Six of the best BEACHES

Amid its many miles of entrancing coastline, the UK has a wealth of world-class beaches. Jenny Oldaker celebrates some British coastal destinations with a distinctly exotic appeal...

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Holkham (and Wells) Beach

Drawing fame in the closing scenes of the 1999 movie Shakespeare in Love, where it represented the expansive shores of Virginia, Holkham Beach is an enchanting bay on the north Norfolk coast.

The area is co-managed by Natural England and the Holkham Estate, and its vast miles of sand are backed by nature-rich dunes and shady pine forests as a result, it is as popular with birdwatchers, walkers and horse-riders as it is with holidaymakers seeking a relaxing beach day. Walk far enough east and you'll arrive at the similarly alluring Wells Beach, where colourful beach huts complete the idyllic seaside landscape.

Bamburgh Beach

Big skies, drifting dunes and an ancient castle are the order of the day at Bamburgh Beach, set within the Northumberland Coast's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Sprawling Norman fortress Bamburgh Castle presides over the skyline and looms magnificently over the miles of sand, while Bamburgh itself has been named the UK's best seaside destination by