Nobody’s body is beach-ready for a new list of UK coastal resorts where bathing should be avoided. Compiled thanks to research commissioned by Locals Insider, the ranking reveals 20 “no-go” beaches, where water quality is classified as “poor” by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The list of shame includes some well-known and well-loved seaside spots. Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast has long been welcoming holidaymakers to its small coves and the historic Tunnels Beach, but the town’s Wilder Beach is flagged for its permanent advice against bathing.
Dunster Beach in Somerset, boasts “wide open views across the Bristol Channel towards the Welsh coastline” and is described in a local guide as “a quieter alternative to nearby Minehead Beach, it’s a peaceful spot popular with walkers, families and those looking to relax.” Unfortunately, it is particularly vulnerable to short-term pollution after heavy rainfall, giving it one of the worst water quality rankings in the county.
While 15 of the 20 beaches on the list are in the south of the UK—stretching from Devon, Somerset, to Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent to Essex—still, the north of the country does not escape. In fact, one of the north’s most iconic pleasure beaches, Blackpool, is blacklisted. The state of the beach there was bemoaned by local Member of Parliament Chris Webb in 2024, who described the water pollution as a threat both to health and to the locals’ sense of pride.
Regions and beaches with the worst quality water in the UK
| Region | Beach |
| Blackpool | Blackpool North |
| Cumbria | Haverigg |
| Devon | Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary |
| Devon | Ilfracombe Wildersmouth |
| Devon | Instow |
| Dorset | Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach |
| Essex | Clacton (Groyne 41) |
| Gateshead | Cullercoats Bay |
| Gateshead | Littleheaven Beach |
| Kent | Dymchurch |
| Kent | Littlestone |
| North Yorkshire | Scarborough South Bay |
| Portsmouth | Southsea East |
| Somerset | Blue Anchor West |
| Somerset | Burnham Jetty North |
| Somerset | Dunster Beach |
| Somerset | Weston Main |
| Somerset | Weston‑super‑Mare Uphill Slipway |
| West Sussex | Bognor Regis (Aldwick) |
| West Sussex | Worthing Beach House |
Also displeased to feature in the pollution rollcall will be the tourism stakeholders and residents of South Bay in the historic spa town of Scarborough, which is supposed to be celebrating its 400th anniversary as a thermal waters retreat this year.
Water quality has been a hot topic in the UK in recent years. Agricultural runoff and sewage dumping are part of the picture, due to the country’s Victorian infrastructure. Poor water management practices have also contributed to the poisoning of many public waters and coastlines. Critics point to a lack of investment and renewal by privatised water companies, which have been fined by the government amid the controversy, and banned from awarding bonuses to their executives.
But one of the people behind this latest water quality round-up, Martin Danemaq, highlighted the positive takeaways from the report, noting how few poor-quality seaside resorts there were. “Just 20 beaches in the UK remain unsuitable for entering the water out of the 400 official bathing spots nationwide – some of which are nestled within the most popular coastal areas in the country,” he said.
