There’s nothing better than the feeling of tripping over a secluded beach – especially during a summer heat wave, when you know that most of Britain’s sandy coasts are packed with day trippers. Whether you want to relax with a book in your hand between a genteel dip in the sea, or gather for a good picnic with friends and family, knowing you don’t have to compete with the hordes for a spot on the sand, really satisfying.
For those wishing to celebrate this glorious weather with a trip to the coast, here are a dozen of England’s least crowded stretches of sand.
England’s best secret beaches to visit during the heatwave
South West
1. Nanjizal, Land’s End, West Cornwall
This is the real Land’s End, a world away from the theme park just along the cliffs. Gaping sandstone caves look like they once held sleeping dragons, and low tide reveals a white sand beach, though its shape changes depending on the winter storms. The Song of the Sea rock arch contains an emerald green plunge pool that invites you to swim through to the ocean on the other side. Walk south to find more coves at St Levan, Pedn Vounder and Porthgwarra.
How to find it: Two miles between Land’s End and Porthgwarra on the SW Coast Path.
Grid ref 50.0539, -5.6930
2. Porthbeor Beach, St Anthony, South Cornwall
Decorated with tropical gardens and secret churches, the Roseland Peninsula is a kind of lost time. There are good beaches at Great Molunan, near the lighthouse, and Towan, but this is the best and least known, reached by a half hour walk along the coastal path from the latter. Long, wild and sandy, with fantastic rock pools, you’ll find a super-secret bay to the north that can be accessed at low tide. This is the kind of place Crusoe would have felt at home.
How to find it: Park at the National Trust’s Porth Farm Car Park. Porthbeor can be reached by a half hour walk south along the coastal path.
50.1494, -4.9919