TimeOut London's latest e-mail issue carries a run down of the UK's best beaches - many of which i had never heard of:

http://www.timeout.com/london/featur...don-20-07-2007

It seems to be only for southerners, they obviously think us notherners are too busy working in the mill to go to the beach

Do you take an umbrella when going to northern beaches or wear a wetsuit?

What a bunch of nonsense. UK beaches? I've thought for a long time that people in London aren't even aware that there's more tho the "UK" than just them.

How can any beach that's all stones be a "best beach" anywhere?

That's what i thought when i saw Deal listed as one of the best beaches. I've been there several times and it seems anything like one of the best beaches, unless others are lesser even

Laandeners have very low expectations otherwise why would they be living in Laanden.

Bleeding cockernies. Scum of the earth.

I think it's for day trips from London.

The question is, best for what?

The BBC's holiday programme did something like this over the winter, and their list came up with somewhere beautiful in the Hebrides, but I don't think they were recommending it for a bucket-and-spade and paddling visit.

There you go: making assumptions again....

Good god - the world reads this website and they be under the impression that those are the best we have!

How about

1. Applecross, Scotland
2. St Ives - Porthminster
3. Bamburgh - Northumberland
4. Arnside - Lancashire
5. Gower - Pembroke
6. Shell Island - Harlech
7. Formby - Liverpool
8. Kynance Cove, Cornwall
9. Flamborough Head, Yorkshire (rock pools)
10. Hayle Beach, St Ives - the surf

any more ? anyone?

The Three Cliffs - Gower coast
Barafundle Bay - Pembroke
Freshwater East - Pembroke

I agree with some on markrosy's list and have had bucket and spade days or holidays with our kids (now grown up) on several of them. There are some fabulous beaches on the west coast of Scotland (Silver Sands of Morar for one) and the islands, including huge empty sandy beaches on the Outer Hebrides. Anglesey has many beautiful beaches where I have memories of bucket and spade holidays as a child and with my own children. My current favourite is Ynys Llanddwyn, off Newborough Beach, which is a small penisula, cut off to form an island at high tide, with many sandy coves and views over to the mountains of Snowdonia.

Maria H

I have sailing past Ynys Llanddwyn on occasions. I have been more worried about the dangerous entrance to the Menai than being able to look at the beach! I have just looked at the pictures from its website and feel like getting in the car now - we will definitely go this summer

- thanks for pointing it out.

Honestly you clog-dancing, tripe-eating, kestrel stranglers get your knickers in a knot at the drop of a hat.

Time out is based in London - so of course it's guide to beaches are going to be near London.

However help is at hand in the shape of the hairy-legged muesli knitters from the Guardian:.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...relationships7

Now you can go back to grieving over a chicken or putting coal in the bath or whatever it is you get up to up there.

That's more like it - and I noticed Llanddwyn is in there. Also I'd forgotton about Herm on the Channel islands - a magical place.

I've no problem with Londoners having a list of "best" beaches - but the title implied best in the UK - not just the south

we are aware that there are other parts of these Islands, but we don't like to dwell on the thought.

They've missed out Barafundle Bay and Stackpole.
Both involve walking, so are unlikely to appeal to Southerners who spend their lazy days eating grapes and strumming guitars ;-)

audere_est_facere

with all the floods how long will it be before the South East is another island - then we could float you all over to France ! LOL

It already is an island - an island of good taste and sophistication in a nation of northern monkeys.