St Helen’s is a tranquil sand and shingle beach, maintained by The National Trust . It is situated along the sea edge of the Duver. At low tide there are fascinating rock pools to dip your net in or great clumps of seaweed in which to rummage for crabs. rightbeach saw three generations of one family having a ‘who can catch the biggest crab’ competition. Grandad and his bacon lure was the winner!

The beach is mainly used by twitchers, boat watchers and some families from Nodes Point Holiday Centre. During the Summer months, long lines of ponies can be seen trotting contentedly along through the shallows. It has no esplanade of sea front shops but there is a sea wall running the entire length, topped by a concrete promenade. A short row of beach huts and a cafe is all that can be found on some days. On sunny days, it is a stop off for cyclists and walkers.

The beach drops steeply down to the sea which becomes deep reasonably quickly. Boats coming into Bembridge Harbour pass close by and so swimming should be with this in mind. The red and green buoys mark the channel relatively close to the shore.

rightbeach recommends this beach for a morning of crabbing at low tide rather than a whole day camped on the beach. rightbeach‘s eldest daughter spent a marvellous hour trotting along the shore line on Turnip the pony-thanks to Sally’s Riding School of Nodes Point.

Beach blurb

• Tide and weather »
• Lifeguards: None
• Water quality: Recommended »
• Dogs: Are allowed without restriction

See St Helen’s beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

• To find parking near the sea, follow signs to The Duver, along Duver Road, past the Common and the entrance to the Duver and park near the remains of St Helen’s Old Church .
• Dogs are allowed on the beach all year.
• Bring a picnic as there is only one small cafe.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		At high tide there is not a lot of beach left. Low tide leaves fab rock pools and crabby seaweed haunts. Breakwaters at regular intervals.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Not a super sandy beach and so not too crowded even when the sun is high in the sky. Nodes Point Holiday Park is a five-minute stroll so there are families who use the beach regularly.
Surf		Still water means it makes a great part of the sea for kayaking.
Sand		Mostly sand and shingle with pebbles dotted around. Rocks when the tide is out.
Toilets		Including disabled access.
Parking		Park near to St Helen’s Old Church, plenty of space in the pay and display spaces.
Food		One cafe on the sea front but a mile or so inland is The Vine Inn which serves local pub grub.
Shopping		No gift shops, clothing or other retailers. Head up into the village for provisions, or better still round to Bembridge.

reviewed by The rightbeach Team themselves