The best beach within an hour of London for summer 2025

There’s only one thing to do when the weather is as sizzling as it has been in the UK the past few days: make a beeline for the beach. Of course, to do that you’ll need to venture out of London (unless you’re content sunbathing on the banks of the Thames). But you don’t really have to go very far before you come across some of the most stunning coastline Britain has to offer. 

So, for the next time you want to swap skyscrapers for sea air, Time Out editors have put together a list of their favourite beaches near London. Most are between 90 minutes and two hours away. But there’s one we love that you can get to in less than an hour – 50 minutes from London Fenchurch Street, to be exact. 

Bell Wharf Beach in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex is Time Out’s best beach within an hour of London for summer 2025. The quaint stretch of sand is a quick 10 minute walk from Leigh’s train station and offers a much quieter alternative to the likes of Brighton Beach and Camber Sands, which tend to get packed with Londoners come summertime. 

Our writers said: ‘If you like your beaches flanked by cobbled streets, boats swaying in the breeze, and traces of a historic fishing past such as olde worlde cockle sheds, then this is one for you: it’s a bit of a photographer’s gift.

‘While the beach is small, it is also sandy, and you are in close proximity to some fine seafood eateries. Try Osborne's Café & Seafood Hall, which won the 2021 British Food Awards in the Fish & Seafood category for its cooked cockles.’

We’ve got plenty more where that came from. We recently crowned the UK’s best seaside town (and it’s just 90 minutes from London) and named this leafy town one of the best day trips from the city. If you want to go even further from the Big Smoke, pick your favourite from Time Out’s list of the best beaches in the whole of the UK. 

Check out the best day trips from London and the best weekend trips from London. 

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