With parents spending thousands of pounds entertaining their children in the summer holidays, day-trips to the UK’s fabulous variety of beaches offers a perfect fun time out. From Blackpool to Newquay, and Bangor to Skegness, the wide variety of sun-kissed shores in England and Wales makes it a dizzying choice for families when thinking about where to go.
Now the Daily Express can reveal which beaches ranked top for being the most family-friendly out of 52 across England and Wales, based on a number of key factors that every family needs to know. They include car and train accessibility, family amenities like café’s restaurants and toilets, number of ice cream, and fish and chip vendors, and crucially water cleanliness – to ensure families have the best, stress-free, beach day.
Shoezone complied a range of lists with the five best beaches on a ‘platinum’ list; the next 17 best on a gold list; then the rest on silver and bronze lists.
So which beaches made the top five list?
Brighton:
Ranking as England and Wales’ most ‘family-friendly’ beach with a score of 75/100, Brighton, in East Sussex, has the most parking opportunities, and ranks highly for the availability of classic beach food, number of toilets and water quality.
Brighton beach also has the best parking opportunities with over 800 to choose from and is just 0.6km from the train station. Ensure to wear trainers though as it’s the only pebblestone beach in the top five.
Scarborough:
Scarborough, in North Yorkshire, is England and Wales’ second-most family friendly beach location, scoring 73.4/100. Situated just 1km from the train station, Scarborough’s beach receives a top ranking for car parking availability, fish and chips and ice cream availability and the most toilet facilities in the entire ranking.
The only northern top five beach, Scarborough offers two large, sandy bays with views of the 11th century Scarborough Castle. Families can enjoy building sandcastles, playing in the amusement arcades or going for a donkey ride.
Plymouth:
Plymouth, in Devon, ranks third at 73.1/100; while the nearest beach is 10k from the train station, Plymouth scores highly for access to car parking, with 512 spaces, along with plenty of toilet facilities and ‘excellent’ water quality.
Families can visit multiple beaches, from the sandy Bovisand Bay to the pebbles of Jennycliff Beach.
Bournemouth:
At fourth, Bournemouth beach, in Dorset, is just 1.7k from the train station, with ‘excellent’ water quality and a large selection of nearby food.
Bournemouth beach boasts some of the warmest sea temperatures in the UK and stunning views of the Isle of Wight and the Purbecks. Families can make use of four communal beach BBQs, available from early summer until October to feed the kids affordably.
Great Yarmouth:
Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, ranks fifth for the most family-friendly beaches, scoring highly for its proximity to the train station (1.7km) and parking facilities, with top scores for water quality and a good provision of classic beach food.
With 15 miles of sandy coastline, families won’t be stuck for space. Great Yarmouth beaches offer sand dunes, clean water to splash around in and bouncy castles.
A spokesperson for Shoezone said: “We created this index to take the stress out of what should be a fun family day out.
“Parents can identify their nearest beach, know exactly what it offers and what they do or don’t need to pack.
“It’s advised to wear trainers or boots when navigating pebble beaches to help reduce any potential injuries. Whereas on sandy beaches flip-flops can be worn without any worries of stubbed toes.”