Thinker
I live in West/central London and wondered whether anyone could tell me where the nearest sandy beach is. My son and I are getting a little fed up with the stones/pebbles at Brighton and Hove!
Answer
You need to head to the Essex coast.
There are sandy beaches (of the kind that are suitable for children to play in, build sandcastles, etc) at (starting with the nearest to London first): Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell (immediately adjacent to the railway station in this case), a couple in Southend itself ("Three Shells beach", just west of the pier probably your best bet there), and at Shoebury(ness).
To be honest, apart from East Beach at Shoebury, none of these beaches are very big - but they are sandy, of the right sort of sand, and seem to be popular with families with children. And (apart from Shoebury, which is a bit further out) - they are all under an hour's journey from central London (whether by train from Fenchurch Street or by road).
Not so convenient if you're travelling by train, but OK by car: another sandy beach in Essex, a bit nearer to London, and a bit bigger than most of those named above, is at Thorney Bay on Canvey Island....which is in many regards like being in an English seaside town of the 1950s, all decaying art-deco buildings, helter-skelters, candy-floss and rock
EDIT: For all of these, I'd highly recommend checking tide-tables first: sure, the beaches themselves will be there, much the same, whatever the tide (in general the sandy part is above the tideline). The thing is, when it's low tide, beyond the sand, there's a lot of mudflats...which actually I find very beautiful and melancholic, but I don't think many children would (kind of like the taste of beer vs the taste of orange juice: it's definitely an adult thing) - Much better to go when it's high tide, as the sea will be A LOT nearer, and the grey mudflats won't be visible. And there'll be alot more interesting things to see on the water at high tide - a lot of yachts/small boats actually in the water (rather than just resting on the mud) (Especially around Leigh/Chalkwell), probably a lot of windsurfers etc around Southend, too.
The tide tables linked to from here http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/11 for Southend-on-Sea should refer to pretty much all of the beaches I've mentioned.
(They work like this: time is given in the 24 hour clock, with the height of the tide stated next to it. High tides and low tides are stated: so "0609 0.9" means a low tide of 0.9metres at 6.09 am "1218 5.6" high tide of 5.6m at 12.18pm)
You need to head to the Essex coast.
There are sandy beaches (of the kind that are suitable for children to play in, build sandcastles, etc) at (starting with the nearest to London first): Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell (immediately adjacent to the railway station in this case), a couple in Southend itself ("Three Shells beach", just west of the pier probably your best bet there), and at Shoebury(ness).
To be honest, apart from East Beach at Shoebury, none of these beaches are very big - but they are sandy, of the right sort of sand, and seem to be popular with families with children. And (apart from Shoebury, which is a bit further out) - they are all under an hour's journey from central London (whether by train from Fenchurch Street or by road).
Not so convenient if you're travelling by train, but OK by car: another sandy beach in Essex, a bit nearer to London, and a bit bigger than most of those named above, is at Thorney Bay on Canvey Island....which is in many regards like being in an English seaside town of the 1950s, all decaying art-deco buildings, helter-skelters, candy-floss and rock
EDIT: For all of these, I'd highly recommend checking tide-tables first: sure, the beaches themselves will be there, much the same, whatever the tide (in general the sandy part is above the tideline). The thing is, when it's low tide, beyond the sand, there's a lot of mudflats...which actually I find very beautiful and melancholic, but I don't think many children would (kind of like the taste of beer vs the taste of orange juice: it's definitely an adult thing) - Much better to go when it's high tide, as the sea will be A LOT nearer, and the grey mudflats won't be visible. And there'll be alot more interesting things to see on the water at high tide - a lot of yachts/small boats actually in the water (rather than just resting on the mud) (Especially around Leigh/Chalkwell), probably a lot of windsurfers etc around Southend, too.
The tide tables linked to from here http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/11 for Southend-on-Sea should refer to pretty much all of the beaches I've mentioned.
(They work like this: time is given in the 24 hour clock, with the height of the tide stated next to it. High tides and low tides are stated: so "0609 0.9" means a low tide of 0.9metres at 6.09 am "1218 5.6" high tide of 5.6m at 12.18pm)
Opinions Wanted: Looking for what NOT to miss in Bermuda. Favorite places/ beaches??
littlemira
We'll be cruising in July and want to experience some of the best Bermuda has to offer during our stop there - time is limited and we want opinions on the BEST beaches or water activities!! Or exciting things to do with a larger group of 10 people - kids & adults.
Answer
Horeshoe Bay is a wonderful beach, and probably one of the most famous in Bermuda. Photos are all over the place online. It's a fine beach. And to the west side there is a hill with tall coral which give great views of the beach.
My favorite is at Tobacco Bay, near St. George, because of its wonderful snorkeling. There is a small bar with outdoor tables to sit and sample the sun, as well as small beach.
Another favorite is in Smith's Parish on the South Shore try John Smith's Bay off of South Road. A lifeguard is on duty in season, and soft drinks, snacks, fast food are often available from a licensed purveyor in a van on the premises.
Horeshoe Bay is a wonderful beach, and probably one of the most famous in Bermuda. Photos are all over the place online. It's a fine beach. And to the west side there is a hill with tall coral which give great views of the beach.
My favorite is at Tobacco Bay, near St. George, because of its wonderful snorkeling. There is a small bar with outdoor tables to sit and sample the sun, as well as small beach.
Another favorite is in Smith's Parish on the South Shore try John Smith's Bay off of South Road. A lifeguard is on duty in season, and soft drinks, snacks, fast food are often available from a licensed purveyor in a van on the premises.
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Title Post: Nearest sandy beach to London ?
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Rating: 96% based on 9658 ratings. 4,4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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