Monthly Archives: August 2014

Barafundle Bay

Season: autumn In many ways Barafundle Bay is the quintessential Pembrokeshire beach, often voted among the best beaches in the country.  The price for this fame is a large influx of visitors in the summer, so other times of the year provide a clearer picture of how this beach was in times gone by.  There […]

Bigbury-on-Sea

Season: summer Framed by Bigbury Bay, sitting between the headlands of Stoke Point and Bolt Tail, Bigbury-on-Sea is one of the most well-known Devon beaches.  With Burgh Island just offshore and accessible at all tide times, either via a causeway or by the sea tractor, this has been the location for numerous films and television episodes. […]

Applecross beach

Season: summer Fine weather prevailed at Applecross for this summer visit.  The views across to the Isle of Raasay were clear and evocative.  The setting here is ancient, with volcanic granite towering above the expansive strand.  There’s a headland with a small building at the end, weathered into the land and at ease in this wonderful […]

Hastings

Season: spring It was a misty morning by the shore at Hastings, as one of the inshore fleet, the Senlac Jack, returned to port with cuttlefish and some Dover sole.  I was able to film the hauling up of the eighteen ton boat across the shingle.  As well as being a popular visitor attraction, this […]

Whitesands Bay

Season: autumn The mile long, south facing beach at Whitesands Bay is a magnet for day trippers, surfers and water sports enthusiasts.  There are views across to South Bishop lighthouse and Ramsey Island.  Despite its popularity, there is plenty of room for everyone.  The beach is the proud holder of a European Blue Flag and […]

Crantock beach

Season: autumn To crouch in the lea of a rocky outcrop down by the water on East Pentire, as the wind howls above, is quite an experience.  Only inches from the pounding Atlantic breakers, the sun explodes out of the clouds to the left in golden shafts, lighting white horses on the storm-tossed waves.  The sound […]

Belhaven Bay

Season: summer The extreme low tide on this expansive, flat beach gave a sense of the ancient to the stony bedrock and seaweed left by the sea, alluded to by interviewee Melissa.  Woodland covers the side of the beach, providing a great vantage point to enjoy the rush of the tide as it returns.  On […]

Loe Bar beach

Season: spring It was a fine, bright spring morning for this visit.  The area has exceptional scenery, including the nature reserve at Loe Pool, located on the landward side of the bar.  It also has a tranquil and peaceful ambiance, which belies the extreme danger of bathing here.  There is a steep shingle slope just […]

Porthmelgan beach

Season: autumn Located just under St David’s Head, this beach is a quiet, secluded alternative to the expansive Whitesands Bay.  Looking out to Ramsey Island, it’s sandy at low tide and fringed by high cliffs.  It also features a small stream that runs across the beach.  Backed by the peak of Carn Llidi, this is […]

Fistral beach

Season: summer Dawn was breaking just behind the dunes.  The beach was in shadow, but the hotels on East Pentire were brightly lit.  A high tide pushed early morning walkers up to the higher reaches of the beach and the car park was empty.  Interviewee Simon looked down on his favourite beach from the comfort of […]

Northton beach

Season: spring Northton beach, also known as Traigh an Thaoibh Tuath,  is large and sits at the southern end of Scarista beach, but there are also four small south-facing beaches in the immediate area that appear like hidden jewels on the coastline.  The beaches are regularly visited by otters, seals and other marine life.  A notable resident was […]

Polzeath beach

Season: autumn Bright sunshine combined with a low tide to showcase a picture perfect beach at Polzeath.  There is a great view of the beach from the higher ground at New Polzeath, with a backdrop of Greenaway, the Doom Bar, the Camel Estuary and Stepper Point.  This iconic beach pulls visitors back every year, or […]

Swanage

Season: spring The sea was calm and the sky was blue for this spring season visit to Swanage.  Kayaks were out in the bay and visitors and tourists mingled on the beach.  There’s a fine arc to the beach here and all the facilities you might need are close at hand, including a beach bistro, […]

Newburgh beach

Season: summer What a difference a season makes.  The wild easterly winds of March were replaced for this summer visit by the sight of seals basking in the warm, bright sunshine under blue skies.  The texture of the soft beach sand here was being recorded by art student Nathan, whom I interviewed.  There’s a fine, […]

Towan beach, Roseland

Season: spring This is a natural beach, without development and watched over by the National Trust.  Crescent-shaped and south east-facing, it’s spectacular in the morning, with views round from the Nare Head to the north towards St Anthony Head in the south.  The flat surface of the beach catches seaweed and vegetation in its rock […]