Monthly Archives: June 2014

Salcombe South Sands

Season: summer The more southerly of the pair of beaches just outside the town, Salcombe South Sands is just further from the town than its partner.  Both beaches are close to the mouth of the Salcombe – Kingsbridge estuary.  Excellent facilities are nearby and this is a sheltered bay for families. Salcombe is in an affluent […]

Salcombe North Sands

Season: summer Salcombe North Sands is nearer to the town than its partner.  Both beaches are close to the mouth of the river estuary.  Excellent facilities are nearby and there’s a handy picnic area just behind the beach.  This is an affluent area, popular with visitors from near and far.  The beach is flat and safe […]

Bantham Sand

Season: summer Bantham Sand is separated from the beach at Bigbury-on-Sea by the River Avon estuary to the west.  The village of Bantham is nearby, with facilities for visitors.  Access to the beach is straightforward, with a large car park nearby. There are rock pools at the southern end of the beach and a dune system […]

Mothecombe beach

Season: summer Located to the south of up-market Modbury, Mothecombe is part of the Flete Estate and the Erme Estuary Nature Reserve.  There are two parts to the beach, Meadowsfoot being a privately owned beach that has public access every day and nearby Coastguard’s Beach, which has free public access.  The beach is regularly cleaned during […]

Wembury beach

Season: summer This fine beach, located just five miles east of Plymouth, is at the edge of the South Hams.  It’s a National Trust beach and sits by the South West Coast Path.  The scene is varied and features the Mew Stone, a wedge-shaped island just off shore.  There’s also an old mill, which has been […]

Woolacombe beach

Season: summer Woolacombe is one of North Devon’s most beautiful beaches, popular with families and surfers alike.  The beach runs south from the town for about two miles.  Cafes and shops are to hand and access is straightforward, either down one of the two paths or over the dunes to the beach. This is a fine […]

Saunton Sands

Season: summer Saunton Sands is a west facing surfing beach, located just below Croyde and almost three miles in length.  It’s in a stunning location, with the Braunton Burrows reserve immediately behind the beach.  There are toilets and parking to hand, excellent coastal walks and attractive villages nearby.  Care is needed when swimming, due to rip […]

Achnahaird beach

Season: summer Achnahaird beach sits in an isolated spot on its own promontory below the main Assynt peninsula in Sutherland.  On approach, there is the feel of a North Cornwall beach, with two long headlands that shelter the long, deep expanse of sand.  On this occasion, the tide was out, emphasising this geographical feature.  Closer to […]

Gairloch beach

Season: summer There is more than one beach on the edge of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross.  You have a choice of the expansive Big Sand beach, facing south, the beach at Gairloch itself, just in front of the west-facing golf course and more beaches at Red Point, further round to the south.  The sea […]

Horseshoe Bay

Season: summer This beach is officially called Traigh nam Faoilean, but is known locally as Horseshoe Bay.  It’s north-facing and as such provides excellent shelter for safe swimming and water sports, particularly windsurfing.  Access is via the Visitor Centre car park at the RSPB Balranald Nature Reserve, fifty yards from the beach.  This is a […]

Snettisham beach

Season: autumn The tide was high under bright blue skies in the afternoon.  The sun was low over a beach in the west, a rare Norfolk sight.  This is an environmentally significant place, popular with migratory birds, being a major east coast RSPB Reserve.  On this occasion cockles and razor clam shells were strewn about […]