Best Beach In Britain?

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As announced today on teletext... Bournemouth? (And Pier.)

You've got to be joking!

OK, I've never been on Bournemouth Beach, but it's not got a very good reputation.

List me some nice beaches in the UK that I might not have expected. Or nominate your own best beach.

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Eastbourne in at number nine, and I *know* that's a dump. What's with all the Yorkshire beaches, as well? Is it coz it's too cold to swim so no one pollutes the beaches?

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Britain has good beaches?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Apparently! Up there with Greece! (In terms of naughtiness, that is...)

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Who comes up with these awards, anyway?

I was so gratified last month to see a programme about the man behind the Loo Awards and find out what it was all about, that it was a real campaign with an actual awards ceremony and everything.

But who's in control of the Cleanest Beaches Award? The Cleanest Beaches Association? Or Bournemouth City Council?

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:34 (twenty-one years ago)

South Shields Beach! Hray!!!

(When it's warm, and the jellyfish are out to sea)

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"OK, I've never been on Bournemouth Beach, but it's not got a very good reputation."

What drivel.

7 miles of great sand. Mostly imported from Saudi Arabia, mind.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I give props to Bournemouth Beach!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Does that qualify if the sand is brought in from somewhere else? Honestly! if it's not good, pure wind-and-tide driven sand, it's just not good enough for me!

Are you telling me that if nature had its way, it would be naught but pebbles like Brighton Seafront? That's an affront to the award! Take it away! I want my beauty queens un-silicon-enhanced and my beaches au naturel!

(Besides, it's not the beach that scares me about Bournemouth, it's the pub fighting.)

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:46 (twenty-one years ago)

There are more fights outside Bournemouth nightclubs than there are fights outside nightclubs in the west end of London.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Traigh Scarasta on South Harris, though it's not one for sunbathing on.

http://www.calmac.co.uk/getimage.aspx.ID-12855.gif

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Wait, who was the person who actually made up the "more pubs than London" statistic about Bournemouth?

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Me.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 8 April 2004 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Scotland doesn't have any in the top ten but that's because you apparently need toilets and "facilities" in order to qualify. So Scotland actually has no beaches.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:06 (twenty-one years ago)

My favourite beaches: Newgale, Caerfai, Marloes, Barafundle, Whitesands (all in Wales); Holkham/Wells Next The Sea (Norfolk). From that list Clacton is nice.

― David (David), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:17 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.calwalkers.com/Highlands/60203s.jpg

Mellon Udrigle, Wester Ross.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:18 (twenty-one years ago)

All these pictures are lovely. But it's making me rather sad about being in an office with a view of lovely downtown Southwark.

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Me and G attended Bournemouth uni together, the beaches there are absolutely superb, especially if you head west from the town centre beach

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going home to Dorset for the weekend. I might go to the beach too.

― Jonnie, Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Holkham

― the pinefox, Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

X-post to Jonnie

I bet you g to the special one at Studland ;o)

watch out ofr the "birdwatchers" ie dirty old men who walk among the dunes with binoculars who are in fact looking for young couples getting dirrrrrrrty

Holkham's a lovely beach, joe

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I'm going to meet up with Stan Collymore for some top dogging.

― Jonnie, Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:43 (twenty-one years ago)

The best beaches I've found are Berie (on Lewis) and Bostadh (on Great Bernera).

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

No Cornish beaches = this article is on crack.

Looks a bit bleak here, but Porth Chapel is lovely:

http://www.shimbo.co.uk/images/photos/dc715%20porthchapel.jpg

and Porth Curno's nice too:

http://www.cornwallcam.co.uk/bestofsouth/Porth_Curno.jpg

and Sennen rocks for surfing an' that:

http://www.damir.co.uk/images/aviation/ga/sennen-cove-takeoff.jpg

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

No beaches in cornwall listed = Let's keep them our little secret...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 8 April 2004 08:55 (twenty-one years ago)

The chances of people visiting the beaches I've mentioned purely because I've mentioned them are slim; they're pretty remote.

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:01 (twenty-one years ago)

The major problem with Cornish beaches is that visiting them involves setting foot in Cornwall.

My favourite beach probably remains Jacobs Ladder Beach, the most Westerly of Sidmouth's three (or four). But that's for mostly sentimental reasons.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone posted a lovely picture of a beach in Dorset once before, it think.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:07 (twenty-one years ago)

In Dorset?

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I think they very much did.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Charlie OTM. Hopkins a hata.

Crackington Haven
http://www.uklandscape.net/Cliff-Whittem/Crackington.jpg

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Chesil Beach in Dorset is the weirdest. I think the dambusters bombs were tested there. Or it might have been a dream.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

that was Ladybower dam in the peak district mate.

