painted Prospect Cottage (TN29 9NE). Park beyond and head across the shingle, past old boats and sheds, to reach the sea. (50.9225, 0.9816). - Helen Dixon / Alamy Stock Photo
6. East Head at West Wittering, Chichester
West Wittering near Chichester is one of the most beautiful beaches on the south coast. To lose the crowds, head up the long sandy isthmus of East Head and find a paradise of silver dunes and green marram grass dotted with rolling hollows in which you can stretch out and listen to the skylarks singing overhead. Eventually you reach an anchorage for small sailing boats. Here the beach shelves deeply, making for good swimming, while at low tide the mud flats create wonderful natural slides. By far the best way to reach the Witterings is to take the train, with a bike, and then ride along the brilliant 12-mile Salterns rural cycle route from Chichester train station. Dedicated paths cross wheat fields, passing flint-walled cottages and waterways covered in lilypads, before arriving at the dunes.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Drivers, head south from Chichester bypass on A286 following signs to Birdham, then West Wittering beach (PO20 8AU). Park at far end of beach car park (½ mile) and walk right onto dunes north ½ mile, past crabbing pools and away from main beach, onto East Head. (50.7892, -0.9134) - iStock
7. West Dunes, Camber Sands
Justifiably well-loved, Camber's great expanses of soft sand and dunes can get busy. Head towards the western end and you'll escape the crowds and still enjoy the shallow sea as it rolls in over the sun-warmed sand flats. Take care as the tide can come in very fast, leaving you stranded on offshore sand bars. Three miles on, heading east out of Camber, is Broomhill Beach at Jury's Gap, which is more desolate with low tide sand. Check into The Gallivant to make a weekend of it.
Driving time from London: 75 minutes
Find it: Approaching from Rye, choose the first car park (Western Car Park) and park at near end for path through dunes to beach. Don't swim too near the river mouth. (50.9331, 0.7837)
Stay: The Gallivant, further along on the L, is a trendy place to eat or stay (+44 1797 225 057; thegallivant.co.uk). - jacqueline Rackham / Alamy Stock Photo
8. Atherington or Climping Beach, Littlehampton
This rural, gently shelving, shingle-and-sand beach is great for children – an island of tranquility within the built-up conurbation of the south coast. There is a sea-swimming club here, a great little café and, if you walk east, you find dunes and finally the remains of Littlehampton fort.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Between Bognor and Littlehampton (A259), signed Climping Beach, then continue past the palm-decked Black Horse Inn to the beach car park. Also reachable via a short walk west from Littlehampton train station across the river bridge to reach the east end, where there is a nature reserve and naturists. (50.7978, -0.5721)
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- Stuart Walden / Alamy Stock Photo
9. Shoreham beach, West Sussex
On warm weekends, Brighton beach bursts at the seams while Shoreham, just down the road, rarely gets busy. And it’s much easier to park here. This pebble and shingle stretch is perfect for picnics and beach walks – wander east along the boardwalk to historic Shoreham Fort, or follow the coast path west to Lancing. Popular with kitesurfers, it’s also a designated local nature reserve.
Driving times from London: 90 minutes
Find it: From the A23, take the A27 towards Worthing, then the A283 towards Shoreham. Continue straight to the Ropetackle Arts Centre (BN43 5EG) and follow the A259 for Shoreham Beach. Turn left at the roundabout by the petrol station on to The Saltings. Park at Widewater Lagoon carpark (BN15 8LH) for the footpath to Lancing, or on Beach Road/Old Fort Road for the fort (BN43 5HY). - Daniel Start
10. Fairlight Glen, Covehurst, Hastings, East Sussex
Scramble down a steep woodland path past ancient trees to a secret rock-and-sand cove in the cliffs between Hastings and Winchelsea. The stream cascades down the verdant glade and the greensand boulders have fascinating patterns. Time your visit to coincide with low tide, when there is the most sand. The path is sometimes blocked by landslips, so take care. It is wild and secret here and clothing is optional – don’t be surprised if you find naturists.
