Author Archives: BirdhouseChillies

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About BirdhouseChillies

A husband and wife team growing, cooking and eating chillies pretty much 100% of the time.

Sandbanks beach review, Dorset

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Sandbanks beach starts on the mile-long peninsula crossing Poole Harbour, stretching for over five kilometres down to Bournemouth. Fabulously soft, golden sand, rocks and shallows make for a wonderful beach day out. It is so narrow at one section that you can see the waves lapping along the edge of both of its sides from the road.

At the height of Summer the water is busy with windsurfers, kite surfers, jet skis, power boats and ships. Water sport equipment, bikes, surf kit are all available for hire. rightbeach thinks Daddy is going to have a great day out! By the car park there is a great adventure playground set on sand. There’s also zorbing and crazy golf ensuring there’s something entertaining to do for all age ranges.

For fans of a hefty stroll, it is possible to walk from Sandbanks beach through Bournemouth to Boscombe along a concrete promenade which, outside July and August, is open to cyclists.

There is a chain ferry over to Studland, and a regular boat service (from the same dock) takes you to Poole Quay, Wareham River and the National Trust Brownsea Island. rightbeach hears that this is home to the red squirrel! In the Summer there is also an open-air Shakespearean theatre on the island. On the ride over you get a perfect view into the luxurious waterside homes that make Sandbanks, by area, the fourth most expensive place to own property in the world!

There are some great sights to be seen when actually on the beach. Of course, our national pastime of ‘people watching’ is an ever popular activity but at Sandbanks you can add ‘watching people wipeout on the water’ to your itinerary. There are also stunning views over to Studland beach (the other side of Poole Harbour mouth) and Old Harry Rocks.

rightbeach recommends Sandbanks beach for families of all ages, especially if Daddy has a penchant for windsurfing! Get there early to ensure you are able to park and head down to the beach to mark your spot with an “X”.

Beach blurb

See Sandbanks beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Head ‘beach right’ from the main car park to a less crowded part of the beach. There is plenty to do here: rock pooling, crabbing and watching the chain ferry (dogs are allowed on this part of the beach).
  • If the traffic backs right up around the Peninsula this could be due to two reasons – 1. The car park could be full – in which case queueing is not permitted. 2. The queue for the chain ferry can be very long. It is possible to park in Canford Cliffs and walk down. There is also some limited street parking on the Peninsula itself, but get there early!
  • The Ice Cream Boat! Flat bottomed boats pull right up to the shore to sell their wares, in an innovative attempt to go where no van has gone before. Although, rightbeach warns: save your pocket money as this novel delivery comes at a price!

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating The beach is beautiful, fine sand with rock pools, shallow sandy pools and a gentle slope for good paddling. The beach is cleaned daily throughout the year.
Crowded (1=deserted) Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating During the summer this beach is very very busy. Head ‘beach right’ for less people (more dogs)
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating More known for windsurfing than surfboarding, but still, good surf.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Soft, golden sand.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 500 spaces (not enough) adjacent to beach- also on road parking- Charges £4 for 4 hours or £8 for 8 hours
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Toilets (with disabled access), showers, baby changing in car park.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating The Sandbanks Beach Cafe comes highly recommended to rightbeach (if a little expensive) Their cakes seem to be a hot topic (a subject dear to Mummy rightbeach‘s heart). Ice Cream Boat!!
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Several kiosks and shops selling all the usual beach goodies such as inflatables, buckets and spades etc. Forbes Food Hall Spa on Haven Road is the nearest supermarket or head into Poole for Sainsbury’s.

Review by Grainne L

Ventnor beach review, Isle of Wight

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Ventnor beach is a delightful cove positioned on the Southerly edge of the Isle of Wight. Set staggering down a steep cliff, with a zig zag path, tiers of shops and houses lead to golden sand and shingle. The beach has an esplanade that rolls round from The Spyglass Inn (west) to the recently built bandstand (east). Pretty little beach huts line neatly along the bottom of the cliff. High tide covers the sand and can leave you with little beach to sit on.

The town was built up in the Victorian era and sits on the side of St. Boniface Down. It is smaller than the nearby Sandown and Shanklin beaches and often much quieter on sunny beach days. Ventnor is filled with holiday makers and residents alike.

Ventnor is popular not only for the beach but for the coastal path that leads from Bonchurch (small beach to the north-east of Ventnor) through Ventnor and on to Steephill Cove (one of the best kept secrets on the Island, well, OK not so secret really but quite secluded as it can only be reached by foot).

