Be prepared for the next heatwave and plan a trip to one of these fabulous beaches that are within easy reach of Surrey... (Don't forget your bucket and spade).
1. Mudeford Sandbank
- Dogs welcome
This unique sandy beach on a spit of land can only be reached on foot or by bike. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from Mudeford Quay or hop on the land train from Hengistbury Head, the adjoining nature conservation area. There is parking at both Hengistbury Head and Mudeford Quay.
The Sandbank is lined with beach huts, some of which are residential and can be slept in from March to October. The Beach House café was damaged by fire in October 2018 so at the moment drinks and snacks are served from a beachside kiosk but hopefully, the restaurant will be up and running again soon.
The Sandbank forms a natural barrier between Christchurch harbour and the open sea and there are clear views across to the Isle of Wight. Have a swim or check out the activities such as water-skiing, wind-surfing and sea canoeing. Sometimes seals, porpoises or dolphins can be spotted in the water.
2. Bembridge Lane End
- Dogs welcome
- Parking
Take a ferry to the Isle of Wight from Lymington, Southampton or Portsmouth and pay a visit to Lane End beach in Bembridge. Along with your bucket and spade, a net is a must: at low tide, the pebbles and stones are replaced with sand underfoot and rock pools are revealed which are great for shrimping and foraging. Lane End is also home to RNLI Bembridge Lifeboat Station which sits at the end of a pier and is well worth a visit.
Behind the sea wall, there is a café and a shop. If you walk along the coast in the direction of Bembridge Harbour there are large rocks and the remains of wooden groynes eroded by the sea, which make interesting photo opportunities. The Bembridge Fort Walk – or as some may argue the St Helen’s Fort Walk – is an unofficial summer tradition and usually talks place in August. Each year crowds of people walk and wade at low tide to St Helen’s Fort and back again along the exposed causeway.
4. West Wittering
- Dogs are excluded from the main swimming area from May to September.
- Parking
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, West Wittering is a large sandy beach which holds a Blue Flag Award for cleanliness and safety. It is patrolled by lifeguards in the summer and is perfect for a traditional bucket and spade day out but, be warned, the beach gets busy so arrive early to ensure your space. With views of Chichester Harbour and the South Downs, the beach is stunning and has been used for film, television and advertising shoots, including Miranda and Waking the Dead. The Beach Café is currently being rebuilt but remains open and there are extensive areas of mown grass close to the beach where you can park and picnic. The sea is popular with wind and kite surfers (there is a windsurfing and kitesurfing club with beach webcam, rescue service, hire centre and board storage plus tuition for adults and children).
5. West Beach and East Beach
- Dog restrictions May-September
- Parking
The seaside town of Littlehampton has not one beach but two and they are quite different. East Beach has amusements, beach huts, a promenade and what is thought to be the longest seaside bench in Britain. This 1,000 foot-long sculptural structure twists and winds its way between two striking metal shelters.
Nearby are the Seafront Greens which make a great picnic and play area and also have free to use barbeques.
On the seafront, you can’t miss the East Beach Café, a Thomas Heatherwick designed structure built of rusted metal to resemble washed up driftwood. West Beach, on the other hand, is more secluded and a site of Special Scientific Interest with incredible sand dunes that are home to rare and protected wildlife. If you look hard enough you may find some fossils. Behind the dunes sits a nineteenth-century artillery fort which was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2013 and is the subject of the Littlehampton Restoration Project.
6. West Beach
- Dogs welcome
- Parking
If you like your beach to come with hipster boutiques and eateries, then you will love West Beach in Whitstable, the gentrified harbour and fishing town. Situated just behind the town centre with its shops and restaurants, this is a shingle beach with jaunty beach huts and ramshackle wooden groynes. Here you can swim, windsurf, sail, enjoy a pint or G&T at the seafront pub and live music venue Old Neptune or ‘Neppy’ as it is known to locals and savour oysters – a local delicacy – from one of the seaside shacks. West Beach is a particular favourite for dog walkers and, as the beach faces west, it’s a top place to catch the sunset.
7. Dungeness
- Dogs welcome
- Parking
This shingle beach on the edge of Romney Marsh is like Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. Derek Jarman, the late filmmaker, loved Dungeness so much that he made his home there, in a black clapboard fisherman’s dwelling named Prospect Cottage. Around his cottage, he constructed his famous driftwood garden. The cottage is now in private ownership but you can still see it from a polite distance.
The landscape is flat and empty, punctuated by two lighthouses and the Dungeness B power station which is still operational. One of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe, Dungeness is classified as Britain’s only desert and, as such, the area is important for nature and wildlife conservation and home to an RSPB reserve.
8. Frensham Great Pond
From the Air Drones
- Dogs are not allowed at any time
- Parking
**It is currently advised not to visit Frensham Ponds due to problems associated with traffic, dangerous parking and littering. It is a site of special scientific interest and the council are currently looking into making it safe for all.
One of two ponds that were built in the Middle Ages to provide fish for the Bishop of Winchester’s estate, Frensham Great Pond has its own sandy beach. Surrounded by heathland, Frensham is home to many rare birds such as reed bunting, sedge warbler and great crested grebe and, in summer, you will see damselflies and dragonflies darting across the water.
You can swim in the pond and there is a sailing club at Frensham – check out their open day on May 11. You can also try out a number of walking trails in the area. There is a snack bar and toilets at Frensham Great Pond and nearby Frensham Little Pond is served by the National Trust’s Tern Café.
9. Fulham Beach
Alex Merz
Finally, if you prefer an urban atmosphere, pop-up Fulham Beach is back on South West London’s riverside. New for 2019 is an indoor jungle. Entrance is just £5 and there are additional ticketed events.
For film buffs, Beach Club Cinema nights will host a series of screenings every Tuesday, showing the cult classics and guilty pleasures. On Saturdays, it’s all about sun, sand and sipping cocktails or bottomless rosé.
Come Sunday tuck into a Bottomless Beach Brunch complete with strawberry cider, frozen daiquiris and bubbles alongside tempting street food. This year the beach welcomes Dough-Me serving wood-fired pizzas topped with a range of fresh produce, and lashings of cheese.
