Beaches come in all shapes and sizes. Some are great sweeping stretches of sand flanked by jagged cliffs, some are cute little coves, some have soft, fine sand, others are shingle. And in the UK, many beaches are of the town variety, attached to quaint seaside spots. 

If you’re planning a sojourn to the seaside, never mind the how many chippies or ice cream parlour’s the town has – what about the quality of the beach? That’s why a new list by the Mirror has ranked the best seaside towns in Britain, based on how nice its adjoining sea and sand is. Frankly, it’s such an obvious idea we wish we had come up with it ourselves. 

The Mirror analysed the number of Blue Flag and Seaside Award beaches at each of Britain’s seaside towns to come up with the ranking. What is a Blue Flag? You may be asking. It’s an internationally-recognised award given to beaches with excellent water quality, environmental management and safety. The Seaside Award assesses beaches on similar standards, and is set up by the UK body Keep Britain Tidy. 

Taking the cake in first place was Southend-on-Sea in Essex thanks to its proximity to three Blue Flag beaches and five beaches with a Seaside Award. Southend’s best beaches included Shoebury Common, a colourful hut-lined sandy stretch; Three Shells Beach, a family-friendly spot close to the town’s pier and high street, and Bell Wharf Beach, where visitors can see fishing boats coming in. 

In joint second place was Broadstairs, Christchurch, Torquay, Porthcawl and Tenby. Each of these towns was near to at least three Blue Flag beaches. 

Britain’s 5 best seaside towns, based on beach quality

Here are the top beach towns in the UK, according to the Mirror. 

1. Southend-on-Sea

2. Broadstairs

= Christchurch

= Torquay

= Porthcawl

= Tenby

You can read the Mirror’s list in full here.

The best beaches in the UK, according to Time Out.

The British beach that has been slammed as one of the worst in the world. 

And this is the best seaside view in Britain. 

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