Closest Sandy Beach to ED

[Bic Basher]

Camber Sands is worth trying out. Fantastic sandy beach. M20 to J10, then the A2070 and A259.

[????]

Camber Sands is a proper massive beach (with a reasonable number of eaterise etc nearby) and great but a bit further journeywise. BroadStairs is an OK sized beach but part of a more traditional victorian seaside town. If you're not bothered about a slighly longer journey it would be Camber sands all day long for me.

[DulwichFox]

Camber Sands has sand dunes.. Not a lot of shelter.. It is a nightmare for picnics when it is windy...

It can be a dangerous place to Swim..

http://www.ryenews.org.uk/news/camber-fun-beware-dangers

Foxy.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Seriously, Ruislip Lido https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/ruisliplido

[Toffee]

The thamesjust outside traitors gate. Well it wasnt called that for nothing.

[DulwichFox]

Toffee Wrote:

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> The thames just outside trairors gate.

That's where my earlier piccy was..

Foxy

[Jeremy]

Ruislip's a v long drive... well over an hour. Might as well go to the proper seaside!

[Abe_froeman]

The nearest beach this summer will be in Stratford....

http://queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/whats-on/events/2015/6/beach-east-at-the-park

[indiepanda]

There's a small sandy beach at Leigh on sea which is a bit closer to London than Southend.

Southend isn't all mud, just that the tide goes out a long way and that reveals a lot of mud - it's why the pier is so long I believe - had to make it long to have enough depth of water at the end for pleasure boats to be able to drop off there.

I wouldn't go to Southend there via Blackwall tunnel. I usually go on the south circular to the A2, then onto M25 round to the Dartford tunnel and then take the A13, cut across to the A127 shortly after the flyover at Pitsea. If it's Leigh you want (much smaller but some nice old pubs on the front) then you stay on the A13 all the way.

However, if I really wanted a big sandy beach, I would drive further and go to Broadstairs or Camber Sands. Former better if you want more nearby facilities like cafes etc. Southend isn't as scruffy as it used to be when I was a kid (I went to school down the road in Westcliff) but it's not got a lot of charm.

[Norfolkvillas]

I suggested Folkestone on this thread and was pleased to see my recommendation went down well :-)

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1671242,1673991#msg-1673991

Less than 1.5hrs from ED and is beautiful and interesting all year round, not just in the summer.

[PollyG]

Another vote for Minster on the Isle of Sheppey if proximity is your key driver. It's only a bit over an hour away and in fairness is mostly a stony beach but has a shingly/sandy strip where you can just about build sand castles. It's great for shell collecting though and with a long prom for scooting, small grassy bank for rolling down and old fashioned (ice-cream &) sweetie shop on the front it is fun for pre-schoolers. Else, Westgate-on-Sea is sandy and has easy parking although the beach becomes quite narrow at high tide. Haven't been to Minnis Bay yet so that might be the first sandy beach going eastwards, prior to that the beaches are mostly stony from my experience. Loads of sandy bays round Broadstairs with surfing available at Joss Bay else Margate too- depends what you're after really. For big expanses of sand think you'll be looking at a 2hr+ journey..

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

The South Bank of the Thames would surely be the closest technically correct answer - and the water quality has improved a lot in the last thirty years. In front of the South Bank Centre is actually a nice spot to sit! There is also a temporary "beach" (a big sand pit) set up by the skate pit this year

[bilksy]

indiepanda Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There's a small sandy beach at Leigh on sea which

> is a bit closer to London than Southend.

>

> Southend isn't all mud, just that the tide goes

> out a long way and that reveals a lot of mud -

> it's why the pier is so long I believe - had to

> make it long to have enough depth of water at the

> end for pleasure boats to be able to drop off

> there.

>

> I wouldn't go to Southend there via Blackwall

> tunnel. I usually go on the south circular to the

> A2, then onto M25 round to the Dartford tunnel and

> then take the A13, cut across to the A127 shortly

> after the flyover at Pitsea. If it's Leigh you

> want (much smaller but some nice old pubs on the

> front) then you stay on the A13 all the way.

>

> However, if I really wanted a big sandy beach, I

> would drive further and go to Broadstairs or

> Camber Sands. Former better if you want more

> nearby facilities like cafes etc. Southend isn't

> as scruffy as it used to be when I was a kid (I

> went to school down the road in Westcliff) but

> it's not got a lot of charm.

Yes Old Leigh or Chalkwell is deffitnetly the best parts of the beach. If you go to old Leigh you can also pop by to Leigh Broadway - lots of shops and restaurants to eat at.

I'm from westcliff aswell. :D

Any questions about the Southend area please ask

But the best beaches I've been to in England is studland beaches in dorset