10 best British beaches

For a natural high

St Bees, Cumbria

The small village of St Bees is beautifully positioned at the end of a valley, just south of Whitehaven, with a long, sandy beach, beginning near St Bees Head. The red sandstone cliffs of the head are more than 300 feet high and a haven for nesting seabirds, such as puffins, razorbills, terns and black guillemots. St Bees is also the starting point of Alfred Wainwright's famous 1972 Coast to Coast walk across England.

Egremont TIC (01946 820693, www.stbees.org.uk)

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Find the Coast to Coast walk in our guide to long-distance footpaths