long w/e for me and the kids, seaside, 3hrs max from London?

[bossykate]

hello everyone

the title says it all really! i would be grateful for ideas for a long w/e for myself and the kids and possibly a friend with child(ren) in June. i would like to be walking distance from a sandy beach and maximum 3hrs travel time from London. open mind as to hotel or self catering - but if hotel must have interconnecting rooms and babysitting.

thanks in advance

Isle of wight

Loads to do and sandy beaches

thanks RTKM, IoW is a great suggestion

delighted to hear more ideas of course

Bournemouth-ish.

Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. totally gorgeous, stunning beach

If you do go to IofW go for southern side like shanklin or sandown better beaches than Ryde side

Although it is so small it doesn't really matter where

How's about norfolk, loads of Sandy beaches up on the coast there? hemsby
We popped there for a day, when I was preggers with dd, (we were boating at the time and my parents popped down for the day, so dad thought a drive over to the coast was in order!) have to say I quite like the look of the place, it had one main street with arcades/shops on it, but in a quaint way, kinda 60's/70's seaside still, not full of booze n idiots, if you get my drift! plus huge sandy beaches and outstanding broadlands close by! I'd give it a go for the weekend, has anyone else been?

I went to Skegness last week, about 2 1/2 hours from here (herts) and they had lovely sandy beaches ther, was shocked that they had sand!!!

thank you, ladies

great minds, as my preconceived thought was in fact bournemouth and surrounds - any ideas where to stay?

KatieMac is in Norfolk so may have ideas of hotels etc.

wonderful, more ideas while i was posting, thank you so much

DH took the DSs camping down there last summer, bk, but can't remember where he liked the best - could it have been Boscombe??? (He is asleep now, will ask in morning but wherever it was had a lovely beach )

Yep, could have been Boscombe!

thanks for all the ideas so far, please keep them coming

Lulworth Cove? This looks nice but I haven't been there

Christchurch is nice and not far from Bournemouth, also Muddiford is close, it has a lovely sandy beach. New forest nearby also!

lulworth is so, so nice and you are near Burton Bradstock then (lovely shingle beach = fossil possibilities; gorgeous fish cafe on beach)

that hotel looks good www and delighted to hear that there is a new cafe on the cove

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have been hoping you'd catch me

you have missed many Enid/cafe related comments over the last few days

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very nice, had ham and some sort of artichoke ciabatta thing. The cakes looked good too. Oh and I had a smoothie and an 8 cup cafetiere coffee - shared between just me and one other didnt sleep until 2am!

moody woman behind till though with mad headscarfe

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Where's Fisherton Mill? Is it in Fisherton St (she asked, stupidly)?

the crafts were grim (apart from tea towels)

when my workplace gets restored we have to plan new room arrangement and cafe - have been given money by the arts council to ponce around on jollys to get inspiration