Driving times from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Follow the A259, two miles east out of Hastings and turn right at church up Fairlight Rd. After a mile park at the Fairlight Road picnic site on left. Cross road, down track 800m and just before Place Farm (TN35 5DT) by green, bear right then left to find Fairlight Glen footpath sign leading down through woods with stream. Also explore Fairlight Cove to east and beaches towards Hastings to the west. (50.8652, 0.6317) - Gerard O'Connor / Alamy Stock Photo
11. Church Norton, Selsey
This is one of the wildest beaches on the south coast, yet it’s only a short hop from Bognor Regis. The shingle strand stretches for well over a mile with spits stretching into the blue sea. Behind are the mud flats of Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve, a refuge for thousands of migrating and wading birds. The walk to the beach passes St Wilfred’s Chapel and the remains of a Norman castle mound and moat.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Turn off the B2145 for Church Norton on the bend shortly before entering Selsey. Park by the church (PO20 9DT) and follow path to the right, walking alongside the natural harbour/mud flats to the shingle beach.
Walk in: 15 minutes. (50.7483, -0.7621). - Daniel Start
12. Cuckmere Haven, Seaford
This is another wild beach on the south coast, with superb views of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs. At low tide, the adventurous can explore the foreshore eastwards all the way to the Birling Gap, or head west for sea caves. This area was a favourite haunt of the Bloomsbury Set, with Charlestone House museum not far away. Be careful of currents by the river mouth and being cut off by tides if you explore the undercliff area.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Park at Exceat, 2 miles east of Seaford (A259). Follow the valley down past the old river meanders, 30 minutes. Also by train via Seaford station. (50.7591, 0.1486)
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- D Hale-Sutton / Alamy Stock Photo
Bengeo, River Beane, Hertford
13. Bengeo, River Beane, Hertford
Three young rivers – the Beane, Rib and Lea – meet on ancient Hartham Common just north of London. And although it's not quite the seaside, there are beachy coves and grassy banks for picnics as the streams meanders under a footbridge through parkland and meadow. Find shallow and deep sections or explore upstream to the weir and waterfall. After lunch, head downstream to King’s Mead meadow nature reserve.
Driving time from London: 45 minutes
Find it: Head for St Leonard’s Church (SG14 3JW, all the way down New Rd from Bengeo main street past Holy Trinity church) pass through gate onto Hartham Common then to footbridge. Or arrive via Hertford East station: head up Mill Rd, then cross the canal on the second bridge after 500m, then cross the common to the next footbridge. (51.8059, -0.0683) - Getty Images
14. Botany Bay, Broadstairs
Botany Bay, between popular Margate and Broadstairs, is a splendid, undeveloped sandy bay with white cliffs and sea caves. Botany Bay Hotel offers pub lunches on the clifftop. At low tide, the intrepid can paddle round to the secret bay to the right. Cliff chambers are obvious in the cliffs here, where smugglers once hid their booty; you can still climb up into them. There are also beaches at Kingsgate Bay or Joss Bay.
Driving time from London: 80 minutes
Find it: From Broadstairs follow B2052 north past Joss Bay (a great spot for surfing) and Kingsgate Bay, then turn right after a mile down Botany Road. (51.3893, 1.4352)15. Shellness, Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey
Not for the prudish, a sign at Shellness beach reads 'Clothing need not be worn for bathing, sun bathing, and general recreation'. There are beautiful shells, great swimming at high tide, and several cafés up at the Leysdown (non-naturist) end. The huge beach is on the Isle of Harty cycle route, a 16-mile cycle trail which snakes past many key sites in the history of aviation – this was where the Short brothers flew the first circular mile in 1909.
