With the summer finally bursting onto the scene and temperatures climbing, a trip to the beach is almost certainly on the cards for many. But with a sunny day comes busy coastlines.
The Independent has created a list of the UK’s 10 most under-the-radar beaches where crowds stay minimal. They stretch across the country, including seaside spots in Dorset, Yorkshire, Northern Ireland and east Scotland.
One of the top 10 beaches is Man O’War Beach in Dorset. It sits on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door and is a picturesque cove.
It is only accessible via a steep footpath and there are no amenities on the beach itself, meaning it stays quieter in the busy summer months.
Also on the list is Church Doors Cove in Pembrokeshire. The southwest Wales spot is a small sand and rocky cove surrounded by towering cliffs cut into the shape of a door. Access to this beach is at low tide only via the coastal path.
Aberlady Bay, also on the list, is a large beach on the southeast coast of Scotland. It is accessed by a long path through a nature reserve with heathland, woodland and sand dunes.
The beach itself is vast, with the wrecks of two midget submarines sticking out of the sand at low tide. The sandy beach can be overtaken by the tide quickly, making it less popular for loungers.
Cuckmere Haven Beach, East Sussex, offers eye-popping views of the white chalk Seven Sisters cliffs to the east
This quiet pebble beach is dominated by the white chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters just to the east. It sits at the mouth of the meandering Cuckmere river. The isolated area must be used with caution as the cliffs are constantly under threat of erosion.