A Beach Bucket List for the UK

The Victorians prescribed sea air to relieve melancholy, and a break to some of the UK’s vast and varied beaches this Easter will be sure to blow away any lingering cobwebs. Whether you crave blustery rambles along the Jurassic coast, sequestered wild swimming spots or would rather be supine in the optimistic English sunshine, the beaches of the British Isles are the gifts that keep on giving. Our editors have scoured the UK to curate a list of bucket list beaches, accompanied by nearby ASMALLWORLD hotels, for a weekend of Easter relaxation.

Seacliff Beach, North Berwick, Scotland

Framed by a dilapidated 14th-century fortress peering over the rockface, Seacliff Beach is a dramatic sprawl of undisturbed shoreline. Home to Scotland’s smallest harbour, its shallow waters are safe to paddle in and the surrounding grassy knolls boast birds’ eye views of the sandy beach below. A short boat trip to the uninhabited Bass Rock and its spooky disused lighthouse will recall childlike thrills of Famous Five adventures and the Seabird Centre is not to be missed. Stay at Greywalls Hotel, a cosy Edwardian building with hearty gastronomic offerings, which is just a twenty-minute drive from the beach.

Studland Bay, Dorset

Often overlooked by its jazzier counterparts Cornwall and Devon, Dorset rewards those prepared to scramble down rugged pathways with expansive, emptier beaches. Studland Bay boasts four of the Jurassic Coast’s most charming spots – South, Middle, Shell and Knoll beaches– which, on a scorching summer’s day, could be mistaken for the Mediterranean. With sandy dunes, sherbet-hued gorse and crystalline waters, Studland Bay is a picturesque place to spend the day. Stay at Chewton Glen, just 15 miles west, for a quintessentially British experience with an idyllic spa.

AERIAL VIEW OF STUDLAND BAY.

Helen’s Bay, County Down

Culloden Estate, once a bishop’s palace and now a five-star hotel, is just a six-minute drive from Helen’s Bay, a sheltered cove off the coast of Belfast. Popular amongst local wild swimmers for its pleasant tides and with hikers for its meadowed headlands, this spot is endowed with an otherworldly beauty.

HELEN’S BAY, JUST OUTSIDE OF BELFAST.

Dungeness, Kent

Dubbed as Britain’s only desert, Dungeness is a curious, barren landscapes punctuated by unruly wildlife, single-storey sheds and abandoned industrial plants. Whilst this is not the place for a paddle and a sunbathe, many photographers, birdwatchers and hikers make the pilgrimage for its distinctly cinematic feel. Easily accessible from London, we suggest staying at The Dixon in London Bridge for its proximity to the train station.