Please suggest a UK beach holiday!

[beachtimeagain]

Last year we had the best holiday ever and it was all thanks to a suggestion by you lovely people! Hoping you can do it again!

Needs to have:

For DS a Sandy beach
For DD some shops and an arcade or two
For DH no more than 3 hours from Winchester
For me .... be pretty!!

Places we've loved have been Minehead, Lyme Regis, Tenby and Whitby

Been to the Bournemouth/Poole area on day trips but it's all too built up to feel like a holiday to me.

Hope you lovely people can work your magic again!!

(Oh, sadly can't do Isle of White as DD won't go on a boat)

Thank you!!

[StuckInTheMiddleOfNowhere]

Weymouth

[Dontlickthetrolley]

Swanage

[scegliere]

Sidmouth

[Billandben444]

Another vote for Weymouth. Swanage is nice but a bit small for us, mind you you've got the beautiful beaches of Studland and Poole Harbour down the road.

[notprincehamlet]

Woolacombe? Sidmouth/Ladram Bay?

[dolphinsarentcommon]

The. Gower

[Floralnomad]

Slightly over the 3 hours - Falmouth

[unicornsarereal72]

The gower. Pembrokeshire. Slightly further but worth it. Beautiful beaches. And less crowds. Worth the journey

[Limeseverywhere]

Another Weymouth vote, lovely beach and the water is really shallow. The old harbour area is lovely too. Had many a pleasant holiday there when the kids were little.

[Twizbe]

Isle of Wight

[Kayjay2018]

Swanage is amazing! Sandy beach, a few shops (you can go on ferry to Poole and into Bournemouth if you want bigger shops), they have 2 arcades on the sea front, steam railway do you can explore Corfe castle if you like. Knoll beach at studland, glorious Sandy beach plus water sport type activity.

[notprincehamlet]

Torquay? (Babacombe/Brixham)

[Holymotherforkingshirtballs]

South Devon, around Kingsbridge and Bantham. Absolutely gorgeous. Nice shops in Kingsbridge. The beaches are beautiful, South Milton has crystal clear water. Struggling to thing of somewhere with arcades but Woodlands Family Theme Park is a great day out that my boys love when we are in that area.

[Giveitall]

Wales!!The Gower. All the beaches on the Gower are lovely.
Rhossili Bay is to die for.
No crowds.
Avoid Cornwall. It’s a money pit wrip off & you can’t move on the roads for Chelsea Tractors.

[WWRGD]

Dawlish in Devon

[beachtimeagain]

Oh wow, so many great replies!

Swanage sounds good, especially if they have an arcade or two.

Those saying The Gower, is that the large bay before you get to Tenby? If so distance is good as Tenby was lovely but a bit of a trek. Any pretty seaside towns that way? My son could stay on the beach all day but my daughter would be bored after an hour or two.

[beachtimeagain]

I'll check out Falmouth and Woolacoombe. That theme park sounds good @Holymotherforkingshirtballs !

[beachtimeagain]

@notprincehamlet my husband said Torquay today and I pulled a face, but what is it like?

I went for a dirty weekend away there in my teens. All I remember is it being very posh, there was a young farmers event on and sadly a young lad getting stabbed!

Does Brixham have a Sandy beach and things to do? I remember a fishing trip from there on that (very odd) weekend away but not much else.

[Lynnthesearesexnotgenderpeople]

Torbay has several nice beaches. Dawlish Warren is good. Woolacombe in North Devon is fabulous.

[DumpedByText]

Black Rock Sands, North Wales, absolutely beautiful and you can drive on the beach so take all your stuff easily.

[SE13Mummy]

Camber Sands? No arcade on the beach but there's one at the nearby holiday park. Rye is pretty and is a short drive away and there's plenty of sand on the beach.

[HelloDoris]

Broadstairs, beach is ace, with the old seaside town feel. Plus you have lots of other sandy beaches along that way. Margate has a billion arcades but not as nice a place.

[GaiaWise]

Agree with Gower. About an hour nearer then Tenby. If you want shops, restaurants etc then you could stay in Mumbles, Newton or Langland ( both walkable to Mumbles itself. There is one amusement arcade on the small pier.

Limeslade and Bracelet Bay are rocky so fun for rock pools. Langland is a mix of sand and shingle, and is lined with beach huts and amenities. All walkable from Mumbles.
Caswell Bay is a mile further on and completely sandy. If you keep going on the coast path you reach Brandy Cove and Pwhll Du Beach, both gorgeous. And then you’ll need a car for Three Cliffs Bay and Rhossli plus loads more glorious beaches.
However, for amenities you would have to be walking distance from Mumbles.

[IAmSantaOhYesIAm]

I second Broadstairs! Lovey beaches, nice independent restaurants and cafes, and an arcade for your dd! There’s a crabbing pool for low tide, a surf school on the beach and amusements like trampolines and swings for the kids.
Along the coast you have the lovely Ramsgate royal harbour and the other direction Margate which has arcades galore plus the turner gallery for a morning’s activity.
Canterbury with its cathedral isn’t too far a drive and Dover castle not far either.
Theres also wingham wildlife park or wildwood to visit a short drive away.

[Seashanty3]

Torbay : sandy beaches and arcades in Paignton, lovely walks along south west coastal path, a zoo, model village in Torquay and a theatre, plus lovely Brixham for coves (pebbly, granted) fish and chips and charm.