We all love to head to the seaside during the summer months for a day of paddling in the sea and relaxing on the sand. Here in the West Country we are blessed with lots of beautiful beaches and some have even been crowned the best in the country.
A survey carried out by The Sunday Times in 2021 saw 805 beaches visited within Britain, but it was a destination in Devon that really caught the eye of judges, reports Somerset Live.
Based in North Devon, Woolacombe Beach was announced as the victor of the prestigious award and it is no surprise to those that have visited before.
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The Sunday Times article described the beauty spot as a "little bit Disney" and a "little Cape Cod" - a sand-strewn peninsula in Massachusetts, USA - and raved about local businesses such as The Beachcomber Cafe, pizza truck Stoned and Woolacombe Surf Centre.
The article was full of praise of the spot and said: "Sands on this scale should have attracted huge hotel investment and hordes of second-homers but because this village of Victorian villas is surrounded by National Trust land, the developers have been kept at bay.
"You’ll find instead a village where the one hip, Hackney-style apartment block looks as uncomfortable as a yuppie at a festival and where battered wetsuits — the more ragged the better — are worn like business attire."
It continues: "You’ll notice the uniformity of the Woolacombe vernacular: it’s a little bit Disney and a little Cape Cod, with clapboard architecture in pale white and blue, and if you feel a frisson of irritation you won’t be alone.
"Privately managed beaches have always stirred debate: many argue that the seaside should be open for all, whether for profit or pleasure — but someone has to empty the bins, clean the lavatories, manage the car parks and pay for the lifeguards.
"With local authority budgets stretched that’s not always done properly on council-maintained beaches, and at Woolacombe, the sparkling facilities and raked sands support the view that beaches are not only better off under responsible private management but could also be leading the way in the renaissance of the British seaside.
"I stopped at Fudgies Bakehouse before I left town, to buy a pasty for the journey home. Hours later I stopped at a service station on the M5 to eat it. Handwritten on the bag was the message: “Safe travels. See you again soon.”
TikTokers were equally impressed with the location, with Chloe Keating sharing a clip of the beach saying it was her 'favourite place'.
Dozens of people agreed, with one person writing: "I love it there," and a third penned: "I adore Woolacombe".
But be warned, some tourists have not been impressed with the cost of parking. There are a choice of car parks to pick from if you’re visiting Woolacombe Beach alongside additional roadside parking for shorter stays. Both long stay car parks - The Esplanade Car Park or Sandy Burrows Car Park - are owned by Parkin Estates. Charges vary depending on the time of year, from £5 per day to £12 per day. The Esplanade Car Park offers an 'Early Bird' Scheme, meaning visitors leaving before 1pm, or arriving after 6pm benefit similarly.
Some aren't happy with the structure in place. Reviews on TripAdvisor have called the fee a rip-off, while others have said they don’t mind it too much.
One visitor said the parking charge was extortionate and wasn't happy with having to pay a full-day rate despite only staying for one hour. She said: “Car parking… £10 for 1 hour?! We had no other choice but to pay it.
“Daylight robbery. We were taking little one for her first play in the sand, turns out she isn’t a beach babe! Otherwise we would have stayed longer. Should have gone to Wales. Waste of time- won’t visit again.”
Another tourist agreed that the parking charges were 'unacceptable'. They said: "Car parking charges have become extortionate and really are a rip off despite their contributions to RNLI and beach maintenance. Ten pounds to park a car for a day or an hour is unacceptable."
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