Bell Wharf Beach in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex is identified as the best beach within an hour of London for summer 2025. It is a charming beach accessible by a short 10-minute walk from the train station. This beach serves as a quieter option compared to crowded spots like Brighton Beach and Camber Sands during the summer. The area is characterized by cobbled streets, a historic fishing ambiance, and nearby seafood eateries, making it appealing for visitors looking for a distinctive coastal experience.
Bell Wharf Beach in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex is Time Out's best beach within an hour of London for summer 2025. The quaint stretch of sand is a quick 10 minute walk from Leigh's train station and offers a much quieter alternative to the likes of Brighton Beach and Camber Sands, which tend to get packed with Londoners come summertime.
If you like your beaches flanked by cobbled streets, boats swaying in the breeze, and traces of a historic fishing past such as olde worlde cockle sheds, then this is one for you: it's a bit of a photographer's gift.
While the beach is small, it is also sandy, and you are in close proximity to some fine seafood eateries. Try Osborne's Café & Seafood Hall, which won the 2021 British Food Awards in the Fish & Seafood category for its cooked cockles.
We recently crowned the UK's best seaside town (and it's just 90 minutes from London) and named this leafy town one of the best day trips from the city.
Collection
[
|
...
]