Ventnor also has the famed Ventnor Botanical Gardens, home to many subtropical and exotic plants. Nannie rightbeach really enjoyed her stroll around them and even ventured onto the coastal path which is directly accessed from the gardens. Watch out for the ladders though! The beach is a good forty-five minutes’ walk from the gardens, along the costal path and then there’s the walk back!

rightbeach recommends Ventnor beach for all generations of the family, although the steep path and stronger currents suggest it would suit older children who can swim and carry their own lunch better than the pushchair brigade. It will be a real agile granny pleaser with the gardens and coastal walks. The Victorians believed Ventor’s suntrap micro-climate was ideal for restoring health-therefore rightbeach also recommends this beach if you are nursing a small hangover!

Beach blurb

See Ventnor beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • The road in and out of the esplanade is extremely steep and twisting so beware! Nannie rightbeach has warned you!
  • High tide steals most of the sand away so time it right or head up into the pretty town to souvenir shop.
  • When swimming there may be hidden rocks or strong currents-rightbeach suggests adult supervision at all times. A red flag indicates unsuitable swimming conditions.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sand, shingle, beach huts and rock pools. Mostly gone at high tide. Litter picked daily during the summer.
Crowded (1=deserted) Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Popular with locals and Grockles but not so that you are all piled on top of each other.
Surf Sandcastle rating Strong tide means it’s not great for watersports but swimming is good.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sand and shingle.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Car parking is on The Esplanade or at the medium-sized car park at the end behind The Spyglass Inn, all pay and display. You could also park in the Botanical Gardens if you were planning a visit there.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Toilets clean and tidy.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating The Spyglass Inn, along Ventnor’s sea front, has a homely atmosphere that is filled with seafaring memorabilia that shows its history as a smugglers tavern. Local seafood specials mmmm! Fresh Ventnor crab and lobster may be purchased from a fisherman’s hut (Blake’s) located at the very start of the Esplanade.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating A Victorian town centre full of antique and knick-knack shops.

Review by Nannie rightbeach

Hove beach, East Sussex

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Hove beach is very close to Brighton beach but has a far more relaxed child-friendly feel. The beach itself is mostly shingle. The sea can become deep at the edge if the pebbles have shifted. It can get busy but not overcrowded.

Along Kings Road and Kingsway esplanade there are a great selection of well-kept attractions (bouncy castles/trampolines), cafes, restaurants and lawns. There is a playpark/sandpit/paddling pool that is a young child’s delight just past Brighton’s old pier (maybe techincally still Brighton): an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza. Free too! rightbeach‘s niece has spent many an afternoon pootling around there.

rightbeach recommends Hove for people who enjoy the vibrant mix of quirky shops, cafes surrounded in salty sea air. Not as intense as Brighton, with a charming laid back air.

Beach blurb

See Hove beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • After a busy morning playing pebbles and people watching in Brighton, take a 10 minute walk along the sea front to the paddling pool and keep the youngsters amused in the fabby dabby paddling pools and play park. Finish off with a fish and chip supper before heading off home with some weary babies in the back of the car.
  • Marroco’s Ristorante-Bar Grill and Fish, but more importantly…24 flavours of ice cream plus an awful lot of bejazzelling besides!
  • When your feet are tired of sand and stones then head up onto the lawns for a foot fresh feel! No sand in the picnic either!
  • Parking is available but you do need to move well out of Brighton to ensure you get value for money.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Shingle.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating rightbeach doubts that you would ever be alone but at least the kiddies can become best beach buddies for the afternoon.
Surf Sandcastle rating There are some waves but nothing to write home about.
Sand Sandcastle rating Shingle and pebbles.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Toilets by paddling pool, ncluding disabled access and baby changing. Clean.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Lots of cafes, ice-cream shops and pubs along the esplanade. VBites cafe (Heather Mills’ vegan cafe) is within the Hove Lagoon complex.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating An impressive array of funky interior design shops, fashion boutiques and specialist shops jostling alongside international restaurants, organic greengrocers and independent cafes. Regular French markets.

reviewed by Kerry T and the rightbeach Team

Spring Vale beach, Isle of Wight

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Spring Vale beach is a small sandy beach with pebbles banks set below a comforting sea wall. Beach hutters and cyclists gaze out to views of the Solent-very peaceful in the late afternoon sun. The pebbles are littered with slipper limpet shells and makes a melodic sound when crunching through them at high tide. rightbeach spent a pleasant afternoon gathering shells to spell out their very own name!

When the tide is out, (it goes out a loooooooong way, the remaining rock pools and channels are perfect for little feet to paddle and little hands to gather bucketfuls of winkles. If sitting quietly it becomes apparent that wild birds (other than shouty seagulls) use this beach: rightbeach spotted a pair of dancing white egrets using a pair of birthday binoculars!

Nearby Puckpool Park provides fun in the form of tennis, crazy golf, ice creams and also has parking for around 100 cars (free, unheard of on The Isle of Wight!) It also boasts a pub and serves hot food all day.

