The UK coastline is one of the country’s most spectacular features, offering you over 6,000 miles of outstanding natural beauty. It is also a place where you can enjoy some of the finest water-sports in the world, and sample the UK’s best nightlife.

Places to Explore

As you explore the coast, you will discover salt marshes, shingle beaches, rugged cliffs and sand dunes, blended with beach resorts and coastal towns that still attract thousands of visitors each year. The coastline is serviced by good rail and bus links, but the best way to explore is by car or bike.  

Some of the most popular coastal areas are to be found in the south-western parts of the country, in the counties of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. The coast here is simply a beautiful sight to behold. Long sandy beaches give way to wind-swept jagged cliffs that have inspired artists and writers for centuries. Almost all of it is accessible by a public footpath that allows you to walk and explore at leisure, and there are many campsites nearby.

Here you will also find beautiful fishing villages that are now popular holiday destinations, offering fantastic fish restaurants and superb sailing, whilst the rugged Atlantic beaches and giant waves attract surfers from around the world.

The west coast of Britain is dominated by the coastlines of Wales and Scotland and has such fantastic deserted beaches, some of them great holiday destinations for water sports, including sea kayaking and sailing. Any visitor to the UK with a passion for nature should make a trip to this coastline a priority. The islands off the west coast of Scotland are particularly wild and enticing.

The east coast is an area awash with history, from Viking raiders to the industrial revolution. Here you will find many interesting places to explore, from small coastal towns of artists’ communities, such as Southwold in Suffolk, to the wild salt marshes of Norfolk and the romantic coastal walks of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

Seaside Resorts

But for many Brits, what represents the UK coast are the old 19th century English seaside resorts, such as Eastbourne and Blackpool. Once they were popular holiday destinations but many have now have fewer visitors since cheap air travel. However, they are still full of atmosphere and well worth visiting. On the south coast, Brighton and Bournemouth have both re-invented themselves as fashionable cities and are now popular destinations for young people, thanks to the many shops, bars and nightclubs.

The British coastline is a place of such diversity, that it could take years to explore fully. Anyone looking to do so should buy a travel book and plan their trips carefully to ensure that they do not miss anything. Also be aware that the tides around the UK are some of the most dangerous in the world and must be treated with caution. But whatever your interests and whichever part you choose to explore, you will come away feeling enriched and exhilarated, and with a greater understanding of these islands and its people than ever before.


By John Hillman

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USEFUL WORDS

coastline = the land along a coast, especially when you are thinking about its shape or appearance
shore = the place where the water meets the land (sea, ocean, lake)
shingle / sandy beach = a beach with small stones / sand
rugged / jagged cliffs = a not level / rough or sharp high area of rock with a very steep side, often at the edge of a sea or ocean
sand dunes = small hills of sand formed by the wind
fishing village = a small town by the sea where the main industry is fishing
coastal town = a town situated near to the sea
(giant) waves = a (very large) raised line of water that moves across the surface of the sea
surfer = a person who enjoys the sport of riding on waves while standing on a narrow board (surfboard)
high / low tide = the flow of water as the sea rises and falls

On the Beach
Many people spend their holidays in seaside resorts (=towns by the sea for tourists) where they can go to the beach every day.  You sometimes get a gentle breeze (=a light pleasant wind) from the sea, which helps to cool you down on hot days, but can also burn you.

In the Sun
sunbathe = lie in the sun
get a suntan = when the body goes a brown colour from the sun (also = to be brown/get a tan)
suntan lotion = cream or oil to stop your skin burning
protect your skin = keep your skin safe
get sunburn(t) = the skin becomes very red and painful
sunblock = cream which provides total protection from the sun

GRAMMAR SPOT

Adverbs of Frequency

Use them to talk about how often you do something.

Most adverbs of frequency go before the main verb:

always - I always swim when I go to the seaside
frequently – I frequently paddle in the sea
often – on sandy beaches I often play volleyball
usually – my brother usually takes his children to the coast for their holidays
sometimes – I sometimes go windsurfing or diving
hardly ever – I hardly ever sunbathe at the beach
never – I never go out in the sun without putting on suntan lotion

But some can go before or after the main verb:

from time to time – from time to time I like to go snorkelling / I like to go snorkelling from time to time
every once in a while – we like to buy ice creams every once in a while when we go out / every once in a while we like to buy ice creams when we go out