This year for the first time in 15 years of the Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches, we asked you, our readers, to nominate the nation’s best. You rose to the challenge, with persuasive arguments for more than 300 locations. In a 4,211-mile hop around the coast I visited every one of them, and I’m delighted to reveal that our Beach of the Year for 2023 is Weymouth – winning by a nautical mile, not just for the staggering number of nominations it received, but for the hard work that the town has put in to remain the epitome of the British seaside resort. Perhaps the only question is why it’s taken the resort 15 years to achieve what so many of you see as the bleeding obvious.
“Weymouth has everything you need,” says town clerk Jane Biscombe. “It has lifeguards; crystal-clear waters; a wide, sandy beach; shallow waters that are safe for the kids; toilets, showers, free drinking water; deckchairs and sunloungers; donkeys, beach volleyball courts, a dog area, and a place where you can borrow buckets and spades. The council also runs special events including fireworks, funfairs and sports festivals. It’s an amazing place.”
“You have the yin and the yang with Weymouth,” says Richard Dean from Surrey. “There’s the lovely sandy beach with its beautiful view and shallow waters ideal for families and around the corner you have the harbour area, which is great for relaxing in the sunshine with a drink and watching the world go by.”
“Wonderful sand,” says Sean Hale from Boston, Massachusetts. “Gorgeous Georgian architecture behind you, and the sweep of Weymouth Bay in front. It’s beautiful.” Dozens of you, including Tonia Say from Surrey, Dave Gregg from Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey and Monica Keeler from Co Durham, also mention the Punch and Judy show – complete with crocodile – on the beach.
● 50 best beaches in the UK for 2023 revealed