Bathing beauties: the top five beaches in southern England

Kick off your sandals, grab your paintbrushes, or just reach for a good book to enjoy the south’s dunes, seascapes and ethereal sands
You don’t need to head abroad for gorgeous beaches. From St Ives in the west to Botany Bay in the east, southern England is blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Think soaring cliffs that have inspired writers, dunes that have stood in for deserts on film and endless skies that have provided the inspiration for world-renowned art.