Best Dorset beach suggestions

[owainsmum]

We're planning a few days in Dorset in October and want to be near a nice sandy beach. It also needs to be easily accessible because we have a 3 year old and a baby so will have a pram with us. We were thinking about Lulworth Cove which looks fab but isn't sand, can anyone recommend some good places please

Swanage.
Perfect sandy beach for a young family plus all the added seaside attractions.
Off there for a week tmrw!

Studland Bay is absolutely stunning-miles of sandy beaches and accessible by road and a car park. Not a huge amount in terms of facilities, there is a little cafe and toilets so you might want to take a picnic. Beware the nudist beach part way down the shoreline though!

Swanage is good too, but more going on there

We went to swanage last week and visited studland most days. Knoll beach was the best and had a lovely cafe,shop,toilets and facilities and the beach was very close. Parking was £9 a day unless you are a national trust member.
It is a lovely beach although when we went there was a LOT of seaweed on the beach and a few jellyfish much to dcs joy.

Lulworth Cove is sandy on the right hand side but check the tide times, if you go at low tide there are great rock pools as well as sand. Swanage is good, Studland is fabulous as is Sanbanks. Weymouth has a sandy beach and lots of stuff in town if you are caught out by the weather.

Thanks all for the suggestions, I'll check them out

Weymouth, Swanage, Studland, Bournemouth.

Dorset has some of the best beaches in the country. (Totally not biased. Okay, have really missed not being in Dorset near the sea this summer. Need to persuade management we need to open an office in Bournemouth or Poole or somewhere like that.)

Weymouth beach is huge, goes on for ages and is lovely and sandy. I find Swanage to be a bit too stony plus there's bugger all of it!

Weymouth is bigger and has more choice too wrt eating out.

Weymouth is stony if you go to the east end of it, by Greenhill and along by the Preston Beach Wall. But the main beach is large and sandy. Bournemouth is also sandy, for miles from Sandbanks along to Hengistbury, so you can pick and choose which bit. Parking can be interesting if it's a hot day.

In October I would head for a beach near a town so you can grab a coffee to warm up.

I would avoid secluded spots.

Bournemouth or Weymouth probably best bet.

We've done both with small children and I think Bournemouth is easiest. Park at the top, pay for all day. Walk down the slope and your at the beach. A short walk into the lovely gardens and the town centre.

Another vote for Weymouth, love it there!

I love Weymouth as well but in October there will be no Punch and Judy, Donkeys or trampolines.

And the town leaves a lot to be desired these days ..

in October there will be no Punch and Judy

Which is a positive.

Why do you see that as a positive?

I ran out screaming from Punch and Judy when I was 4, and I've never liked it since. Though I assume he doesn't still go round beating Judy.