The Beaches of my Life

So many people have told me about the wonder of the Gower Peninsular, south of Swansea. So much so that it has become a bit of a pilgrimage for me to go and see for myself. A couple of years ago I bought the ordinance survey map for the area and felt as though I was getting nearer to setting my feet on this awesome ground. This year it finally happened. Over the August bank holiday we went and saw for ourselves the majesty, drama and beauty of the Gower and discovered that actually it's only about 2 hours from home. Standing on Rhosilli beach prompted me to think of great beaches I have visited. The results of my contemplations gave birth to this blog post which sums up the top 10 beaches of my life. The beaches I have included have as much to do with my journey through life at the time as much as their own wonder, they appear in reverse order.

10. Frinton Beach

This is the beach of my childhood. From a very young age my grandparents had a house on the Essex Coastline and so from my first summer of life I experienced the Essex beach life. It was situated just over an hours drive from North East London where we lived and we used to spend many indulgent summers with our grandparents digging, swimming and best of all cruising around in the all important dinghy. You can read about Frinton here it is a vast stretch of family friendly non-commercial beach, complete with beach huts, which my grandparents at different points rented out. Going into my teens the beach was near enough for us to drive out to on a Sunday afternoon with my friends, we would drive back bare footed, sandy, full of fish & chips and very happy.

9. Alum Bay, the Isle of Wight 

I visited this beach on a family holiday when I was 15. It was a geographical delight as the sand was multi-coloured. I remember being really intrigued by the different shades, making an obligatory ornament to return home with to remind me of the natural wonder of the place. I've never forgotten it and would love to take my children there one day where apparently you can still make that ornament but no longer directly on the beach. Find out more here.

http://pensacolabeachfun.com/

 8. Pensacola, Florida

As a young 20 something back in 1997 I set off with my friend Rachel to explore the rumble of revival over in Pensacola. Our plans were fairly loose, we booked flights and a hire car and went for it! We knew very little about Pensacola, so landing in Orlando we had a while to contemplate what we were about to experience on the long road trip up. We were absolutely bowled over by what awaited us both spiritually and physically. The beaches of Pensacola were pure white sand, and the sea a perfect turquoise, it was the closest I have come to my picture of  paradise! We found a hotel right next to the beach and had the choice of a beach side pool or the sea to swim in. I remember gazing out across the vista pinching myself, it was so beautiful and there was so much of it.    

 

7. Zetland Pier, Co Cork, Ireland 

We spent our honeymoon in May 1998 in Southern Ireland. The unexpected bonus was gorgeous weather. We had this beach all to ourselves every time we visited. The water was beautifully clear, if not a little cool. For that time it was like our own little sanctuary, secure, safe and secluded.

6. Clovelly Bay, New South Wales 

In May 2005 we had the joy of exploring a small corner of Australia. We fell in love with the great vast space and variety of this incredible land. Whilst staying in Sydney we met up with my bridesmaid and close friend in what had become her home town - Clovelly. It sits just a bit further down the coast from Bondi and is a wonderful bay that is perfect for young explorers. Our children at the time were 3 and 4 and were over joyed to see sea slugs and other brightly coloured marine wildlife. Find out about Clovelly Bay. 

5.Lulworth Cove 

I just love this cove because it is so completely unique. I have visited a couple of times throughout my life and each time I am surprised all over again by the shape, size and proportion. I think it is so brilliantly unique, enchanting and enthralling. I have never been in season and so have never swum, or dug on the beach, it doesn't seem to lend itself to that sort of activity, nor is it the prettiest beach I have ever stumbled upon but it is a sheltered glorious hiding place and I love it. You can read more about the cove here.

4. Kangaroo Island, Australia 

On the same Australian trip, whilst staying in Adelaide, I went with my son on a day trip to Kangaroo Island. We left in the early hours of the morning and returned very late that night but we sucked the joy out of every last minute. There was so much to see, it was a very unique experience. We saw everything from the predicted and expected: kangaroos, through to the completely unexpected - penguins! The highlight for both of us was sharing a beach with the seals.

3.Fort Mahon Plage, France 

Having children has reignited my interest and perception of beaches beyond all measure. My children will dig and create for hours on the beach, they are so blissfully happy, they are also fearless when it comes to the temperature of the water. We have been lucky enough to explore many of the beaches of Brittany and Cornwall. They provide the ideal conditions: wonderful flat, family friendly stretches of golden sand and water that is surveyed by life guards and just choppy enough for a bit of body boarding. In 2009 we had the enormous joy of enjoying all of this with my entire family and we found Fort Mahon beach which lent out a brilliant buggy (beach equivalent of a wheel chair) so my sister didn't miss a moment of the action. Very, very happy days.

 

2.Oxwich Bay 

So we made it to the Gower this summer and we instantly recognised what everyone had been telling us about this jewel of Wales. We explored many of the beaches and decided that Rhossili was perhaps the most awesome beach we had ever seen. It was Oxwich bay that captivated me though. The dunes, the driftwood, the marshes, the bridges, the boardwalk (I love boardwalks almost as much as beach huts!) the thousands of perfect shells. It was gentle, calm and glorious. This is a beach to which I will return again and again.

1.Studland

Here it is. My number one beach. We are really lucky to have friends in Dorset and so have managed to explore Sandbanks, Bournemouth and Studland. For me though it is always Studland that wins, whatever the season, whatever the weather it always does it for me. Maybe it's the beach huts, maybe it's the wildlife, maybe it's the landscape, maybe it's the dunes. It's probably all of them, but I know that when I stand on that beach my soul takes a deep sigh and knows that life is good!

Beaches give you breathing space, they give you head space as well as giving you activity and leisure. They are dramatic, wild, inspiring and daunting and there is no place where I am happier. Where is your favourite sandy spot or pebbley place? Tell me about the beaches of your life.