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This is officially the best beach in the UK

Anya Meyerowitz
·3-min read
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Red Online

Though frolicking at the beach seems a little while off, the increasing temperatures (albeit only slightly in the UK) and arrival of Easter eggs in local supermarkets, are testament that we are edging ever closer to spring — and with it, the promise of longer days, more sunshine and, hopefully, our emergence from lockdown. So you wouldn't be alone if your mind has already started to drift off to daydreams of picnics on the sand, dipping your toes in the sea and big scoops of ice cream.

And though the white sands of the Caribbean and the azure waters of European islands might have to wait, when we are finally allowed to head off on a UK staycation again, we know just the beach to visit.

A new survey has named Bournemouth’s beach as the best in the UK, beating off Cornish competitors like St Ives, Bude and Newquay, which also featured in the top 10.

The research, carried out by WWF-UK in partnership with Sky Ocean Rescue, found the 10 miles of sandy beaches here to be the most popular amongst the 2,000 participants involved in the survey, and it's not hard to see why.

Backed by sandy clay cliffs, this stretch of coastline offers visitors an unbroken chain of great beaches from Sandbanks to Christchurch harbour, making it the longest beach in the UK.

There is ample opportunity for paddling, as well as space to spread out with the entire family on a patch of your own and enjoy the foodie delights of the seaside. Bracing walks are also on offer here, with cliff-top vistas stretching out for miles, and a myriad of little villages to explore en-route.

Blackpool, Whitby, Brighton, Tenby, Bognor Regis and North Yorkshire’s Filey beach completed the top 10 list.

The study also found that half of those polled said the beach allows them to escape the stresses and strains of everyday life, while 67% said they have a 'strong emotional connection' to the seaside.

You can find the full list of the UK's top beaches below:

The top 50 beaches in the UK for 2021

  1. Bournemouth, Dorset

  2. St Ives, Cornwall

  3. Bude, Cornwall

  4. Blackpool Beach

  5. Whitby, Yorkshire

  6. Brighton, Sussex

  7. Newquay, Cornwall

  8. Tenby, Pembrokeshire

  9. Bognor Regis, West Sussex

  10. Filey, North Yorkshire

  11. Woolacombe, Devon

  12. Weymouth, Dorset

  13. Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

  14. Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear

  15. Scarborough, North Yorkshire

  16. Barmouth, Gwynedd

  17. Llandudno, Conwy County Borough

  18. Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire

  19. Shanklin, the Isle of Wight

  20. Exmouth, Devon

  21. Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

  22. Broadstairs, Kent

  23. Dawlish, Devon

  24. Polzeath, Cornwall

  25. Watergate Bay, Cornwall

  26. Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire

  27. Crosby, Merseyside

  28. Sandbanks beach, Dorset

  29. Torquay, Devon

  30. Eastbourne, East Sussex

  31. Skegness, Lincolnshire

  32. Camber Sands, East Sussex

  33. Ilfracombe, Devon

  34. Paignton, Devon

  35. Southwold, Suffolk

  36. Southend on Sea, Essex

  37. Whitstable, Kent

  38. Lochinver, Scotland

  39. Margate, Kent

  40. Salcombe, Devon

  41. Pittenweem, Fife

  42. Porthmadog, Gwynedd

  43. Portree (Skye), Inner Hebrides

  44. Portmeirion, Gwynedd

  45. Hastings, East Sussex

  46. New Brighton, Merseyside

  47. Folkestone, Kent

  48. Plockton, Ross and Cromarty

  49. Gardenstown, Aberdeenshire

  50. Stromness, Orkney

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