Mumsnet Talk

Walton is right next to Frinton and you can definitely find ice cream too. Pier and sandy beach are nice and a short walk from the train but make sure to check the tide tables.

Whistable is shingle, I'm afraid. Broadstairs is a bit further away, but is easy to get to by train, and has a couple of sandy beaches with rockpools,

Broadstairs is brilliant - it has two main beaches, one a traditional sandy beach, the other sand and rocks for rockpooling. Only problem is, it's a bit of a walk to the station - and uphill on the way back!

Whitstable is pebbly but interesting.

Margate is sandy but the town is right on the beach, so not very romantic. Has Primark, though!

Lots of fab beaches in Kent I could recommend if you were coming by car.....

There is plenty of sand at Eastbourne, Hastings, Brighton etc if you check the tide times before you set off. If you want sand and rockpools then you'd have to come for a weekend so you could experience the change of the tides.

Margate looks good- I found it when looking for Broadstairs. Sand, mintues from the station, good facilities.

I think I like the idea of Margate for the sandy beach and Shoeburyness for a contrast.

nooooo! Broadstairs really isn't far from the train station (15 mins tops), and Margate is just Much Less Nice. I used to binge drink there as a teen .

It's only 15 minutes TO the beach at Broadstairs (10 on a good day!). It's a lot longer back up the hill if you're pushing a pushchair and trailing tired sandy children! Particularly if you've been to Louisa Bay for the rockpools.

Margate has no rockpools and is pretty soulless. And very windy and exposed. But it is vey close to the station and has good sand.

I think distance from the train station is key. Two of the three kid will be walking and they will not have any energy left by the time we leave. Margate wins hands down on that front. And the town doesn't have to be all nice - so long as the beach is good.

I wasn't expecting to get sand and rockpools in the same location.

Weymouth is my ideal. We went there last year for a week holiday. It has sandy beach, town centre, lots of attractions, seperate rock pool area. Fab fab fab! Way to far for a day out though!

Broadstairs would give you all you wanted.You could always get a taxi back to the station.

Hastings beach less than 5 mins walk from the station. Probably 15 mins to the Old Town (loads of retro shops and nice bars & coffee shops) Fab fish & chips from the Blue Dolphin. The fishermans net huts are beautifula dn the museum is good too.
beach is pebbly at high tide, but goes out and there's plenty of sand then. Rock pools right at the eastern end of the Old Town beach, just under the cliffs.

www.1066country.com/hastings
Try here.

In Lulworth there are some nice places and some new hotels opening. limestone at Lulworth looks quite intriguing... And it's a 2 hour journey from London

Littlehampton has a sandy beach

Please do not go margate for the love of god, it is awful now, gone really down hill and it's just not nice. Not worth it. Broadstairs is only a couple of stops from Margate carry on there, it's much nicer.

Southend you can't go wrong loads of arcades, pebble beach though, theme parks, lots of fish and chip shops etc crazy golf to!

Whitstable, don't bother with herne bay, another seaside town gone to pot but whitstable is lovely and quirkly, lots of cute boutique shops, pebble beach, fab pubs (old neptune is great in the summer)

Leigh on sea is nice as well.

clacton

pick up the train at stratford east london - unless you closer to liverpool street . really easy journey; ten minute walk to beach from station .... clacton has sandy beach pier land train etcetc. have done a few days out to clacton with kids on train easy peasy . good sand shallow water to swim etc.

frinton is dull for kids; tho naice

We used to go to Walton on the naze every year for our holidays, five of us including granny. I have so many happy memories of staying there! That was 40 years ago and I now live in the North of Scotland so not much use to you but had to reminisce.