Weston-Super-Mare beach review, Somerset

Posted on August 31, 2011 by BirdhouseChillies

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

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: None
Water quality: recommended
Dogs: restrictions apply. There is a dog exercise area.

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		Lovely clean sand but watch out for the sticky mud at very low tide. Beach is raked daily in the Summer.
Crowded (1=deserted)		It’s a busy beach but with plenty of space for all. Don’t go expecting to be all alone.
Surf		Sailing, wind surfing and jet skiing rather than surf boarding.
Sand		Coarse sand and mud flats at lowest tide.
Toilets		Toilets dotted along the promenade. Clean and serviceable when visited by rightbeach‘s specialist toilet team (children aged 1 and 4 + Grannie rightbeach)
Parking
Food		Lots of cafes, ice-cream shops and pubs along the promenade.
Shopping		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

Yaverland beach, Isle of Wight

Posted on August 29, 2011 by mtargettuk

Yaverland is a long, wide sweep of golden sand edged by the famed red and white cliffs. It has great fossil finding prospects and is rated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Collecting of fossils can only be done from the bottom of the cliffs but it is very likely you will find something to take home to show off with. rightbeach found fossilised bivalves hidden in grey sandstone. Go out and see what you can find!

The beach itself is a sandy, open space. It is popular with dog walkers and families but is also known for a variety of water acitivities such as windsurfing and fishing. It is busiest between the groynes but you can get that feeling of near isolation by heading ‘beach right’.

Yaverland beach is very close to The Isle of Wight Zoo (Tiger Sanctuary) which is a chance to get up close and almost personal with some truly stunning tigers. rightbeach fell in love with Xena the snow tiger. It is also a stone’s throw from Dinosaur Isle (think Natural History Museum on a small seaside scale)

rightbeach would recommend Yaverland for a day on the beach with children and family dog. Easy car parking and toilet facilities combined with enough space to spread out and build a sand fortress (see photo) make it a real winner.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: No
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach

See Yaverland beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Visit the beach after a heavy rain storm for the best chance of finding fossils. Perhaps combine it with a trip to Dinosaur Isle (lots of interactive dino fun along with the best dino shop EVER! rightbeach bought a mould to make the fossilised remains of a triceratops out of chocolate!
Windbreaks or tents are a must as the wide beach can get rather breezy.
Great beach for kite flying. rightbeach nearly had its head removed by the string of a wildy flapping butterfly-shaped kite.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Flat sand, sand at all times, cool fossil opportunities when beach combing
Crowded (1=deserted)		Populated but not on top of each other. Head ‘beach right’ for more space to call your own.
Surf		Breezy beach means good surf. Popular with windsurfers.
Sand		Sand. Small pebbles, fossils and tumbled glass in the tide line. All very pretty really.
Parking		About £1 an hour. Get there earlyish to get a space in the car park nearest the steps.
Toilets		In the car park, so not too far away. Free and eco. The cleanest toilets rightbeach has come across.
Food		Ice creams and the usual chips and sausage roll from the one cafe by the car park.
Shopping		A walk into Sandown brings more traditional gift shops or pubs for a wider meal choice.

Review by rightbeach

Whitecliff Bay beach, Isle of Wight

Posted on August 29, 2011 by mtargettuk

Whitecliff Bay is a relatively small, golden sanded beach situated at the bottom of Culver Cliffs, on the south-east side of the island. It is 10 minutes walk from Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park and so is popular with families and couples. The holiday park is the only parking available near to the main concrete path down the cliff. The path ends in a steep, oh so very steep, final section. Not so much fun for tiny tots or tired daddies on the hike back up to the car!

The beach has a very shallow slope towards the sea, making it good for swimming and paddling with little children. High on the cliff top, Yarborough Monument (known as ‘the Obelisk’) can be seen presiding. Rock pools and mini coves, isolated by high tide, to ‘beach left’.

There are two beach cafes/shops to keep a ready supply of buckets, spades, ice-creams and cold drinks on the beach. rightbeach had breakfast at the ‘Tuppenny Cafe’ and basked in the glorious morning sun, watching the rightbeach kiddies and grandparents taking the first plunge of the day…ahh fond memories.

rightbeach recommends this beach for families with older children due to the tricky path down to the beach and lack of toilets.

