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.

Sandbanks beach

Season: spring

As I walked along to Poole from Bournemouth, I was told that the beaches get better and better, culminating in Sandbanks and the ferry across to the Isle of Purbeck. The scattering of dunes at its end certainly give Sandbanks a less urban feel, yet the back of the beach is also decorated with some of the most expensive property in the country, as well as lavish beach bars, restaurants and hotels. This is a highly desirable residential location. Today, it was looking at its best, with silver seas under a clear blue sky, the sun bright and warm.

Ruth’s and Christina’s enthusiasm for the beach.

A view from the water’s edge.

Season: autumn

For bathing water quality, Sandbanks beach is one of the best beaches on the south coast of England, having earned a Blue Flag consistently for over twenty years. The beach is part of a small peninsula, containing some of the most expensive houses and land in the country, making Sandbanks as famous for its well known residents and their lavish lifestyles as it is for its beach. For those seeking the ultimate in beach lifestyle, the most exclusive houses have direct access to the beach, as well as stunning sea views. For visitors, the area is well served by restaurants and cafes. There’s access to the Isle of Purbeck via the Sandbanks chain ferry, which shuttles between Sandbanks and Studland Bay, crossing at the mouth of Poole harbour.

The beach as an important part of Sue’s routine.

The appropriately named Sandbanks beach in Poole.

Little Haven beach

Season: autumn

Little Haven and Great Haven beaches are conjoined at low tide, but they have a different ambiance. Little Haven is the strand for the well-to-do village which sits at the upper reaches of its small shingle beach. Holiday cottages and dive boats proliferate, making this an ideal location for water sports and adrenaline fuelled activities. The slipway enables the easy launching of dinghies and other craft. A small adjacent beach, accessed via a steep path, is known as “The Sheep Wash” and is a popular location for sea swimming. Other highlights are the rock pools and the wonders they contain.

A way to the sea as part of Hilary’s routine.

Early morning at Little Haven on a high tide.

Halzephron Cove

Season: spring

An uncharacteristically languid scene greeted me for this spring visit. Sea pink, wild garlic and bluebells adorned the banks behind the cliffs. There’s a fine 180 degree vista here, stretching north from the cove to Porthleven via Loe Bar. There’s also a popular section of the South West Coast Path to enjoy, this spot marking tired walkers’ first view of Porthleven and a bed for the night on their treks up from Lizard Point and Mullion Cove.

A release from the claustrophobia of everyday life for Ray.

Season: autumn

Named after the Cornish “Als Yfferin” or “Hell’s Cliffs”, Halzephron Cove is a storm-lashed enclave on the west side of the Lizard, torn from the high cliffs by the Atlantic Ocean. Although it was a calm morning on this occasion, gazing down into it provoked a chilling sensation. If you like your nature raw, this is the place for you. Others might prefer to just glimpse the cove through the cloak of the tamarisk and pittosporum above as they pass on their way along the South West Coast Path. I went round Halzephron Cliff to the relatively benign atmosphere at Dollar Cove for my interviews, although, as the name suggests, there’s a shipwreck tradition here too.

My chat with Julie at Dollar Cove next to Halzephron Cove.

What pulls John to the beach in the morning.

Gazing into the dark foreboding chasm of Halzephron Cove.