Beaches and nice towns on south Essex or north Kent coast

[juneau]

Just looking for ideas for beach days over the summer. We live in Herts, which has no shoreline, so which are the nicest towns with beaches within easy reach? I suppose I'm looking for about an hour or so's drive. Is Herne Bay nice? Whitstable? Maldon?

I'm not looking for places with amusement arcades or fish and chips - more clean, sandy beaches, beach huts, historic town centre with a range of dining options - that kind of thing.

Maldon is a nice day out with its promenade park, including splash park, pirate ship playground. And nice town to wander round. But no beach.
If you're looking for beaches, Southend, frinton, Clacton, Walton all sandy beaches

Whitstable is lovely

Whitstable, Broadstairs etc (the family room at the holiday inn in Ramsgate is our new bolthole!) are less than 2 hrs from us - also Herts.

Great! Thank you. I need to have a few things to look forward to over the summer (weather permitting ... of course!)

Minnis Bay - further up the Thanet Way from Whitstable and Herne Bay. Lovely sandy beach, no arcades, couple of place you can buy icecreams etc and free parking along the seafront.

Mersea Island - East Mersea has a country park with picnicking space, a small visitor centre, walks by the beach (sand and stones) and West Mersea is more the town, still with the seafront (more sand) but also cafes, fish restaurants and the like. Both very lovely, overlooking estuaries/sea. You have to go into the Island across the Strood which gets submerged at high tide so have to check the tide times (and don't risk it - you don't have to wait too long anyway, and every now and again the coastguard has to come and rescue someone off the roof of their car!). Is well worth visiting

Although not very 'south' - sorry should have read title properly