Brean

Brean is a sprawling seaside village just south of Burnham-on-Sea, where the Somerset coast flattens out into miles of golden sand and tidal mudflats. It's less 'destination' and more 'where you end up' if you're touring the caravan parks that cluster around here - and that's precisely the point. The beach itself stretches for what feels like forever at low tide, proper wide and firm underfoot, which makes it excellent for families who want space to breathe and kids who need room to run without bumping into someone's windbreak every two minutes.

The real appeal lies in the sheer accessibility. You can drive to the sand, park up, and be out of the car in seconds. There's a funfair at Brean Theme Park, a mile or so inland, which keeps younger children occupied on drizzly afternoons. Beyond that, Brean trades on being relatively low-key compared to the busier seaside towns further down the coast. The tidal range here is enormous - the Severn estuary effect - so timing matters if you want proper swimming rather than paddling in pools of leftover seawater.

Walkers won't find much to write home about; the coastal path continues through, but there's no dramatic scenery. What you get instead is straightforward seaside comfort, the kind where you can spend three days doing precisely nothing and feel entirely satisfied about it. Perfect base if you're at one of the holiday parks and need somewhere to point the kids on a warm afternoon.