Driving time from London: 65 minutes
Find it: Park at Shellness Car Park, just east of Leysdown-on-Sea (ME12 4RJ). There's a beach here or walk 1km further along the shore, past beach houses towards Shellness hamlet (51.3670, 0.9444). - Ian Goodrick / Alamy Stock Photo
16. St Margaret’s at Cliffe, Dover
This little shingle bay is right under the famous white cliffs of Dover. It has its own pub, the Coastguard, with tables overlooking the sea. The remains of Napoleonic wall defences and World War II gun turrets can be found at the southern end of the beach – in fact, the cliffs hide a network of secret tunnels, which can be explored using head torches. Above are the Pines Garden, with cascades, lakes and a café.
Driving time from London: 80 minutes
Find it: From the A258, head straight through St Margaret’s down Bay Hill to the beach and the Coastguard pub (CT15 6DY, 01304 853176).
Walk in: two minutes. (51.1499, 1.3847) - ISP Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
17. Lydden Spout, Dover
This remote beach hides beneath the cliffs between Folkestone and Dover. There are rock and shingle with tidal pools and sand at low tide. Springs emanate from fissures in the cliffs above and still provide water for a few beach-dwellers who live in ramshackle shelters in the cliffs. The construction of the Channel Tunnel brought radical change to this area with the tailings removed from the dig dumped on the shore to create the new country park, Samphire Hoe. Beyond, however, the beach still retains its wild, frontier territory and you can walk on further to the naturist strand at Abbot's Cliff.
Driving time from London: 70 minutes
Find it: Leave Dover west on A20. After 1 mile, Samphire Hoe is signed to the left after the last roundabout. Continue down through the tunnel to the car park. Walk 15 minutes to the west end to find the beach extending 800m to Abbot's Cliff. Also accessible from the west: park on Helena Road (Capel-le-Ferne) for the Clifftop Café. Follow the path down through cliffs and over the railway footbridge. Turn left and walk 200m to the stairs down to the seawall, then left for 15 mins to beach. (51.1022, 1.2594)
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- Ashok Saxena / Alamy Stock Photo
18. Mersea Stone, East Mersea
Mersea Island, at the confluence of the Colne and Blackwater estuaries, is where some of the world's finest oysters have been harvested since Roman times. On the quieter east side of the island the beach is littered with shiny oyster shells, great fun for the collector. Don't miss a meal at the Company Shed on the west of the island too. This is the best place to buy shell food but you will need to bring your own wine and bread.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Immediately after crossing onto the island (B1025) turn left to East Mersea. Continue 3 miles to the road end and find limited parking (near Ivy House). Walk to the sea wall, then turn right and left to cross to beach. Follow the beach around left to find the steep oyster-shell beach -(strong currents at mid-tide). Also reached by a tiny ferry from Brightlingsea. (51.7998, 1.0066) - Alamy
19. Osea Island, Essex
If you’re craving sheer seclusion, treat yourself to a weekend on Osea Island. Lapped by the Blackwater Estuary, this private island has four and a half miles of secluded coastline. It is incredibly peaceful and you’ll often have the shingle beaches all to yourself. There’s a choice of 19 properties to stay in, starting at £245 per night (two-night minimum). By Lucy Grewcock
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: From on the A414, take the B1026 through Heybridge and follow east to Osea Leisure Park (CM9 4SA). Access to the island is via an ancient Roman causeway, which opens every four hours when the tide peels back. Call +44 20 7384 6403 or visit oseaisland.co.uk) for timings and bookings. - PAUL FARMER
20. Fingringhoe Wick, Colne
This pretty sand beach is hidden behind the lakes and grassland of Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve, famous for its nightingales. It overlooks the secretive Colne Estuary with expansive views – there is a small stretch of sand with swimming at high tide and the remains of a jetty. At low tide the wreck of an old wooden barge appears – named Fly, she was built in Devon in 1899 and was the only one of three sister ships to survive its maiden voyage.
