Gunton Warren

A stretch of beach and coastal grassland just outside Lowestoft, Gunton Warren is one of those Norfolk-Suffolk border spots that locals know better than visitors. It's a proper working landscape - you've got the beach itself, dunes, and areas of rough grass that attract proper numbers of seabirds and butterflies in summer. The beach shelves fairly gently, which makes it decent for families, though the shingle can be rough underfoot.

What makes it worthwhile isn't dramatic scenery. There are no amusement arcades, no ice cream vans, nothing twee. You're looking at genuine quiet - the sort of place where you can actually hear yourself think. If you've got kids who'll run around for hours on a beach without needing entertainment every five minutes, this works. Walkers heading along the coast path get something solid here too. The warren itself is remnant coastal heathland, which means it's botanically interesting if you're that way inclined.

Stay at Azure Seas Holiday Village just 0.7 miles away and you're practically on top of it. Broadland Sands at 1.8 miles gives you a bit more distance but keeps you in the area. Even Haven Hopton, 3 miles south, puts you within reasonable striking distance for a morning visit.

Allow an hour or two, depending on mood. Don't come expecting wow-factor views or facilities - come because you want actual quiet and actual beach without the circus. It's unglamorous and that's precisely the point.