Tag Archives: rivulet

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

St Helen’s beach, Isle of Wight

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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

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 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 themselves

Whitecliff Bay beach, Isle of Wight

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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

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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating What it lacks for in wide expanse of sand it makes up for in character.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating It’s never too bad there although the car park and cafes can get busy. You can always head ‘beach left’ for seclusion.
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Mini rollers but nothing too fancy.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle rating 20-30 spaces within Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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.

Sennen Cove beach, South Cornwall

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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

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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Rock pools, shallow pools for swimming, freshwater rivulets, big waves, shallow paddling in the sea. Pretty amazing really!
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Surfing and body boarding are popular.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Flat and fine sand and there’s sand at all times despite the varying tide.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Toilet facilities small but close by.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Well stocked with shops including craft and surf shops.

reviewed by Maria D

Crackington Haven beach review, North Cornwall

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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

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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating What it lacks for in wide expanse of sand it makes up for in character.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating It’s never too bad there although the car parks and cafes can get busy.
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Body boarding is big on the beach.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Nice and close to the beach.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating 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 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Two shops pretty well stocked with beach goodies.

reviewed by The rightbeach Team

Trebarwith Strand beach, North Cornwall

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Trebarwith is, in rightbeach‘s opinion, the jewel of the North Cornish Coast. It’s a tidal beach – completely covered by the sea three hours before and after high tide, meaning that you have to time your visits right to get the maximum time to explore and enjoy the fab surroundings. It does have a tricky slipway entrance to the beach so take it easy and wear appropriate footwear!

Here’s a round up of its many attractions: golden sandcastle sand; decent surf; fabulous kid-friendly paddling pools of sea water with sandy bottoms; beautiful sheltering surrounding cliffs; cute gift shops and nice cafe choices. In past years, rightbeach has turned ‘beach left’ to set up camp by the freshwater stream flowing onto the beach, and also ‘beach right’ to find the more secluded and very safe sandy pools. rightbeach also likes to go climbing and see how high we can get (maybe not with the small children!)

rightbeach recommends Trebarwith Strand for families with young and/or older children (and the family dog!). Oh, and great for surfing if you manage to find a safe place to leave the children! Do check the tide times first though or there may be no beach at all.

Beach blurb

See Trebarwith Strand beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • There are two car parks. If you’ve got young ones, you may want to get to the beach early in the day (tide permitting) and pay the extra charge for the closer car park to spare yourself the walk down to the beach.
  • To make a day of it, take plenty of supplies and head onto the rocks to sit out high tide; alternatively retire to the Port William pub (up on the cliffs) or cafes and munch through sandwiches and ice creams.
  • Seek out the secret tidal pools and explore the rocky protrusions – guaranteed to keep kids and grown ups occupied for at least an hour.
  • TIDE TIDE TIDE-check it out before you leave home!

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Awesome when the tide times fit with your holiday dates but sadly that’s out of our control.
Crowded
(1=deserted)		 Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating  Lots of mini camps of groups of families together.
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Pretty reliable rollers. Popular with body boarders and surfers alike.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Coarsish but good for digging and epic sandcastles.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Pretty average – bit of a bind having to walk up the slipway from the beach.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Two car parks. The closest one is quite expensive (£6-ish for all day – price drops as tide comes in) and fills up quickly. Get their for 10am to ensure a space.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Nice selection of hot, cold and ice cream vendors.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating A couple of art galleries and the usual beach shop offerings. We like the Crazy Mermaid for wacky prints and paintings.

review by The rightbeach Team

Polzeath beach, North Cornwall

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Polzeath (also known as Hayle Bay) is a big lively wedge of sand ideal for active families and families with older children. It nestles nicely between rising cliffs on either side and is a popular part of the North Cornish coastal path for walkers.

It’s probably best known for its reliable surf credentials which draws in surfers and body boarders by the drove. In fact, rightbeach felt positively out of place in old skool swimming cossies as opposed to the much-in-evidence wetsuits. rightbeach‘s neice had her very first surf lesson there this Summer. Hopefully no real wipe outs!

Past the on-beach car park sporting SUVs galore, there’s a broad flat expanse of sand (especially huge at low tide) ideal for beach cricket although not all of it stays dry during tidal cycles.

The little town of Polzeath has grown into a mini resort over the years and now features a couple of “fairground rides” and a scattering of bars and cafes, taking advantage of the coolish/semi-bohemian vibe.

rightbeach recommends Polzeath for families of all shapes and sizes. Tiddlers will be catered for by easy parking and the opportunity to ‘pop back to the car’ for feeding or just quiet time out of the elements. Toddlers will love the sandy pools and digging channels to their moat. Teens will enjoy the beach life and surf lessons. The rest of us will be grateful the kids have got so much to do and can grab a quick coffee.

Beach blurb

See Polzeath beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

  • Of the two car parks the one on the beach is the most convenient. You can usually get a car park space on the beach if you arrive just before 10am. Alternatively, do something else in the morning and arrive after 2pm and there’s a steady trickle of people leaving the car park.
  • You can easily hire wet suits and body boards for all ages and sizes. It’s so much easier than lugging them down in the car if you only plan on doing this once or twice during your holiday and the charges aren’t that extortionate.
  • If the weather is inclement and your little ones are in need of warming up, head over to the Galleon Beach Cafe for hot chocolates (with marshmallows) and fresh cooked doughnuts …

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Area
Rating
Observation
Beach Sandcastle ratingSandcastle rating No rock pools, sand gets a bit soggy and there’s a fair amount of litter as it’s such a well-used beach.
Crowded (1=deserted) Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating  It’s a busy beach, popular beach. On warm days the sea in particularly can be rammed with body boarders and surfers meaning that swimmers and splashers are forced into certain areas.
Surf Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating  Reliable rollers, hence it’s popularity.
Sand Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Sandy beach, although it can be a bit slimy in places due to the proximity of the car park to the rivulet running off into the beach.
Toilets Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating  No problems.
Parking Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Two car parks means you should always be in with a shout to get a space. One smaller pay and display on the beach (high tide can spill into this one!), and another larger one up on the cliff over looking the beach.
Food Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating The town is fairly lively, so there’s plenty of choice with pubs, beach cafes and shops.
Shopping Sandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle ratingSandcastle rating Again, lots of shops in the town.

Review by rightbeach, Tom v A and Sam T