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The UK is an island, obvs, so it’s hardly a shocker that we boast some magnificent stretches of coastline. However, not every British beach has a rep for clear waters and pretty scenery. Some of them are on the duttier end of the scale – especially after the increased levels of sewage pollution over the last few years.
But which UK beaches are the grimiest? To find out, Holiday Park Guru looked at water quality data collected by the Environment Agency and compiled a list of the ones rated as ‘poor’ – naming and shaming them in its ‘Brown Flag Awards’.
Surprisingly, the likes of Cornwall and Norfolk are included alongside some more notoriously grubby spots. However, the rankings only represent a section, not the entire beach, so it’s worth taking these with a pinch of sea salt.
Claiming the number one spot is Porthluney in Cornwall, in second place it’s Southsea East in Hampshire, and in third it’s St Mary’s Bay in Kent. It was Lancashire that did worst overall, though, with none of its 10 bathing spots achieving an ‘excellent’ rating – plus, Blackpool North and St Annes North both got a ‘poor’ score.
13 beaches given a ‘Brown Flag Award’
- Porthluney in Cornwall
- Southsea East in Hampshire
- Saint Mary’s Bay in Kent
- Littlestone in Kent
- Blackpool North in Lancashire
- St Annes North in Lancashire
- Heacham in Norfolk
- Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway in Somerset
- Dunster Beach in Somerset
- Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex
- Tynemouth Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear
- Scarborough South Bay in North Yorkshire
- Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire
If you’re a fan of a dip in the summer months, these wild swimming spots or the UK beaches with the bluest water might be some less muddy options – check them out!
Did you see that Scotland’s 10 most beautiful islands have been named by the Telegraph?
Plus: This tiny northern city has been named the most chilled-out place in the UK.
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