Pondfield

The walk down to Pondfield beach from Wareham takes you through proper Dorset countryside before you hit the shingle and sand. It's not one of those Instagram-famous spots - you won't find crowds here, which is exactly why it works. The beach itself is relatively small, backed by low cliffs and hemmed in by woodland, so it feels sheltered and intimate even when other people are about.

What you get is straightforward: decent swimming if the tide's right, rock pooling at low water for the kids, and miles of quiet walking along the shoreline. The shingle can be rough underfoot, so proper shoes make sense. Allow a couple of hours if you're just mucking about, longer if you fancy a proper coastal walk inland from here.

Families with younger children do well here because the enclosed feel means you're not worried about them wandering off, and there's always something to investigate among the rocks. Walkers will appreciate the lack of commercialisation - no beachfront cafes or amusement arcades, just nature. Bring a packed lunch and make an afternoon of it.

For a base, any of the caravan and camping parks within 5 miles of Wareham work fine - Primrose Fields and West Holme Glamping are your closest options. Wareham itself is a decent little town with proper facilities if you need them. Pondfield isn't dramatic or showy, but that's rather the point. Go when the weather's fair and you'll have a genuinely lovely afternoon.