if we live on an island, then surely that means there must be loads and loads of beaches to got? so how come i havent been to one for years?

[cylon]

i live in surrey, but the only time i ever go to a beach, is when i'm in scotland... why is this? surely there must be a beach, with sand soemwhere near me?
any information please?

[babygrand]

But it's not warm and they're not sandy.

[PeachesMcLean]

I LOVE beaches in this country. Even in the winer. Sorry I can't help you with your local beaches in Surrey but you have lots with beach huts around the south coast don't you? I'd absolutely love a beach hut.
We have big sandy beaches here in Wales. Went to one here on Sunday. Glorious. Too busy really but huge enough to cope.
How can you Not go to beaches? [mystified emoticon] How far are you from the coast? Hope someone comes along soon with the info you desperately need

[PeachesMcLean]

WinTer.

[hatwoman]

4 words: studland bay in dorset.

[scienceteacher]

I think Dorset has the closest sandy beaches to Surrey.

If you are happy with freshwater and artificial, there is a good beach in Thorpe (NW Surrey).

[Dottydot]

My geography's bobbins, but can you get to Whitstable or is that too far as it's the other side of London? When dp and I lived in London we used to love going there for long weekends (before children!).

[Eowyn]

the whole south coast is beaches, not necessarily nice but went to West Wittering recently, that was pretty ok.
think you might consider buying a map, there is a lot closer than Scotland.

[cylon]

thank you. i will checkout studland bay.

i once went to brighton. i was so disappointed by the pebbles on the beach. have never been back since.
i've been to several lovely beaches in scotland, but they are really really cold. for example, on thursday, i was worried i may have let the kids get hypothermia by paddling in the north sea. but it was a beautiful beach. thesun was shining. the sand was clean. there were plenty of shells about for the kids. the water was clean and sparkiling. it wasnt hugley busy.
but it was just bloody cold!

[cylon]

oo, thorpe is very close tome.... i shall google it.

eowyn, this is precisely wahat mystifies me. i look at a map, and i see thousands of miles of coastline........ yet i never seem to be on a beach.

[choosyfloosy]

Trouble is for you, the south Kent coast certainly is awfully shingly. We used to go shrimping and cook the results on a litter fire at Camber Sands when I was a kid. Returning there years later, I couldn't quite believe any of this except the litter part.

My fave beach atm is Mudeford Spit, which is surely the worst-named beach ever. Wrong side of Southampton for you, but if you are ever New Forest way.... Go to Mudeford, follow teacup signs for Avon Beach, but instead of turning left to Avon Beach, go a bit further and turn left for Mudeford Quay. Park there and take the 5-min ferry over to the Spit. No cars, no shingle, just beach huts, sand and ice-cream.

[PeachesMcLean]

You have this nearby and you haven't been????

Desperate to go back to Dorset now.

[hatwoman]

isle of purbeck studland

[hatwoman]

me too peaches - discovered it about two years ago and due a visit!

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Mudeford is lovely! I like reading all the names on the expensive beach huts (Costa Bomb etc)

[scienceteacher]

Cyclon - look at www.jbski.com

[cylon]

peaches, stop terrorising me. where is this beautiful place? and how do i get to it?

[Eowyn]

these is so much, if it's just sand & you're not bothered about anything else Littlehampton/Bognor etc, all along the coast there. If you want loveliness Cornwall is nearer than Scotland. Weymouth is half way sort of... so much to chose from. dearie me. I once swum in a loch, t'was cold, funnily enough.

[PeachesMcLean]

It's so beautiful I feel quite teary sniff.

mudeford

[cylon]

studland bay is a hundred and thirty seven miles away from me.
that means i cant do it as a day trip.

[PeachesMcLean]

Oh I'm so sorry.
Don't know surrey at all. Will go and look at a map now.

[PeachesMcLean]

Ah, yes, Dorset is flippin miles away, but all is not lost. How about this?
Seven Sisters?

[cylon]

mudeford is 110 miles away. . can i do that in one day? round trip of 220 miles?

[cylon]

peaches where is it though? i only got an image? looks beautiful.

[PeachesMcLean]

Oh crikey.

You've got to move house girl. That's why you haven't been to a beach - there isn't one!

[hatwoman]

I live in North surrey and did Purbeck by train for a weekend. stayed in a v. cheap b&B, sharing a twin room with my best friend. train journey was very easy