44 BLACKPOOL SANDS
Hailed a ‘must visit’ beach by national newspapers, magazines and celebrities. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the golden crescent shingle beach is sheltered from the wind thanks to its forest backdrop of evergreens and pines. Blue Flag designated and just a few miles from Dartmouth by car (TQ6 0RG - there is ample parking) or a pleasant hour and a half walk along the South West Coast Path. The privately owned Blackpool Sands is widely regarded as one of the most idyllic in the UK, indeed it was recently voted the UK’s best beach by Condé Nast Traveller. The care of the local environment has always spearheaded activities by its owners. The waters at Blackpool Sands are unusually clear and are tested regularly by the Environment Agency to confirm their cleanliness. Its crescent shape is made up of small pebbles, approximately 650 metres wide, set in a sheltered bay amongst evergreens and pines giving it an almost Mediterranean feel, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It is surrounded by steeply rising fields and woods, and a stream enters the sea at the southern end of the beach. It is also on the South West Coast Path and is the ideal place to start or finish a walk along this beautiful stretch of South Devon coastline. During the warmer months, RNLI lifeguards are on hand to oversee a range of watersports activities
from kayaking and paddle boarding to good old-fashioned swimming. Sea Kayak Devon (see advert on back cover) are on site to offer stand up paddleboarding, sit on top kayaking, guided tours looking at the coast and marine environment and other water-based activities. There are also sandpits and rock pools to give the young ones plenty to explore. Blackpool Sands hosts a number of events during the year including Dartmouth Sea Swim and Triathlon (10th/11th June 2023) and the Tunes on the Sands Music Festival (21st/22nd July 2023); see their website for full details -
www.blackpoolsands.
co.uk Nearby, you can also visit Blackpool Gardens, an amazing, hidden sub-tropical paradise! These gardens were established in 1896 and have rare and colourful plants from South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Australia - open to the public daily from April to September, weather permitting. Garden entry tickets are available from the attendant at the beach.
As a Blue Flag awarded beach, dogs are not permitted from 1st April until the end of October.
To find Blackpool Sands, from Dartmouth follow the brown tourist signs on the A379. Blackpool Sands lies between the villages of Stoke Fleming and Strete.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
