Shoreham-by-Sea

Walks: Hassocks to Upper Beeding, Amberley to Lancing, Shoreham by Sea to Worthing and Littlehampton

Shoreham beach is not particularly romantic - it is backed by modern housing estates - but it has a long sweep of relatively gently shelving shingle beach that makes for good swimming, being not too deep and not too shallow at most stages of the tide. At very low tide a sandy bottom is revealed and you can remain in depth for a long way out to sea. You get the same currents running parallel to the shore as on other south coast beaches, but they are relatively gentle here.

• On days when all London flocks to the coast, Shoreham (and the trains that run to it) is much less busy than Brighton, and still only an hour and a quarter from Victoria.


• Food and drink: In the road leading from the harbour footbridge down to the beach there is a cafe, a pub and a convenience store that serves coffee and cakes. On the far side of the harbour footbridge, the centre of Shoreham has now been pedestrianised and has a charming area of pavement cafes and restaurants.