Author Archives: manonabeach

About manonabeach

On a beach…welcome to manonabeach.com, where I’ll regularly add video of my beach visits, so you can enjoy a flavour of the beach, even when you’re not there.

Praa Sands

Season: winter

The weekend scene at Praa Sands was one of families and dog walkers enjoying the long beach, as the tide reached its lowest ebb. The odd surfer mingled with the marine wildlife and the sky was full of heavy clouds. There was an atmospheric feel to the day and a settling ambiance, ideal for introspection and a sense of perspective.

Family times at the beach.

Brenda’s enjoyment of this natural space.

A view of the beach at Praa Sands from above.

Season: autumn

This is a big beach with a big reputation, both for surfers and visitors alike. Looking out to the south west from the Lizard peninsula, it is spectacular by any standards. Benefiting from its proximity to the South West Coast Path to Prussia Cove and beyond, Praa Sands offers a great visitor experience. There are toilets, beach cafes and shops. It even has a short links golf course in the dunes behind the beach.

A chat with Roy at the Beachcomber Cafe by Praa Sands.

Testimonies to the beach from Eric and Anna at their motor-home, parked above Praa Sands.

Season: winter

Praa Sands was sharpening itself up for the visitor season and the February half term school holiday. Along with Kennack Sands, this is the preferred choice for surfers when north coast conditions are unfavourable, since it can also catch the long North Atlantic swell. Access to the beach is excellent, with parking, a beach cafe, restaurants and shops all easily accessible. At the end of the beach, you can enjoy the geology and rock pools.

An ebb tide at Praa Sands in Cornwall.

Branksome Chine beach

Season: spring

Branksome Chine and its beach sit between Bournemouth and Poole, comprising part of a seven mile long strand of beach that runs between Poole in the west and Hengistbury Head in the east. Branksome beach is backed by tall cliffs that display vivid gorse in season. This windy day had tempted out windsurfers to ride the waves at the weekend. Other beachgoers were enjoying a run or a walk along a promenade that is blessed with a choice of restaurants and ice cream parlours.

What the beach and this area mean to David.

The scene at Branksome Chine beach, looking out from the lifeguard station.

Season: spring

To vary the scene slightly, I stopped just short of Branksome Chine to investigate the adjacent Branksome Dene Chine, where I interviewed Dave after his morning sea swim here. The weather was glorious, with bright blue skies over a silver sea. After a long spell of low pressure covering the whole country, today’s weather provided a welcome tonic, itself evident in the smiles that accompanied the passing walkers, cyclists and joggers.

The rhythm of Dave’s life, in harmony with the beach and its elements.

A view of the beach and the cliffs, looking back from the end of a sea groyne.

Season: autumn

Branksome Chine sits between Poole and Bournemouth. It has a wide sandy beach with a gradual slope into the sea. It’s a Blue Flag beach and has an excellent restaurant by the beach, frequented by celebrities. There is a beach office and lifeguard cover from May through to September. This is a well-to-do area, but the beach and its views are still natural and sensational.

Another manonabeach® aesthete, this time social, explains the importance of this beach and its significance for beachgoers. See also Peter at Gyllyngvase in Cornwall for a sensory example.

Late autumn sunshine on the beautiful beach at Branksome Chine.

Hayle Towans beach

Season: winter

On a beautiful winter morning cormorants were hanging their wings out to dry on the beach. The sun lit up St Ives across the bay. Behind the beach Hayle harbour had been redeveloped and cleaned up, so this is now a bright and positive environment. The clear light showcased Godrevy lighthouse in the distance. The beach felt harmonious and settling.

With artist Tanya, who explains what the beach means to her.

Season: winter

On the western side of the Hayle estuary lies Porthkidney beach, with fine views from Godrevy Lighthouse right around to St Ives via the Gwithian, Hayle and Carbis Bay beaches. At low tide there are acres of golden sands and it’s a favourite destination for dog walkers. There are extensive dunes behind the beach, interspersed with gun emplacements from World War 2, when Hayle was an important munitions and fuel additives location.

The many uses of the beach for Heather and Martin.

The scene at low tide on Porthkidney beach in Hayle.

Season: autumn

This is an under-used beach with an accessible car park and wonderful, fine sand, as well as great views. There is both history here, with weapons storage during the war and innovation, through the offshore Wave Hub technology, which gives a glimpse of how sustainable, innovative employment and unspoilt nature can co-exist.

An interesting perspective on Hayle’s history.

What the beach and local people mean to a Hayle resident.

The connection cable to the Wavehub project, exposed by the sea’s action on the sand.

The outstanding isolation and natural beauty of Hayle Towans beach in the morning.

A first view of Hayle Towans beach from the car park in the dunes.

Season: summer

A tranquil morning on the beach in Hayle coincided with a fast rising tide. The sea and sky fused into one blur of colour, creating a soporific backdrop to a spectacular beach. As beachgoers flickered in and out of view along the misty water’s edge, the sky seemed to cosset all of us on the beach, holding us in suspended animation before the routine of daily life reclaimed us.

Caroline’s release via the beach on a trip down from Bristol.

A misty still morning on the beach below Hayle Towans.