E

ngland’s coastline offers drama at every twist and turn, with rocky outcrops, rolling dunes and crashing waves. Getting this close to the elements certainly blows the cobwebs away.

Take a picnic, bucket and spade to a classic resort such as Scarborough, catch waves at Whipsiderry or Watergate Bay in Newquay, or hunt around in rock pools at Wembury Beach in South Devon. Watch those toes!

If a beach has  blue flag status or has won a  Quality Coast Award  you can expect a very high standard of cleanliness. This year, 150 locations in England got an award.

A stroll at the beach needn’t be restricted to summer. For particularly hardy souls, a Boxing Day dip might be just the thing. This traditional charity event is held at several venues, the largest of which is Seaburn, near Sunderland. Here, around 1,000 swimmers brave the North Sea to swim off those mince pies.