Newport Pagnell Beach

Newport Pagnell has a beach? Yes, though it's not quite what you'd expect if you're picturing deck chairs and ice cream vans. What you get instead is a proper riverside spot along the Ouzel, a genuinely pleasant walk with some open water and green space - the sort of place locals actually use rather than tourists clogging up Instagram.

The beach itself is modest, more of a sandy bank than a destination in itself, but it's a decent pull if you're based at Ekeney House Campsite just up the road and fancy breaking up a day in Buckinghamshire. The stretch has benches, and the riverbank is lined with trees that give decent cover when the sun's too strong. Kids will paddle here rather than build sandcastles, which is fine. Most people spend forty minutes to an hour, not much longer unless you're combining it with a riverside walk towards Milton Keynes.

Honestly? It's a bonus feature rather than a reason to visit the area. You're not going to trek from the Midlands for this. But if you're already staying nearby - whether at the campsite or elsewhere in Newport Pagnell - it's a legitimate spot to stretch your legs and dip your feet in without faffing about trying to find a proper beach. The walk along the Ouzel is pleasant enough, and the whole thing is free. Go early morning if the weather's decent and you'll avoid the few crowds it ever gets.