Driving time from London: 80 minutes
Find it: The beach is signed Fringringhoe Wick, off the B1025 south of Colchester. Take the South Green Road out of Fingringhoe to CO5 7DN. Swimming is at high tide only – there are strong currents at mid tides.
Walk in: five minutes (51.8343, 0.9767) - Nadia Isakova / Alamy Stock Photo
21. The Naze, Walton-on-the-Naze
Around the corner from the beach huts of Walton-on-the-Naze and Frinton-on-Sea is a wonderfully remote beach set below cliffs in which you can still find million-year-old shark teeth. Above, on the clifftop lawns, sits an eight-storey folly tower where you can take tea whilst enjoying the 30-mile views. Exploring further north, the beach reaches the secret islands and inlets of Hamford Water, an intertidal world immortalised by Arthur Ransome in Swallows and Amazons, and perfect for kayaking or wild camping.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: From the pier in Walton follow the seashore road north signed 'The Naze'. It's one mile to the car park (before CO14 8LG) and the Tower then bear north on foot. This beach gets wilder and wilder. (51.8646, 1.2881)
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- Ian Merton / Alamy Stock Photo
22. Tollesbury tidal pool (or Woodup Pool) and Shinglehead Point
Tollesbury is the quintessential Essex coastal village, with black-and-white boathouses, old-fashioned sailing boats and secret creeks beyond. Kind villagers built a tidal plunge pool with a beach that is refilled from the sea twice daily. Walk on two miles along Woodrolfe Creek and find Shinglehead Point, a vast wild beach where you won't meet a soul.
Driving time from London: 65 minutes
Find it: The pool is 10 miles east of Maldon on B1026 then B1023. Turn left signed Marina, Woodrolfe Road. You can do a loop from here, returning along the southern shore path. (51.759, 0.8495) - Alamy
23. St Peter on the Wall, Bradwell
The sky melts to sea, the sea to saltings, and the saltings into shingly shores. Here on the Bradwell Peninsula, the solitary church of St Peter on the Wall – one of England's most remote and ancient churches, founded by St Cedd in 654 – gazes out towards lonely marshes. Wander 10 minutes north along the sea wall to find a cocklespit beach formed of mud, sand and shells, depending on the tide. Terns, oystercatchers and short-eared owls feed here. Walk on a mile further to Bradwell beach on the edge of the Blackwater estuary.
Driving time from London: 65 minutes
Find it: Follow East End Road from the church in Bradwell-on-Sea. At the road end follow track to coast and church. (51.7353, 0.9399) - Daniel Start
24. Pangbourne Meadows, River Thames
This is the heart of The Wind in the Willows land and the inspiration for Ratty and Mole's adventures messing about on the river. At Pangbourne, the River Thames curls through a pastoral landscape as the Chiltern Hills fold away in the distance. Even better, there are direct trains from London. Little grassy coves and beaches border the meadows and the water runs fresh and clear. Explore the river path all the way down to Mapldurham, or head upstream to discover a secret wooded section near Goring.
Driving time from London: 50 minutes
Find it: The main meadows are downstream of Whitchurch bridge and the towpath continues on for miles. To explore upstream cross the bridge and climb hill for ½ mile to find bridleway on left (at 40mph sign). This leads for 1½ mile to Hartslock Wood descending to the riverbank with rope swings. Or access opposite bank from Lower Basildon church. (51.4875, -1.0797) - Edward Westmacott / Alamy Stock Photo
25. Frensham Great Pond, near Farnham
Despite its proximity to London, Surrey is one of England's most wooded counties and offers a wealth of rivers and lakes that are ideal for wild swimming. Golden-beached meres and ponds rise up mysteriously from the heathland and shimmer beneath open skies. One of the best and most accessible is Frensham, a huge lake with generous sandy beaches. Families play in the small buoyed area and there is parking, a café and a small museum.
