Dymchurch Beach

The shingle beach at Dymchurch runs for a decent stretch along Romney Marsh, backed by a proper sea wall that's seen more than its fair share of history. During high tide it can feel cramped between the wall and the water, but at low tide you get acres of exposed shingle to explore. The beach itself is stone rather than sand - comfortable enough for sitting if you've brought a mat, though your kids might prefer somewhere softer underfoot.

This isn't a destination beach. What it is, though, is genuinely useful if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Cabu by the Sea is barely a mile away, and New Beach Holiday Park even closer. You can walk the sea wall for miles in either direction, which beats another afternoon glued to a screen. The Romney Marsh light and those wide skies do something to you that feels properly restorative.

Best visited early morning or late afternoon when the light's decent and the beach isn't rammed. Summer weekends bring families in number, particularly school holidays, so plan accordingly. There's a village of sorts at Dymchurch itself with a few cafes and chip shops - nothing fancy, but functional. The water's cold even in August, which sorts the serious swimmers from the paddlers pretty quickly.

Worth the trip if you're already staying in the area? Absolutely. Drive out specifically for Dymchurch beach? Probably not. But as part of a Kent coastal holiday, especially with the nearby safari park at Port Lympne to break things up, it earns its place in the itinerary.