Dunster Beach

The beach at Dunster is a proper stretch of sand and shingle that curves away beneath the village's famous castle perched on the hillside above. Walk down from the high street and you'll find yourself on a fairly standard Somerset coast setup - the sort of place where the tide goes out for miles and reveals rock pools, shells, and the kind of seaweed that sticks to your shoes for days. It's free to access and takes about ten minutes on foot from Dunster village centre, which means you can easily combine it with exploring the castle grounds or browsing the antique shops without any real commitment.

Families with young kids will get a couple of hours out of it, especially if the tide's out - there's enough to poke about in the shallows, though don't expect Caribbean clarity. Serious beach lovers might find it a bit thin compared to Minehead's main stretch, which is only a couple of miles along the coast. The real value here is the setting. Having the castle looming above adds character that most English beaches lack, and on a decent day the views across to Exmoor are worth the walk alone.

It works well as part of a longer day if you're based at one of the nearby parks like Butlins or Hoburne Blue Anchor - both within easy driving distance of Minehead. Combine it with a wander round Dunster village itself, grab lunch somewhere, and you've got a solid half-day sorted. Go when the sun's actually out; grey skies here feel properly grey.