Driving time from London: 60 minutes
Find it: Approx 3½ miles south of Farnham centre on A287, signed Frensham Pond Hotel on R, then first left left after ½ mile into carpark. (51.1575, -0.7919)
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- Getty Images
26. Whitstable Beach, Kent
One of our top picks for a day trip from London, watch the last rays of sun disappear into the sea from this glorious, west-facing shingle beach. There is a traditional feel here despite the area’s recent gentrification, with old weatherboard cottages, beach huts, wooden groynes and old fishing boats pulled up on the sand. Go for a bag of chips, or, if there’s an ‘R’ in the month, sample some of Whitstable’s famous oysters. For something a little stronger, head into The Old Neptune pub (known locally as the Neppy), which sits right on the beach and retains a wonderful sense of the seafaring past. Stroll further down the shore, past the Neptune, for the more remote West Beach, framed by wild flowers and empty skies. Stay overnight at Tides Cottage, a beachfront Airbnb.
Driving time from London: 65 minutes
Find it: Park at Gorrell Tank Car Park, Westgate Terrace (CT5 1BZ), and then walk along Harbour Street until you reach the sea. If you arrive by train, it’s only a 10-minute walk from Whitstable rail station. (51.3603, 1.0222) - Creative Commons / Bex Walton
27. Port Meadow, Oxford
The Thames winds through this ancient land, offering innumerable little beaches and secret coves. Choose your entry point from the tree-lined side on the west of the river and the open meadow on the east. Cows and horses roam wild – keep an eye on your picnic, and make sure you take any rubbish or leftovers with you when you leave – creating a bucolic scene, with Oxford’s dreamy spires shimmering in the distance. The meadow is said never to have been ploughed (at least not for the past 4,000 years) and is full of archaeological interest, with several Bronze Age barrows and an Iron Age settlement.
Driving time from London: 70 minutes
Find it: Entry to the meadow is either from Wolvercote to the north (Godstow car park, OX2 8PU) or Jericho to the south (Walton Well Road car park, OX2 6ED). If you come by train, it’s only a 15-minute walk up the river from Oxford rail station. (51.7638, -1.2801) - Getty Images
28. Birling Gap, East Sussex
Great for a lazy afternoon of rock pooling and fossil hunting, this wild rocky beach at the foot of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs is accessed via steep steps beneath a faded hotel. A narrow strip of sand opens up among the rock pools at low tide, and there is a National Trust café perched high on the cliff. From here, you can also head east to explore Beachy Head, Britain’s tallest sea-cliff, or west to visit Cuckmere Haven at the mouth of the Cuckmere River. Stay along the coast in Eastbourne at The Port Hotel.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Signed from Friston (A259). Park at the NT café (BN20 0AB). (50.7426, 0.2009) - Getty Images
29. Isle of Grain Beach, Kent
Said to be one of the closest proper beaches to London, this shore on the Hoo Peninsula also manages to feel like it’s at the end of the world. A great choice to escape the crowds, it sits between the Thames and the River Medway, as the Thames starts to open out into the estuary. There is a choice of sand or shingle, with leafy woodland and wild flowers behind you, and Essex visible across the mouth of the Thames in clear weather. At low tide you might try rock pooling or foraging for samphire. Head further along the coast for the better-known All Hallows Beach.
Driving time from London: 60 minutes
Find it: Head all the way to the end of the B2001 on the Isle of Grain, past St James Church, to reach the Grain Coastal Park car park (ME3 0BS). (51.4607, 0.7193)
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- Getty Images
30. Walpole Bay, Margate
Sea swimming doesn’t get any nicer than a dip in a tidal pool: it’s all the bliss of salt and seaweed but with no waves nor navigating tide times. Margate is lucky enough to have two pools, but the one at Walpole Bay is the local favourite: enormous, deep and secluded, with amazing sunsets. If you’re lucky, the mobile sauna from nearby Haeckels will be parked so you can warm up after a chilly dip.
Driving time from London: 90 minutes
Find it: Park at Thanet Indoor Bowls Club (CT9 3AB) and take the staircase down the cliff.