Chesil is pretty amazing though.

I lioke the beach at Burgh Island in Devon
(G - you've been there too, we played football)

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:20 (twenty-one years ago)

It was this one:

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/around_bournemouth/images/durdle.jpg

on Dorset.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

ihttp://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/around_bournemouth/images/durdle.jpg

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, Burgh Island is lovely, thanks for the reminder.

Trebarwith Strand
http://www.north-cornwall.com/images/nc-trebarwith.jpg

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post

Yeah, we won 3-2. I still think I'm right about Chesil though.

Is that Kimmeridge Bay in the photo?

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:25 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.dawlish-warren.com/ImageFolder/Dawlishwaren2.jpg
I particularly like skimming stones across that pool at the right-hand top of the spit.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Admittedly the holiday camps all need bombs dropping on them.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 8 April 2004 09:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Matt, Crackington is an odd choice for a Cornish Beach, because it's stony and has a road running along the back of it; I'm with you about Trebarwith, but only if you go up the end of it, away from the tourist-swamped part. That part is called "Hole Beach", and you can't quite see it opn your photograph because it is cut off by rocks. When the tide is in Hole beach is totally cut off and there are usually only three or four groups of people there even in high summer. And if you want to go naked skinny dipping in the evening, you will find it empty. So that's my favourite.

But I also have a soft spot for Hallsands in South Devon.

The Welsh beaches nominated higher in the thread - Newgales, Whitesands, etc - are spoilt by being near to a noisy military airfield.

― Baravelli. (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 8 April 2004 10:50 (twenty-one years ago)

The silver sands of Morar - Marilyn Monroe purportedly had sand from there shipped across for herself. To do what with? Christ knows but it's pretty.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate these bluddy Engerlish surveys, why dont they just call it Englands Best Beaches hmmmm?

This is a bit more like it but still...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2964382.stm

― smee (smee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't start me, I'll go all Braveheart. This is NOT the place for it....

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh I think it is...go on....

― smee (smee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)

The Welsh beaches nominated higher in the thread - Newgales, Whitesands, etc - are spoilt by being near to a noisy military airfield.

RAF Brawdy. You do get the occasional very low flying jet but hardly something to worry about.

― David (David), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I was trying to find a nice picture of Red Point beach too.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Is there any beach in Scotland where you can actually swim? This is a serious question? Like, swim in a bathing costume, not a sub-artic scuba diving suit?

(meta-question, does a beach necessarily have to be for bathing to make it a best beach, or can it just be a beach for pretty strolling along?)

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

When I was a kid we used to go to Borth (sp?) in North Wales. How does the reedy idyllic memory compare to the reality, Welsh fans?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

There are plenty! I went swimming on Arran last year, we sunbathed, we swam it was lovely. It's not always cold wet and miserable in Scotland you know, we do have brief sunny spells!

xpost

― smee (smee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not the sun/lack thereof that I'm concerned about. I'm more worried about Arctic jets of water coming straight down from the North Sea! This is why I think Cornish/South Coast beaches fare better than northern ones - the Jet Stream!

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

(However, thinking about the Jet Stream, it would seem that West Scotland might be warm enough for swimming.)

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Ach yer just a big jessie....

― smee (smee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

This may be true.

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

My main criteria for beaches I like: sandy (you can't stroll comfortably on shingle), few or relatively few people. Oh and I prefer it if dogs are outlawed.

― David (David), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

No no no no no, dogs are urgent and key for stick-fetching beach enjoyment.

If I'm going to be walking, I don't care either way about sand vs. pebble, in fact I might prefer pebble cause it doesn't get in yer shoes and you can find interesting fossils in the pebbles like I did on the Isle of Wight.

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The Gulf Stream runs past our west coast making the beaches on the Western Isles lovely for bathing. The climate is so mild in Campbeltown on the Kintyre Peninsula that palm trees grow all along the main street. The main problem is the wind, but this makes for good surf conditions.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Pebbles >>>>>>>>>>> poxy sand, mainly for the reasons Kate said.

I agree that dogs should be outlawed, but not just on the beach.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Awwww, you fun hater. There is nothing cuter on this earth than a puppy confronted with breaking surf for the first time.

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, evil dog hater!

Mind you, email me, I may have a wee job for you...

― smee (smee), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Dogs I dislike for the shit they deposit (I hate dog owners who think they're being socially responsible if they just cover it with sand).

I guess a mixture of stones and sand is ok but pure shingle like you get on the south coast is really irritating to walk on.

