Knoll Beach

The sand here is golden and properly wide, stretching out at low tide to reveal pools teeming with starfish and anemones. Knoll Beach sits just east of Swanage, backed by low cliffs that catch the sun most of the day, making it warmer than you'd expect for the Dorset coast.

It's a working beach in places - you'll see fishing boats pulled up on the shingle - which gives it character other holiday spots have lost. The water's fine for swimming once you're past the initial kelp line, and the slope is gentle enough that young kids won't panic. Proper low tide exposes enough sand for castles and digging without the scrambling you get at Swanage Beach itself.

Parents with toddlers should time their visit around low tide, or you'll be stood on shingle watching the little ones stare at the sea from twenty metres back. The cliffs provide some shelter from westerly winds, though it can get breezy midday. There's a slipway and facilities up the lane - toilets, a café, the usual seaside offering.

Visit in early morning or after 4pm if you want space. Summer weekends draw crowds from Swanage town centre. Free to access, though parking near the slipway gets tight. Swanage Bay View Holiday Park is just down the road if you're basing yourselves in caravans - you can walk to Knoll in about forty minutes, or drive in five.