Beach blurb

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

See Whitecliff Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Get there early to nab a parking space and parking is limited (rightbeach warned you, 20-30 spaces max!)
Minimal kit or plenty of hands and arms to carry it to and from the top of the cliff.
turn ‘beach right’ at the bottom on the slope as it gets mighty windy to the left.
Rock pools galore to the left so pack your beach shoes, nets and buckets to nab all sorts of creatures of the deep.
Watch out for high tide, it can leave you with nowhere to run but back up the cliff!

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		What it lacks for in wide expanse of sand it makes up for in character.
Crowded (1=deserted)		It’s never too bad there although the car park and cafes can get busy. You can always head ‘beach left’ for seclusion.
Surf		Mini rollers but nothing too fancy.
Sand		Lovely golden sand but it is nearly completely covered at high tide.
Toilets		NONE! Not even for staff at the cafes or at the top of the cliff! NONE!
Parking		20-30 spaces within Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park.
Food		Two cafes (hot and cold food and drinks) with a small range of buckets and spades, postcards, etc
Shopping		The only shop nearby is the newly refurbished, reopened and fully stocked holiday park convenience store. Situated to the left of the driveway at the entrance to the holiday park.

Portrush East Strand beach, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Posted on August 29, 2011 by BirdhouseChillies

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

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service June 25th – September 4th
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: restrictions apply, see signs at beach

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

Review by Lesley H

Minehead beach, Somerset

Posted on August 29, 2011 by mtargettuk

Minehead beach is a busy sand and shingle beach. It has great views over the Bristol Channel, North Hill and Exmoor. Fab for young and old alike as it has so many convenient features: easy parking, clean and tidy toilets, sand for castle building, shallows for paddling, steam train for Grandad, to name but a few.Minehead is the beginning of the South West Coast path and has some stunning scenary as you stroll along. Wander in the other direction to spot speedboats in the small harbour.

Minehead hosts one of England’s largest Butlins camps which not only offers the usual array of Redcoat frolics: funfair, ballroom , boating lake, etc, but also a chairlift system and a miniature railway.

Head into the town for a wide selection of shops and treats. We hear the fish foot spa is a must! Perhaps combine with a cream tea? The Farmers Market is open for business every Friday in The Parade from 8.30am to 2.30pm come rain or shine!

rightbeach recommends this beach for families of all varieties. Lots of fun on and off the beach with the necessary requirements of parking, toilets and food all within convenient reach.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: None
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: restrictions apply, see signs at beach

See Minehead beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Change for Pay and Display is a must.
Plan a stress free lunch and take advantage of the many food vendors along the sea front.
Windbreaks to create an element of privacy on the popular beach.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Wide and sandy with some shingle. Rock and pools. Known for kites and windsurfing.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Butlins near by means you are not likely to be alone.
Surf		More wind surfing than surf boarding.
Sand		Good sand but much of it is covered during high tide. Some sand has been washed away by sea defences.
Toilets
Parking		Pay and display along sea front.
Food		Nice selection of hot, cold and ice cream vendors.
Shopping		Walking distance to Minehead town centre. Usual high street stores as well as some quirky stores, check out ‘Fizz’ the retro sweetie store.

Review by Sharon S

St Ouen’s Bay beach, Jersey

Posted on August 28, 2011 by mtargettuk

St Ouen’s Bay is a massive five-mile-long stretch of sand, making up the majority of the west coast of Jersey. It feels the full force of the Atlantic which can be a blessing and a curse. Surf can be fabulous but it can also be very exposed if there’s a westerly wind blowing given there’s little shelter on the beach.

The beach does have non-sun worshiping activities though, with rock pools and surf lessons to be enjoyed. However, the beach’s primary assets are it’s epic expanse of fine, flat sand and mega surf.

rightbeach recommends this beach for its space, sand and surf, and deems it suitable for families with children and surfers.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service May 28th – October 2nd
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach.

