There are many coastal hotspots that are a must for a dose of sand, sea and sunshine.
Key destinations including Cornwall and Bournemouth are among those most popular for family beach getaways, but not all beaches in the West Country have received rave reviews.
According to a study conducted by energy switching site SaveOnEnergy, Combe Martin Beach in North Devon is said to have some of the dirtiest waters in the South West.
The study analysed the bacterial content of more than 500 coastal waters in England, Scotland and Wales to find the ‘cleanest’ and ‘dirtiest’ beaches.
Sharrow and Gyllyngvase beaches in Cornwall ranked top one in the UK overall.
And based on official government readings for faecal indicators such as E. coli (EC) and Intestinal Enterococci (IE), each beach was given an overall score out of 100.
The UK beaches with the cleanest
- Sharrow, Cornwall
- Gyllyngvase, Cornwall
- Gwynver, Cornwall
- Fistral South, Cornwall
- Booby’s Bay, Cornwall
- Widemouth Sand, Cornwall
- Porthcuro, Cornwall
- Pool Shore Road beach, Dorset
- Poole Sandbanks Peninsular, Dorset
- Shell Bay North, Dorset
The UK beaches with the dirtiest waters
- Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland
- Heads of Ayr, Stathclyde, Scotland
- Ayr, South Beach
- Fishferrow Sands, East Lothing, Scotland
- Rhyl, Denbighshire
- Eyemouth. Berwickshire
- Troon (South Beach), Strathclyde
- Southwold The Denes
- Combe Martin, North Devon
- Rockcliffe, Dalbeattie
