This weekend is shaping up to be one of the best of the year. We’ve got some incredible weather on the way. We’ve got a bank holiday prolonging it, so we have 3 days off work. (And we can even get some free margaritas!). And now, to cap it all off, recent research has revealed that some of the UK’s best beaches are an easy train journey away – so we can really make the most of the weekend!
The Londoner North Eastern Railway company recently did a deep dive into the beaches across England and Scotland to find the UK’s very best beaches. Across each region of the UK, they’ve picked 3 gorgeous coastal spots to visit. And 3 of the highlighted beaches are within easy reach of the city.
Best beaches near London
Now, London has no dearth of swimming spots. Our city is full of lidos and wild swimming spots. Heck, you can even swim in Canary Wharf! But sometimes, you just want to head to the coast! Fortunately these three beaches are among the UK’s best. And it takes just 2 hours, or less, to reach them! You’ll be sunning yourself on the sand in no time.
Littlehampton East Beach, West Sussex
LNER ranked this as the best beach in the South East. It’s almost exactly 2 hours from London by train. It’s “a great place for a traditional, family-friendly day out at the beach on a budget” and “there’s plenty of space for creating fun seaside memories.” The beach features a pebble beach at high tide, and golden sand at low tide, with calm waves and plenty of spots for crabbing and critter-spotting.
Herne Bay Beach, Kent
Just 1.5 hours from London, this seaside escape is like “stepping straight into a seaside postcard from years gone by.” It also got the highest score of any UK beach on LNER’s ‘ice cream metric’ so be sure to grab a scoop on your day out.
Bognor Regis Beach, West Sussex
This West Sussex beach “records the warmest average June water temperature out of the top beaches in the region“. While you’re there, don’t miss a trip to Bognor Regis pier.
The UK’s best beaches
To determine which beaches were singled out for notice, LNER considered a number of factors. These included walking distance from the station, nearby fish and chip shops, weather factors and more. Using this information, they highlighted these spots, within each UK area, as the UK’s best beaches.
Yorkshire
- Filey beach
- Bridlington South beach
- Whitby beach
South West
- Exmouth beach
- Porthmeor beach
- Paignton Sands
South East
- Littlehampton East beach
- Herne Bay beach
- Bognor Regis beach
Scotland
- Nairn beach
- Portobello beach
- Troon Beach
- Honourable mention: Broughty Ferry beach
North West
- Blackpool beach
- Lytham St Annes beach
- Morecambe beach
East Coast & Anglia
- Sheringham beach
- Cromer beach
- Clacton beach
North East
- Whitley Bay beach
- Tynemouth Longsands beach
- South Shields beach
- Honourable mention: Seaton Carew beach
So, there you have it – the UK’s best beaches, all of which are easily accessible by train. Which one will you be heading to this weekend?
See the full LNER study here.