The top beaches of England's south coast

Seatown, Dorset

The little shingle beach at Seatown has so much going for it – a fantastic old pub, a car park in a field opposite, and a campsite, Golden Cap Holiday Park just a few yards away. Seatown is a hamlet on the coastal side of the village of Chideock. Both have pretty thatched cottages and a small selection of eating places. The beach is the star though – children have great fun looking among the pebbles for fossils, and in the evenings you’ll often find families huddled around camp fires. There are views along the coast to Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of Britain. 


Lulworth, Dorset

This horseshoe-shaped bay is a sheltered basin with great views and a pretty village attached to it. Lulworth has facilities, including a Heritage Centre with information about the area’s internationally important geology, and a choice of pubs and cafés. When you sit on Lulworth beach it feels as if the cliffs are around you on every side. Boats moor in the bay on crystal clear, ice-cold water. It’s intensely beautiful here, and you’re a short walk along the coast path from the iconic arch of Durdle Door, as well as there being a fossil forest accessible from the east end of the beach.


Studland, Dorset

This huge beach is backed by a nature reserve and offers four miles of sand looking east towards Poole and Sandbanks – one of the most expensive places you can live in Britain. The beach is astonishing and, towards its northern end it’s also one of the most popular naturist beaches in the UK. Still, there’s room for everyone and Studland is also extremely family friendly because there is so much space to accommodate the summer crowds. Studland is owned by the National Trust which has car parks with toilets at Shell Bay, Middle Beach and Knoll Beach, which also has a visitor centre. There are nature trails on the heathland, and good cycle routes.


Barton on Sea, Hampshire

This coastal Hampshire village is one of the best places we can think of for views. High cliffs overlook the beach and separate its shingle from the village itself. You can see across to The Needles on the Isle of Wight and to Hurst Castle to the west. The coastal path stretches all the way to Emsworth on the West Sussex coast and the cliff top itself runs between two beautiful river valleys, or chines, Chewton Bunny to the west and Becton Bunny to the east. This is a safe place for swimming, and is a great fossiling beach. There are three car parks on the tops of the cliffs on Marine Drive BH25 7EL.


Lepe Beach, Hampshire

This is the coastal side of the New Forest National Park. Lepe is a country park offering stunning views across the Solent (Lepe is about as close as you can get to the Isle of Wight without crossing on the ferry) and a mile of beach with cliffs covered in pines. It’s a popular place for windsurfing, swimming and angling. Lepe is a great cycling destination, with a leisurely off-road cycle trail around Lepe and nearby Blackfield. This was an important departure point for the D-Day landings in 1944, and the construction of the Mulberry Harbour, and you can still see some of the evidence today. There's a lovely café with great cakes and a large beach car park with toilets. 


Sandown Bay, Isle of Wight

A brilliant sandy beach for families, with a gentle slope to the sand, and shallow water ideal for children. There are cafés nearby, and loos, and there’s plenty to do in the area, including a zoo and a pitch and putt. The bay has a giant beach which stretches from the resort of Shanklin to the south to Culver Cliff in the north. Sandown resort itself is bustling and facility-packed, as is Shanklin, which has a wealth of cafés on its seafront and a lift to cliff tops for views over to the white Culver Cliffs.




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