As well as the beautiful beach in a National Nature Reserve, a Grade I listed church in a local Suffolk village is at threat of total annihilation. Those in search of a secluded sandy beach in the UK may be hard pressed to find their ideal spot. Some of the most beautiful shorelines are also the most popular and in warmer seasons can become uncomfortably crowded.
However, they are there if you know where to look. Some are harder to get to and involve a long walk or climb, meaning tourists and daytrippers tend to avoid them. That in turn often means there’s no cafes or amenities such as toilets nearby.
But the advantage of this for the determined is the peace and serenity some of our most stunning areas of coastline can offer. One such gem is Covehithe Beach in the Benacre National Nature Reserve in Suffolk, which leads to Southwold’s Victorian pier. It has a huge stretch of soft sand to stroll along or pitch up on with a picnic while staring out to sea, undisturbed by crowds of holidaymakers.
Thanks to its beauty, it was named as one of the UK’s best secluded beaches by the Sunday Times in April this year. Taylor Swift was even spotted heading to the beach in 2016 with then beau Tom Hiddleston and his family! As well as its orange cliffs, another of its distinctive features is the slightly spooky remains of dead trees sticking out of the sand and it’s these that are a worrying sign of the devastation that lies ahead for the alluring area. The Suffolk coastline has wit.