Brownwich Beach

The shingle beach at Brownwich stretches out just west of Southampton with a proper working-class feel to it - no fancy cafes or ice cream vans, just the Solent and the industrial backdrop of shipping. You're here to walk, sit and watch the water traffic move past; on clear days you can see across to the Isle of Wight, and the sunsets are genuinely worth timing a visit around.

It's free to access and works brilliantly as a half-day excursion from any of the caravan parks dotted along this stretch, particularly Solent Breezes which sits barely a mile away. Families with younger kids might find an hour quite enough unless they're seriously into stone-skipping or ship-spotting. Walkers will get more from it - the coastal path here connects you to bigger days out towards Lepe Beach to the west, and the whole stretch rewards a proper ramble if you've got the time.

The beach itself is shingle rather than sand, so it's not a paddling destination, but that keeps the crowds down. Bring binoculars if you're interested in the shipping lanes - the constant flow of container ships and tankers is oddly compelling. It's also a decent spot for birdwatchers. There's nothing scheduled to see, no facilities worth mentioning, so come prepared: bring a flask, comfortable shoes and realistic expectations. This is a working coastline, not a resort beach. That's rather the point.