An almost alien landscape of wave cut platforms and a little bit of sand, but what a place for rockpooling and fossils! Go and hunt for ammonites and then wander up the lane to the Chantry Tea Gardens for jam and scones, or go to the Hood Arms in the village for lunch. 

This is quite a lot like stepping back in time; the tiny village is centred around a rambling manor house with a church next to it, cosy thatched cottages and medieval barns. Walk from the village along the clifftops to Kilve, or to the beach which really is something different with wave cut platforms, rocks and sand; it can be wild and rugged, but it's beautiful.

Traditional charm on the Somerset coast; a long sandy beach, donkey rides, ice cream and candyfloss - all good old-fashioned fun. Stroll along the (very short) pier or through the town gardens, have fish and chips on the beach and see the working lighthouse that stands on stilts in the sea.

A 6 mile stretch of sandy beach on the Somerset coast with views of the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holme in the Bristol Channel. At low tide you can see a shipwreck that grounded here in 1897. Berrow South is popular with dog walkers.

Certainly not one for sunbathing but St Audries Bay has a beauty of its own so take the family there fossil hunting or walk the dog. It can be windswept and wild but those wave cut platforms and striated cliffs are amazing and at low tide there are waterfalls tumbling down the cliffs at the back of the beach. Look out for ammonites in the rocks on the shore.

A quiet and wilder beach that's a mix of sand, rocks and mud flats, good for dog walking, rockpooling and fossil hunting. It's fun just finding it - you have to look for a gap in the hedge on the road from Watchet and beyond it is the car park. There's a good walk from here to Watchet, which won't take you long.

The beach at Watchet is a half a mile long stretch of sand and rocks by the harbour, revealed at low tide. It's great for dog walking but you'll need boots and you'll need to be aware of tide times. Watchet is a lovely little town; it's nice to get fish and chips and eat them sitting on the harbour or the esplanade

This 7 mile stretch of sands is popular with those who like beach sports as it's good here for wind surfing and jet skiing. Go and run along the shore with the dog and if you're feeling adventurous climb to the top of Brean Down for panoramic sea views. There are mud flats exposed at low tide.

A quiet spot on the Somerset coast with a backdrop of hills and fields. It's popular with families who come to play on the beach and with dog walkers; come here by steam train from Bishops Lydeard and have lunch at The Smugglers Inn or the Driftwood Cafe.

On the coast of West Dorset, Lyme Regis is a former fishing town that still retains much of the charm of yesteryear. It's a pretty place with 4 beaches and plenty to see and do. Stroll along the harbour to the aquarium, play mini golf in the town gardens, make sandcastles on the beach, go out on a mackerel fishing trip, visit the dinosaur museum, browse the art in the Town Mill Gallery. Lots of places to eat including Hix Oyster House half way up the hill.

Seaton is a quiet town on the East Devon Coast, with a mile long pebble beach and a mix of shops and places to eat. Stroll out along the beach to the Hideaway Cafe, tucked between the cliffs, if the tide is out, explore the rock pools. There are walks on the South West Cost Path to Beer, or the other end of town you can ride the tram through the marshes and go birdwatching on the estuary.

Beer is a lovely little place, a quaint and peaceful fishing village on the East Devon coast with a small pebbled bay. It feels like little has changed here over the years, and that's nice. Watch the fishing boats come back to shore with their catch, tuck into crab sandwiches at Ducky's Beach Cafe, stroll over the cliffs to Branscombe. What's nice is fish and chips in the clifftop garden of The Anchor Inn as the sun sets. Up the hill are Pecorama and the fascinating Beer Quarry Caves.

A small but popular beach on the Jurassic coast just 2.5 miles from Bridport, good for dog walking and mackerel fishing. It's very attractive, with looming cliffs of golden sandstone and views across to Chesil beach and Lyme Bay. The Hive Beach Cafe sits metres from the shoreline and is excellent - which is why it gets rather busy in the summer.