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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Julie Delahaye

Best beach in the UK revealed as visitors call it 'truly delightful' and 'good old fashioned seaside'

There's nothing quite like a trip to the seaside whether it's swimming in the sea during the summer holidays, or enjoying a walk with some warming fish and chips come autumn.

Now, thanks to a new study we've been given a dose of inspiration for future days out - especially for families.

That's because the research has uncovered the best beaches in the UK that are also safe and kid-friendly, with Ventnor Beach on the Isle of Wight topping the list for family holidays.

Island Cottage Holidays has unveiled its new Safest Shores study which compared British beaches on factors across safety, entertainment, accessibility and lifeguard availability.

Ventnor Beach boasted the best safety scores, as well as being a hit for a friendly atmosphere, and having lifeguards on hand.

Its location near popular attractions such as the Blackgang Chine Amusement Park and Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary also added points in its favour.

The only factor where Ventnor didn't rank highly was due to a lack of easy public transport links - although there are some buses that do provide a link, it wasn't quite as easy to reach as other seaside locations in the research.

Ventnor Beach impressed with its safety, entertainment and facilities (Flickr Vision)

It's not surprising to see Ventnor Beach proving popular. Boasting a mix of pebbles and stretches of golden sands, the beach is ideal for everyone from walkers to sun-seekers, and there are deck chairs you can hire if you want to relax for a few hours. Meanwhile, there's a Victorian town nearby as well as plenty of fish and chip shops, cafes and even ice cream parlours.

A particular highlight for children has to be the large paddling pool which is a giant replica of the Isle of Wight map and shows all the major towns and roads. It's been popular with families for years, and there's a restaurant next door serving everything from all-day breakfasts to snacks.

You can find out more about what's on offer on visitisleofwight.co.uk.

Holidaymakers have also been leaving plenty of positive Tripadvisor reviews, with the location boasting an average score of 4.5/5.

One holidaymaker wrote: "It’s the first time I have swum in the sea for years and I am going again today! The beach is lovely and the sea is flat calm and gently shelving. There are deckchairs etc if you want them and ice cream nearby but no noisy 'entertainments'. A good old fashioned seaside which I love."

Another beachgoer described it as a "beach at the foot of cliffs with winding roads to it, and very beautiful views from the seafront back up to the top of the town", adding it was a "truly delightful" spot.

It wasn't just Ventnor Beach which impressed in Island Holiday Cottages' rankings. Other popular seaside spots included Woolacombe Beach in Devon, Whitesands Beach in Pembrokeshire. Meanwhile, Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex was named the beach where families could find the best kid-friendly meals and restaurants.

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