Seaton Beach

The pebble beach at Seaton stretches out in a gentle curve, backed by low cliffs and a promenade that's seen better days but holds its charm regardless. You've got the sea one side, a proper working seaside town the other - fish and chip shops, a few family pubs, the kind of place that feels genuinely lived-in rather than designed for postcards.

It's a working family beach, not a show-off destination. The pebbles are sizeable enough that you'll want proper shoes, and the water's cold even in summer - this is Devon, not the Mediterranean. The real draw is the simplicity of it: a mile or so of shoreline where you can actually breathe without tripping over ice cream vans and hire beach huts. Walkers will find the coastal path connections worthwhile, linking toward Beer to the east.

Children will have a decent time building things from the pebbles and paddling in the shallows, though they won't find much in the way of entertainment facilities. Families after creature comforts should factor in the nearby Beer Head Holiday Park, which offers a proper base with facilities thrown in. Seaton itself has a small harbour and a vintage steam railway if you need a rainy day option.

Allow a couple of hours for a proper visit. Free access, obviously - it's a beach. Best visited either shoulder season when the crowds thin, or early morning in summer before the car parks fill up. It's not dramatic or Instagram-ready, which is precisely why locals keep coming back.