I have recently moved from Holland to England and I would like to know
what's the best beach around here. What's 'best' for me might not be
best for someone else. So here's what I like about a beach:

- Clear water
- Warm water (but I guess they don't get that here)
- Quiet, so not too many people and preferably no shops
- Sand; no stones (small stones are acceptable)
- Safe for swimming; no strong currents and stuff like that
- Free to access
- Clean; no oil spills, no industry anywhere near it
- A bit of nature around it or close by

I live in the county of Somerset and don't want to drive for more than
two hours to get at this 'best' beach. So I think I'm looking for a
beach in either Dorset or Devon, but maybe Cornwall would be the place
to go to.

Hi icefromvenus-ga :)

Using the excellent resource site "ENCAMS SEASIDE AWARDS" found at:

http://www.seasideawards.org.uk/

I managed to find several beaches which appear to meet most of your
criteria. There were some factors which I could not search for (e.g.
water temperature, strong currents) but I was able to define criteria
such as sandy, free access and clean.

As I haven't been to any of these beaches personally, I can only
synopsise the information which I have found (and will also provide
the direct link to the review itself).

1. Berrow

Billed as "perfect for walking" and "backed by dunes which are rich in
wildlife and include a local nature reserve with a way-marked trail". 
Bathing water quality is listed (as at 2002) as having passed the
legal minimum mandatory standard as set out under the Bathing Water
Directive 76/160/EEC.  Full review can be found here:

http://www.seasideawards.org.uk/beach.asp?intRegionId=3&Beach=34&BeachTitle=Berrow&Colour=339999&Place=SOMERSET&TypeColour=green&BeachType=rural&LocationPic=adverts/torbay/torbay.gif&LocationTitlePic=s_west%20alt=South%20West%20title=south%20west#

2. Brean

Brean Sands "lies below the National Trust headland of Brean Down" and
provides a 7 mile stretch of sand.  Also billed as ideal for walking.
Water quality listed as for Berrow.  Full review can be found here:

http://www.seasideawards.org.uk/beach.asp?intRegionId=3&Beach=66&BeachTitle=Brean&Colour=339999&Place=SOMERSET&TypeColour=green&BeachType=rural&LocationPic=adverts/torbay/torbay.gif&LocationTitlePic=s_west%20alt=South%20West%20title=south%20west#

3. Brean Cove

In the same area as Brean, this cove also features an area of rock
pools.  As above, plenty of sandy stretches for walking and water
quality as per EEC minimum, mandatory guidelines.  Full review can be
found here:

http://www.seasideawards.org.uk/beach.asp?intRegionId=3&Beach=67&BeachTitle=Brean%20Cove&Colour=339999&Place=SOMERSET&TypeColour=green&BeachType=rural&LocationPic=adverts/torbay/torbay.gif&LocationTitlePic=s_west%20alt=South%20West%20title=south%20west

I used Encam's advanced search link found at:

http://www.seasideawards.org.uk/advanced.htm

to find the listings above.

I did try a few other searches but it was very difficult to find a
combination of all of your requirements. For example, some searches
turned up what are known as Blue Flag Award Resorts (see owain-ga's
comment below) which are resorts which are singled out for their high
environmental and sanitary standards but most of these were not
strictly sandy beaches.

Some other excellent sites which may assist you in your quest:

The Good Beach Guide found at:

http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/

Backed by the UK's Marine Conservation Society, this site lists
approximately 421 recommended UK beaches.  You can also get a free
booklet of their guide by sending a stamped, addressed envelope to
them at their address listed on the site.  From their website: "The
recommended beaches in this Guide have achieved the highest water
quality standards and are not affected by continuous inadequately
treated sewage discharges".

The National Trust's guide on the UK's seaside found at:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coastline/

Absolutely beautiful pictures found here with a great "days out by the
coast" section and a great wildlife guide (click on "visit the
coastline" link to navigate to these areas).

North Cornwall's Guide to beaches found at:

http://www.northcornwall-live.com/bestbeaches.asp

Great map section - if you roll your cursor over the map, a picture
and description of each beach appears. You do not need to register or
become a member to use the map feature - just pop your cursor over the
map that first loads up and you're off!

Beach Wizard's site at:

http://www.beachwizard.com/

This site is actually an offshoot of a well known British surf site
and has amazing pictures.  It also has a "find a beach" section (on
the home page) which, although geared towards surfers, is quite handy
as it also allows you to screen for wind and swell factors.  There's
also a forum on the site where you can ask others for advice as to
best beaches to go to, etc - go to:

http://www.beachwizard.com/community.asp

to access the forums.

I hope you have found the above useful and that it helps you to find
the perfect beach.  If you require any clarification, please let me
know.

:) jem-ga

Search Strategy:

Keywords:  best UK beaches

://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=best+UK+beaches

Keywords: top UK beaches

://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=top+UK+beaches

I like the great amount of links in this answer. Since it's obviously
pretty hard to judge a beach unless you have been there, these links
will be my best bet on finding a great beach. Thanks.

Gwithian is uitstekend (It's on St Ives Bay, across the bay from St Ives.)

Lulworth Cove (on the South coast), ook.

In Cornwall, you could try:

Porthcurno http://www.shimbo.co.uk/walking/s03.htm
Housel http://www.shimbo.co.uk/walking/s23.htm

However, expect the water to be VERY cold!  Also, since these are very
near to Land's End, it will be quite a trek to reach them, especially
in summer when caravans block all the routes.

The Blue Flag is a symbol of high environmental standards as well as
good sanitary and safety facilities at the beach/marina.
http://www.blueflag.org/

Map and directions to Blue Flag beaches in the South-West:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2960846.stm

Owain