See St Oeun’s Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

If you’ve got the motivation, take a BBQ with you, buy some fresh fish from Faulkners at the north end of the beach, and eat on the beach in style.
There’s virtually no beach left at high tide so timing your trip right is essential.
If you fancy a break from all that sand and surf take a stroll around the World War II German gun emplacements. Jersey (and the other Channel Islands) were occupied by the Germans from June 1940 to May 1945.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Massive amounts of space and sand, but can be exposed and beach is virtually non-existent at high tide.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Sooooo much space
Surf		The Atlantic 2,500 miles to get ready for St Oeun’s Bay. The waves can be big!
Sand		Fine, flat and lots of it.
Toilets		In the car park so think twice about venturing too far away from civilisation.
Parking		Lots of parking along the length of the beach (three or four car parks all along La Grande Route des Mielles) all right next to the sand.
Food		A reasonable selection of icecreams / pasties, but most of the food outlets are clustered around the car parks.
Shopping		Good for fresh fish (at Faulkners) less good for other stuff as the beach is so spread out.

Review by dom perrignon

Sennen Cove beach, South Cornwall

Posted on August 5, 2011 by mtargettuk

Sennen Cove is a fabulous, wide, sandy beach at the south-west tip of Cornwall, with rock pools for exploring and perfect sand for building sand castles. It is exposed to the Atlantic and picks up any swell, particularly the northern area and Gwevner beach. As a result, the beach is popular with surfers and there is a surf school. It has designated swim areas and surf areas to allow fun in the sea without too many collisions!

Additional activities include walking to Lands End (just a 20 minute stroll away), buses to and from Penzance Town, or simply watching the tides as come in fast but safe.

There are plenty of ice-cream and snack facilities by the beach and along the promenade behind. There is also a restaurant , fish and chip shop and a surf shop, and a chance to attend surf school or hire equipment. Toilet facilities small but close by.

rightbeach recommends Sennen Cove for all things family, especially children who are confident swimmers and enjoy the water.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service April 29th – September 25th & Easter weekend
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Dogs not allowed May 1st to September 30th

See Sennen Cove beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Safe for kids and great pasties!
Wet suits a must-cold waters and fashion sense tell us this so!
There are loads of places to eat or get food to bring back to the beach so no need to pack up that heavy cool bag/box to feed the family.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Rock pools, shallow pools for swimming, freshwater rivulets, big waves, shallow paddling in the sea. Pretty amazing really!
Crowded (1=deserted)
Surf		Surfing and body boarding are popular.
Sand		Flat and fine sand and there’s sand at all times despite the varying tide.
Toilets		Toilet facilities small but close by.
Parking		Two fairly small car parks close by and a larger one a short but steep walk, so it’s best to get there early.
Food		Plenty of ice-cream and snack facilities by the beach and along the promenade behind. Fish and Chips too! Maybe visit more than once this holiday to sample all the foodie delights!
Shopping		Well stocked with shops including craft and surf shops.

reviewed by Maria D

Harlyn Bay beach, North Cornwall

Posted on August 4, 2011 by mtargettuk

Harlyn Bay is a super beach for kids. It’s wide, sandy and rich in ice cream vans. But significantly it also has a couple of warm, shallow pools in the sand during low tide which are perfect for fledgling bathers. Large wide spaces even when reasonably busy. rightbeach took a super whizzy frisbee which was very popular with the kiddies.

It’s an old-fashioned classic beach. Lots of sand, wind breaks, and families (some with kites, some with grannies), probably influenced by the proximity of the Harlyn Sands Holiday Park.

It also has a pub/shop in the shape of the Harlyn Inn tucked behind the sand dunes which also hires out boards and wetsuits.

rightbeach recommends Harlyn beach for all generations of beach loving families (and the dog too!)

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service April 29th – September 25th & Easter weekend
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Not known

See Harlyn Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

The loos are a right trek, across a stoney overflow carpark, so plan your kids’ toilet trips for them!
The beach can get quite breezy of there’s an strong off shore wind, so taking a beach tent or wind breaks is advisable.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		It’s an okay beach – it’s size and the kid-friendly tidal pools are it’s best features.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Can get busy in patches.
Surf		Pretty reliable North Cornish surf.
Sand
Toilets		An uber trek across two car parks.
Parking		Lots of parking over looking the beach. Expect to pay around £3-4 for the whole day in peak season.
Food		A pub and ice cream vans.
Shopping		A beach shop which doubles as an surf hire place.

review by The rightbeach Team

Crackington Haven beach review, North Cornwall

Posted on August 4, 2011 by mtargettuk

Crackington Haven is a little charmer of a beach. The winding road down eventually leads you out to the hamlet which contains a couple of cafes, a shop, a pub and a small pay and display car park (there is another overflow car park slight further up the hill). There are a surprising amount of good things crammed into this small beach.

