OV9

Posted: **Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:35 pm**

the problem is when you don't live near the coast you don't know of these "Other" beaches that are quiet etc

Our default Day Trip beach trip is to Bournemouth so what beaches are going to be quieter, let say, within each reach of the A34 / M3 junction as that's the direction we'd approach the coast...

Posted: **Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:12 pm**

Have a look on Streetview, Dinny - there are loads of bits of beach east of Bournemouth.

I think I'd head for West Wittering beach personally but it might be a bit out of your way, and it may also be busy (SundayJumper might be able to confirm how busy it gets at this time of year).

My sister has decided Mudeford is her favourite place, so I think that's a recommendation too. Almost certainly a bit less packed than Bournemouth but probably still busy.

Posted: **Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:17 pm**

If you’re going to Bournemouth continue down a few miles to Sandbanks and take the chain ferry across. Flip the bird at Rick Steins restaurant for me as you go past it.
Studland Beach is really nice but does get busy, however it is a few miles long, all sand and there is a lot of parking for a beach so you should be fine unless you pick the hottest day of the year. Always nice to then go towards Corfe Castle and grab something to eat and make the 4 obligatory stops for Purbeck ice cream then drive back home feeling sick.

This was a few years ago so no idea if it’s packed now, I remember Sandbanks beach itself usually had enough parking too as you could park by Poole Harbour and just walk across the road to the beach. But there’s no nudists there so where’s the fun in that

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:00 am**

West Wittering is the best around here in my personal experience. But you need to book a slot (http://westwitteringestate.co.uk/) to be able to park at the beach. It's normally sold out, so would recommended booking rather than turning up!

Booking site - https://www.justpark.com/uk/parking/wes ... -po20-8aj/

Hayling Island isn't too bad and not quite as far as West Wittering from Bournemouth, but you're still looking at going past Portsmouth to get to most of them. Southsea is pretty nice place (might be bias though), but it's only a stone beach. It's not as busy as Bournemouth I think, and you should be able to park somewhere along the seafront. I rode along there at the weekend and parts were fairly busy, but people in the sea etc and there's life guards normally out.

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:06 am**

Another vote for West Wittering here, one of our favourites. The parking booking is a bonus for me as you know you're not going to have a nightmare parking.

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:11 am**

Has the parking booking been recently introduced at West Wittering? It’s 5 years since I’ve been there.

I like Hayling Island but the queues to get over the bridge can be bad. And it’s mostly shingle too, some sand down the bottom western corner.

Not going that direction might be the better way to find a quiet beach though, Dinny!

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:13 am**

Yeah, parking booking was a C19 measure I think. I went down there mid week on my birthday last year, it’s definitely a nice beach and not too far for me.

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:24 am**

Yeah, as Rich mentioned, introduced when they reopened post the Covid lockdown to stop it being chaos. It's normally fairly busy there. Can sometimes queue on the A27 and the road down to the beach - not been since the booking though, so not sure if that's help improve the traffic there.

I've not noticed the Hayling Island bridge being too busy recently, but I've only been over that way on my bike, so probably missing the higher traffic periods.

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:54 am**

Wasn't any queues when we went recently, but we were there by 10.30am or so and it was fairly quiet at that point. I still didn't notice much traffic around though, even though the beach got busy enough.

It's such a big beach that it's easy to find space to set up. There was a concentration of people around the car park part of the beach, which would have probably looked busy in a photograph but in actual fact there was a good 4-5 metres between groups even in the busiest section.

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 11:00 am**

We're staying in north Cornwall at the end of August so any recommendations of beaches and other things to do would be most welcome.

Posted: **Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:11 pm**

How far down duncs ??

The Tidal Pool in Bude is pretty good. Get a life jacket and float around in the sun for a bit. There's a nice little cafe on the beach too. The new bridge in Tintagel is also worth a visit. I don't really know North Cornwall, any south of that.

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:31 am**

dinny_g wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:11 pm The new bridge in Tintagel is also worth a visit.

I had to google that, glad I did

I know I've been there when I was little on a family holiday - and knowing my parents we would have gone to the castle - but I have no recollection of those steps. It must have been traumatic

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:12 am**

dinny_g wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:11 pm How far down duncs ??

The Tidal Pool in Bude is pretty good. Get a life jacket and float around in the sun for a bit. There's a nice little cafe on the beach too. The new bridge in Tintagel is also worth a visit. I don't really know North Cornwall, any south of that.

We're staying in that area (Boscastle) so good to know.

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:51 am**

Mito Man wrote: ↑Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:17 pm If you’re going to Bournemouth continue down a few miles to Sandbanks and take the chain ferry across. Flip the bird at Rick Steins restaurant for me as you go past it.
Studland Beach is really nice but does get busy, however it is a few miles long, all sand and there is a lot of parking for a beach so you should be fine unless you pick the hottest day of the year. Always nice to then go towards Corfe Castle and grab something to eat and make the 4 obligatory stops for Purbeck ice cream then drive back home feeling sick.

This was a few years ago so no idea if it’s packed now, I remember Sandbanks beach itself usually had enough parking too as you could park by Poole Harbour and just walk across the road to the beach. But there’s no nudists there so where’s the fun in that

The chain ferry was closed when we were there a few months ago. Not sure if it's reopened. We went over to Browsea Island.
I really like Mudeford beach as well and there's easy parking in a car park behind it. A great fish and chip takeaway there too.

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:20 am**

Mito Man wrote: ↑Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:09 pm I find the mobile homes a bit odd as there’s a place by Hythe that’s advertising them at £115,000. £115k to spend a few weeks per year in a trailer on a grass carpark flanked by other trailers. That would buy you a lot of nice holidays, or a nice flat close to the sea in the SE.

My OH brother has one near filey - 80k to buy then 5k a year fees. Saying this people are paying 1300 quid to stay in it a week. It's nice enough tho.

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:55 am**

A week in a Hoseasons or Haven can be a bit of a giggle, especially if there's a group of you - an expensive giggle but a giggle none the less. West Sands in Selsey is our preferred location.

But I've no idea why anyone would want to buy one outright ?

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:57 am**

We looked at Hoseasons the other day. THey're offering shorter breaks in August which is clearly unheard of. But still £600 for 4 nights. We figured we'd spend that on a decent tent instead, to pay for itself after two holidays.

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:41 pm**

Flights switched from Gran Canaria to Barcelona next May.

Apart from the 2 hour hold on the phone, pretty easy. And no issues with timings (outbound flight is On Saturday...

) and no charges.

I’ve ended up paying £1500 for probably £250 worth of flights but at least we didn’t need to write off the money

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:11 pm**

dinny_g wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:41 pm Flights switched from Gran Canaria to Barcelona next May.

Apart from the 2 hour hold on the phone, pretty easy. And no issues with timings (outbound flight is On Saturday... ) and no charges.

I’ve ended up paying £1500 for probably £250 worth of flights but at least we didn’t need to write off the money

Is that Barcelona or Girona

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:39 pm**

dinny_g wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:55 am A week in a Hoseasons or Haven can be a bit of a giggle, especially if there's a group of you - an expensive giggle but a giggle none the less. West Sands in Selsey is our preferred location.

But I've no idea why anyone would want to buy one outright ?

Only the same as a holiday home but with a clubhouse and indoor pool and kids activities. Altho a house of your own is available all year where these shut which would be annoying for the money you pay.

OV9

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