Bossington Beach

The shale beach at Bossington stretches out like a grey-brown ribbon, backed by steep wooded cliffs that rise up properly dramatic behind you. It's not one for lounging about in summer crowds - the pebbles are uncomfortable underfoot and the water stays cold even in August - but it's exactly that roughness that makes it worth the trip from Minehead, just five miles away.

Walkers get the most from Bossington. The South West Coast Path runs right through here, and the cliffs above offer some cracking views toward Porlock Weir. You can do a straightforward beach walk or loop up into the woods for proper leg-stretching. An hour here is the minimum, but two or three hours disappears easily if you're taking the high route. Families with young kids might find it a bit underwhelming - there's no arcade or ice cream van, and the foreshore isn't the safest for paddlers given the steep shelve.

It's free to access, naturally, and there's parking nearby though it fills up when weather's decent. Autumn and spring are genuinely the better seasons - less crowded, softer light, and you won't feel you're melting. If you're based at Minehead Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or over at Butlins, this makes a proper alternative to the busier beaches. Just don't expect Caribbean waters or golden sand. You get honest Somerset coastline instead - and that's rather the point.