Because of the free beach laws in Britain, hotels are not built on the beach. Land can only be owned to the high tide line so the beaches are open to all the population (which is after all what they pay their taxes for). It is possible to own the land that gives access to the beach and therefore deny people access, but in most cases the owner will then charge parking fees and open his beach for a profit. Since all towns will charge you to park there anyway this is not inconvenient and if staying in the hotel you don’t have the parking problem anyway. Such private land owners however cannot stop boaters from pulling up and enjoying the beach, unless they try to use private facilities on their land, if they stay below the high water mark they are on free land and can enjoy the beach as much as anyone. Since there are so many beaches in Britain this is rarely done unless the beach is not accessible by anything but a boat, and surprisingly there are still quite a few that are like that. No road at all, usually because of steep cliffs.

Townships have very strict parking fee laws for anyone parking in the town, and part of this money plus a level from hotel rooms goes to beach cleanup which takes place every morning. Most beaches are reasonably clean at all times since Europeans are not litterbugs like the Americans, and have always taken it home with them. You can see this by the state of any roadway in the country there will be a little litter on the roadsides but not much, and there is no need for cleanup teams like there is here.

There is such a variety of beaches in Britain it is overwhelming. Many areas have the lovely sandy beaches with white or golden sands. Blackpool probably being the most famous and certainly the most visited since it’s close to the midlands where most of the industrial population has been centered since the industrial revolution (due to the coal fields in the Pennines). Bournmouth on the south coast is also another popular destination, since this is located on the English Channel in the south it is usually warmer and more pleasant for longer in the year. Beaches on the East Coast of Britain face into the North Sea and are generally more rocky in nature and less desirable since the North Sea is always cold. A friend of mine who lived on the East coast since he was a child said that during a painting class when the children (aged about 8) were told to paint a seascape he was scolded for painting the sea grey rather than blue, but he pointed out to me, he had never seen a blue sea, it WAS grey! This will give you some idea of the desirability of such beaches as summer vacation spots. The towns are truly fascinating and definitely worth a visit as they have a character all their own far different from the other parts of the country, but they are not the ’lie on the sand and soak up the sun’ beaches of the west and south.

The south coast has a variety of beaches from sand to majestic cliffs and secluded coves. Some of the most beautiful coastal scenery can be seen here but you have to be prepared to walk for it. Parking will be at the top of the cliffs often quite a way back and you have to walk over and down to the beach. To reach the beach you have to go down the cliffs. Pathways and stairs have been provided on most beaches now but a few are still just dirt pathways (beware after rain!!!). If you are not up to walking and steep climbs it is best to avoid such areas.

A good deal of the beaches in England are stones. Hayling Island off Portsmouth a famous beach resort is all stones about the size of a silver dollar. Many other areas have sand in one spot and stones in another. For just laying on the beach this can be quite comfortable but going down for a swim can be quite painful on the feet. Take care when reading brochures they don’t always tell you what the beach is made of.

Other areas are rocky shelves which are great for fisherman or tide pool seekers, a growing pastime in Britain these days. However for sun worshipers they are not so interesting. Marine life is very varied around the British isles and much of interest can be found in the tide pools.