There\u2019s only one thing to do when the weather is as sizzling as it has been in the UK the past few days: make a beeline for the beach.\u00a0Of course, to do that you\u2019ll need to venture out of London (unless you\u2019re content sunbathing on the banks of the Thames). But you don\u2019t really have to go\u00a0very far before you come across some of the most stunning coastline Britain has to offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, for the next time you want to swap skyscrapers for sea air, Time Out editors have put together a list of their\u00a0favourite beaches near London<\/a>. Most are between\u00a090 minutes and two hours away. But there\u2019s one we love that you can get to in less than an hour\u00a0\u2013 50 minutes from\u00a0London Fenchurch Street, to be exact.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bell Wharf Beach in Leigh-on-Sea<\/strong>, Essex is\u00a0Time Out\u2019s\u00a0best beach within an hour of London for summer 2025.\u00a0The quaint\u00a0stretch of sand is a quick 10 minute walk from Leigh\u2019s train station and offers a much quieter alternative to the likes of\u00a0Brighton<\/a>\u00a0Beach and Camber Sands, which tend to get packed with Londoners come summertime.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our writers said: \u2018If you like your beaches flanked by cobbled streets, boats swaying in the breeze, and traces of a historic fishing past such as olde worlde cockle sheds, then this is one for you: it\u2019s a bit of a photographer\u2019s gift.<\/p>\n \u2018While the beach is small, it is also sandy, and you are in close proximity to some fine seafood eateries. Try Osborne’s Caf\u00e9 & Seafood Hall, which won the 2021 British Food Awards in the Fish & Seafood category for its cooked cockles.\u2019<\/p>\n We\u2019ve got plenty more where that came from.\u00a0We recently crowned the\u00a0UK\u2019s best seaside town<\/a>\u00a0(and it\u2019s just 90 minutes from London) and named\u00a0this leafy town one of the best day trips from the city<\/a>.\u00a0If you want to go even further from the Big Smoke,\u00a0pick\u00a0your favourite from Time Out\u2019s list\u00a0of the\u00a0best beaches in the whole of the UK<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Check out the best\u00a0day trips from London<\/a>\u00a0and the best\u00a0weekend trips from London<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n