The beach itself is a sequence of pebbles, shingle and sand as you get closer to the sea, with the sand covered by the tide as it draws in.

There’s some pretty robust surf, a nice collection of rock pools and impressive scenery formed by the steep hills and cliffs which is also why it’s popular with walkers.

rightbeach wholeheartedly recommends (and frequently uses) Crackington Haven for a crab sandwich lunch with the children followed by an ice cream on the beach hunting for interesting pebbles to plop into the pools.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service July 2nd – September 4th
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Dogs not allowed April 1st to September 30th

See Crackington Haven beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Check the tide times – if sand is a must for your beach trip then there’s little point going if the tide is in.
In order to get a space in the closest car park, you should aim to get there for 10am at the latest (however there’s always the one up the road as a back up).
We always make a point of having fresh crab sandwiches at the excellent Haven Cafe, followed up by an ice cream from next door (rightbeach loves candy floss flavour, and hokeypokey, and rum and raisin…oh and raspberry pavlova, and good old-fashioned strawberry, you get the idea!).

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		What it lacks for in wide expanse of sand it makes up for in character.
Crowded (1=deserted)		It’s never too bad there although the car parks and cafes can get busy.
Surf		Body boarding is big on the beach.
Sand		There’s nothing wrong with the sand but it’s covered by the sea around high tide and at other times it remains wet.
Toilets		Nice and close to the beach.
Parking		One small (50 spaces) pay-and-display close to the beach which always seems to be on the full side. There’s an overflow car park somewhat up the hill.
Food		Two cafes – our favourite being the excellent Haven Cafe (not the cheapest but good food). Plus there’s a pub with its own car park for patrons.
Shopping		Two shops pretty well stocked with beach goodies.

reviewed by The rightbeach Team

Daymer Bay beach, North Cornwall

Posted on August 3, 2011 by mtargettuk

Daymer Bay is a golden strip of sand in the Camel Estuary near to Rock. Its sheltered and gently sloping beach means it’s ideal for younger children. There’s plenty of space to spread out even at high tide, and together with rock pools, sand dunes and sandcastle/beach cricket sand you can happily keep the family amused for the whole day.

When the tide’s out the sand stretches all the way around rocks to Rock beach, and so it’s good for a nice extended stroll round the coast to Polzeath (maybe after that enormous picnic you packed and then consumed!)

rightbeach thoroughly recommends this beach for a full on family day of fun on the beach. Pack all the kit and stay out until the kids have just enough energy to walk back up the steps to the car.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: No
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach

See Daymer Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

The beach tends to get busiest closest to the steps down from the car park – why people can’t be bothered to walk an extra 2 mins to have their own space is beyond us. Head off to the west (turn right at the bottom of the steps) for some sheltered cliffs and rock pools. Or turn left and hack all the way to the other end of the beach (5 mins walk) and enjoy acres of perfect sand all to yourselves.
It’s a bit of stroll back to the cafe/shop and it’s a tad expensive in our opinion.
Take a frisbee and see how far you can throw it to each other.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Pretty good all-rounder, although lack of surf may put off teens.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Lots of space, especially at low tide when you can walk all the way around to Rock.
Surf		Its location in the estuary means that surf is pretty minimal.
Sand		It’s lovely golden sand and there’s lots and lots of it.
Toilets		Pretty average – bit of a trek from the beach.
Parking		One large car park, which doesn’t look like it fills up completely. Last time rightbeach was there it was £3.50 for the whole day (mid summer).
Food		Just the one cafe which seemed on the expensive side.
Shopping		Again – just one shop which didn’t have beach shoes (rightbeach had tumble dried theirs the night before and melted them!)

review by rightbeach

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Tag Archives: large carpark

Weston-Super-Mare beach review, Somerset

Beach blurb

Yaverland beach, Isle of Wight

Whitecliff Bay beach, Isle of Wight

Beach blurb

Portrush East Strand beach, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Minehead beach, Somerset

St Ouen’s Bay beach, Jersey

Sennen Cove beach, South Cornwall

Harlyn Bay beach, North Cornwall

Crackington Haven beach review, North Cornwall

Daymer Bay beach, North Cornwall

Beach blurb

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