― David (David), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

My sister swam in Mellon Udrigle in March but she is very hard. Do not be fooled by the turquoise water.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Once you put a foot in and feel how bitter it is there is no going back - especially if there are people watching. You've just got to grit your teeth and keep going. Other people will see you in the water and assume it's okay. Then when they stick a toe in they have to do the same as you - keep on going.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I understand so much more about the Scottish national character now!

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

The sort of pebbles we get in my bit of the south coast aren't uncomfortable to walk on, not unless you have your shoes off like some kind of hippy. They're just regular pebbles, so it can make the walk a touch unpredictable (another advantage over nasty sand).

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 8 April 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

One thing I am really hard about is walking over painful pebbles and shingle.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 8 April 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

tell me about skilly!

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 8 April 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I meant the steep banks of unsteady, shifting shingle you get at Brighton, Eastbourne..places like that. Actually, digressing, there's a huge bank of shingle (dating from the great storm of 1857 or something) at Newgale that you have to negotiate to get onto the sand. Always annoys me.

― David (David), Thursday, 8 April 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes! That's the best sort!

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 8 April 2004 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

oh wait, it's scilly, isn't it.

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought it was fairly sensible myself.

(groan...)

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

argh!

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I know that this has already appeared on this thread, but I think it needs reposting for latecomers:

The major problem with Cornish beaches is that visiting them involves setting foot in Cornwall.

-- Tim (hopkinsti...), April 8th, 2004.

Someone posted a lovely picture of a beach in Dorset once before, it think.

-- N. (nickdastoo...), April 8th, 2004.

In Dorset?

-- Tim (hopkinsti...), April 8th, 2004.

Oh, I think they very much did.

-- N. (nickdastoo...), April 8th, 2004.

Really, I thought this magnificent.

― the bellefox, Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

you never watch soccer am do you?

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

No.

Why?

What is it?

― the cupfox, Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

And there goes Chris yet AGAIN trying to derail a nice pure thread with football references.

Yellow card! I get three penalty random Busted outbursts for that!

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

ahem, that joke is a staple of the tv show Soccer Am, whenever they mention Bournemouth, they say "in dorset?" etc etc

hardly derailing, merely pointing out where a joke comes from.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Soccer/Footie was mentioned! Don't care why! I mean, half the times that I've brought up Busted, *I* had some kind of link that excused me! So there!

(Damn, there's one of my outbursts gone already.)

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

the word soccer was mentioned Kate, but I was talking about a tv programme, not footie.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

And there you've just done it again! Another three free penalty outbursts for me! Woo!

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

here's some tv shows and films where you can drop in your favourite band and get away with it:

IMDb name and title search
A search for "busted" found the following results:

Exact Matches (6 matches, by popularity)

1. Everybody Loves Sunshine (1999)
aka "B.U.S.T.E.D."
2. Busted (1996)
3. James Bourne (Actor, Busted: Christmas for Everyone (2003) (TV))
aka "Busted"
4. Matt Jay (Actor, Busted: Christmas for Everyone (2003) (TV))
aka "Busted"
5. Charlie Simpson (V) (Actor, Busted: Christmas for Everyone (2003) (TV))
aka "Busted"
6. "Busted" (2001)

Partial Matches (14 matches, by popularity)

1. Busted: America's War on Marijuana (1997) (TV)
2. Those Love Pangs (1914)
aka "Busted Hearts"
3. Making a Living (1914)
aka "A Busted Johnny"
4. Phable of a Busted Romance, The (1915)
5. Busted Up (1986)
6. Busted Romance, A (1917)
7. "Busted Everywhere" (1999)
8. His Busted Trust (1916)
9. Cheaters: Totally Busted! (2001) (V)
10. Charlie's Busted Romance (1916)
11. "Busted On the Job: Caught On Tape" (1996)
12. Busted: Christmas for Everyone (2003) (TV)
13. Hyappatsu hyakuchu: Ogon on me (1968)
aka "Booted Babe, Busted Boss"
14. Busted Hearts (1916)

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

10. Charlie's Busted Romance (1916)

WHAT WAS HE DOING MAKING FILMS IN 1916?!?!?

But he told us he was only 17! I feel so... lied to!

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

that's the way with those bands, they say they're 17, in fact they're your great grandad

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Hence the lyric, "And your great, great, great, grand-daughter was pretty fine"

Because Charlie's already lived to see her. :-(

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

that's just sick

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, it's obviously James who thinks she's fine, coz he's the one wot wrote the song... I mean, otherwise that would be sick, if Charlie fancied his own grand daughter. He's hardly in the Rolling Stones, now, is he?

(ooh, I'm running periously low on penalty outbursts here...)

― Super-Kate (kate), Thursday, 8 April 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I think you just got one there yeah.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 April 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

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