Kilve Beach

The beach at Kilve is all about geology and space - two things that make it rather special. You get proper fossil-hunting territory here, with Jurassic rocks exposed along the shoreline, and the whole stretch feels wonderfully uncrowded even in summer. It's the kind of beach where you can actually walk without treading on someone's beach towel.

The main draw is the rocks themselves. Layers of slate and shale line the shore, and if you're into that sort of thing - or travelling with kids who think dinosaurs are the pinnacle of human achievement - there's genuine appeal in poking about looking for ammonites and belemnites. Low tide reveals the best finds, so time your visit accordingly. The beach shelves gently, which is handy if you've got young swimmers.

For a family staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Moorhouse Campsite is barely a mile away - Kilve works brilliantly as a half-day outing rather than an all-day affair. The village of Holford sits just inland and has the essentials: a shop, a couple of places to eat. Haven Doniford Bay is further afield at 3.2 miles, but still reasonable if you're based that way.

It's free to access, naturally. Bring a proper bucket for fossil hunting, not one of those flimsy plastic ones from the gift shop. Wind can pick up during the afternoon, so morning visits tend to be calmer. Not somewhere you'd spend eight hours, but genuinely worth a couple of hours if you're in Somerset exploring the coast.