Beach blurb

See Springvale beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Park in Puckpool Park for free. Take advatage of their facilities and then head off to the beach. Return for an ice-cream before trooping off home.
  • Dogs are allowed on the beach all year.
  • A pair of binoculars will allow close up views of birds and boats far away.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle rating 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)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle rating Still water means it makes a great part of the sea for kayaking.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Mostly sand and shingle with pebbles dotted around. Rocks when the tide is out.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Including disabled access.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Park near to St Helen’s Old Church, plenty of space in the pay and display spaces.
Food Sandcastle rating One cafe on the sea front but a mile or so inland is The Vine Inn which serves local pub grub.
Shopping Sandcastle rating 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

Weston-Super-Mare beach review, Somerset

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Weston-Super-Mare is a seaside resort, located on the Bristol Channel coast. It is a long, sandy beach that has a large tidal range (which exposes mud flats at low tide). At the lowest tide, the water’s edge is about a mile from the seafront. That’s a long walk for rightbeach! There are many holiday and caravan parks within the area and so the beach is mostly populated by families.

In addition to the sand and sea, Weston has many traditional seaside occupations to offer: donkey rides (rightbeach kiddies loved them), the ‘Wheel at Weston’ (rightbeach went round and round and round and round and round and round and round…), sand sculptures (you have to pay to get in, you can’t even see them clearly from the wheel) and of course the newly opened Grand Pier. It is host to many amusements such as go-carts, dodgems, a 4-D cinema, laser maze…the list goes on and on! Great for eating up the teens’ pocket money.

Weston has lots of opportunities for cups of tea (rightbeach had a china mug on the beach!), fish and chips, candy floss, ice-cream, etc. There are also many beach front shops that sell postcards, kites, buckets, spades, kitchen sinks… all well positioned along the clean and tidy promendade (watch out for the cycle lane!)

rightbeach recommends Weston-Super-Mare for a day trip with all generations of the family. Lots of pushchair/wheelchair friendly slopes and plenty of toilets and ice-cream.

Beach blurb

See Weston-Super-Mare beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

        • Do check the tide times as when the tide is at its lowest mud flats are revealed. This can mean a huge hike down to the water’s edge (rightbeach means nearly a mile!) only to be disappointed and covered in mud. Go at high tide. There’s plenty of sand left.
        • It’s an open beach so windbreaks, tents or even pushchairs will keep the wind chill out and the sand off your food.
        • Donkey rides were a real rightbeach hit. Donkeys seemed very well-kept, rotated often and had their own little chill out area away from pokey fingers. rightbeach children rode Jake and Granville, both of whom had a very placid plod and even temperament.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Lovely clean sand but watch out for the sticky mud at very low tide. Beach is raked daily in the Summer.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating It’s a busy beach but with plenty of space for all. Don’t go expecting to be all alone.
Surf Sandcastle rating Sailing, wind surfing and jet skiing rather than surf boarding.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Coarse sand and mud flats at lowest tide.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Toilets dotted along the promenade. Clean and serviceable when visited by rightbeach‘s specialist toilet team (children aged 1 and 4 + Grannie rightbeach)
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Lots of cafes, ice-cream shops and pubs along the promenade.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating A full on town just behind the promenade so head up towards the station for high street stores and supermarkets (Tesco, ASDA  and Waitrose) if that is what you are after.

reviewed by rightbeach

Portrush East Strand beach, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

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Known as ‘Northern Ireland’s favourite holiday destination’, Portrush is well known for its long, sandy beaches, East and West Strands. East Strand is the quieter of the two, as it does not have the life boat station training centre. It is still a busy beach with plenty of people watching to be done. It has large sand dunes and amazing views along the coast and is an ideal place to explore the Causeway Coast.

Portrush, built mainly on a mile-long penninsular, is a popular and well known town on the Londonderry border. It has hosted the British Golf Open, many open air music festivals and an annual air show in September. Portrush is also home to Barry’s Amusements, the largest amusement park in Northern Ireland. Actor, James Nesbitt, once worked in Barry’s.

rightbeach recommends this beach for young families due to its ease for parking and toilet facilities but also for families with teens who fancy learning to surf. There is a surf school on the beach with surf board and suit hire with changing rooms.

Beach blurb

See Portrush East Strand beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Take a wind break as the wide beach means it can get a bit breezy.
  • …and a kite to keep Daddy entertained (although Daddy rightbeach is yet to succeed in the kite department!)
  • A wet suit to keep the chill out when learning to ride the waves.

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Open beach with plenty of space.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Can get busy due to its popularity.
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Waves here can get very good with the prevailing south westerly winds blowing offshore.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sandy, sandy, sandy
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Clean and tidy with baby changing facilities. Located in car park.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Massive car park on sea front.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Only a stones throw away from Portrush town.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Clothing shops, surf suit hire

Review by Lesley H