Beach or Seaside Resort in England

I am positive the regular UK posters will give you a host of fine ideas. I will mention one: Eastbourne. I spent a few nights there last year to just simply use as a springboard to easily hike the S. Downs Way and Beachy Head. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually thoroughly enjoyed being in Eastbourne. I do not think it hits the so-called can’t miss places to visit, however, it does seem to be popular for local holiday goers. Nice pleasure pier, good restaurants and pubs. Decent sized town. Great hiking and easy to get to and from London (if that is your next stop).

This may or may not fit your needs but we are traveling from Bath to St Ives in early September. It's a 4-5 hour train trip but we find train travel fun and relaxing. We will be staying in St. Ives for 3 days. It is definitely a beach/seaside resort-ish town with lots to do in and around. it. You might consider it or somewhere else in Devon or Cornwall.

How about the Isle of Wight? We haven’t been there yet, but is has been recommended by friends who live in the UK. It is a short ferry ride from one of several towns on he coast ot if Bath—-Southampton, Portsmouth, or Lymington.

You could stay in one of the ferry port towns. Looks like there are lots of nice sandy beaches on offer (in contrast to the rocky or pebbly surface of many English beaches):

https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/beaches#:~:text=Shanklin%20Beach%20is%20a%20one,a%20traditional%20English%20seafront%20promenade.

This Guardian article has some photos and ideas:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/may/13/isle-of-wight-family-beach-farm-stay-holiday-art-festival

Tenby, Wales? (But I haven’t been yet.)

peaceful and calm in southern England in August is a big ask.

Swanage is nice

Like a previous poster I have enjoyed Eastbourne.

https://www.visiteastbourne.com

Hmmm. I live 10 miles from Bath and the nearest good beaches are some distance away, and in August they will all be very busy. Without a car I’d probably suggest Weymouth as it’s accessible by train but it really will be full of people. We always go to the Gower or North Pembrokeshire in Wales but very inaccessible without a car.

If you are travelling from Bath then the Isle of Wight sounds ideal.
Direct train from Bath to Portsmouth Harbour, ferry from the station to Ryde, train on the island to Sandown or Shanklin.
The island trains are converted ex London underground stock.
Easy peasy.
Anywhere in Devon or Cornwall will be rammed.
Excellent bus services on the island, run by Southern Vectis.
Then train back afterwards straight from Portsmouth Harbour to London.

Brighton, Eastbourne, Whitsable, Ramsgate.

The places mentioned by Claudia are a long and difficult journey from Bath.

Weston is the nearest beach place to Bath but not recommended = muddy seawater due to estuary and town is not up to much.

Weymouth is just over 2 hours away by direct (slow) train with a bustling town and beach.https://www.visit-dorset.com/explore/areas-to-visit/weymouth/

You could travel by train to Bristol Temple Meads and change for one to the south-west. St. Ives at the end of Cornwall is lovely but a long way. Teignmouth in Devon is nearer but not up to St. Ives or Tenby standard.https://www.stayindevon.co.uk/handbook/locals-guide-teignmouth

Tenby in SW Wales is lovely but would be a 4 hour train trip on fastest timing which is on summer Saturdays. (Requires 1 or 2 changes of train). https://www.visitpembrokeshire.com/articles/48-hours-in-tenby

St. Ives in west Cornwall is lovely but a long way with 2 changes of train. https://www.visitcornwall.com/destinations/st-ives
Looe in east Cornwall is a bit nearer but still 4 hours from Bath by train. https://www.visitcornwall.com/destinations/looe

Note that in August, none of these places will be peaceful. Peaceful beaches can be found in August but you need a car to get to these more remote places. All the places I have mentioned can be reached by rail.

Trains >https://www.nationalrail.co.uk

@James,

I didn’t read the Op’s post about Bath as where they were traveling from. Read the inquiry about seeking beach towns, thus my reply.

Just because the prior stop is Bath, I would not limit myself to places close to Bath.
You mentioned you'll not have a car. So, take the train from Bath in to London and you can reach a lot of excellent beaches from London.

Claudia gave you some excellent suggestions.

I like Lola's suggestion of the Isle of Wight. Lovely beaches and plenty to do.
isn31c has also given you great instructions about how to get there.

If you want to go to the Isle of Wight, you can take a train directly from Bath to Southampton and then a ferryboat from there to IOW.

Brighton--a place already mentioned by Claudia:
Brighton is easily reached from London by train, but it's more lively; not the place if you want peace and quiet. On second thought, I guess there could be peace and quiet. It has a nice pier, beach, plenty of restaurants, cafes and hotels to choose from. Plus The Lanes, a shopping area in an old part of town with narrow lanes/streets and some very old buildings with shops in them. Lots of ice cream shops.

I have been thinking of including the Isle of Wight in next year’s trip to the UK and Italy. Specifically, an HF Holidays 3 or 4 night walking holiday. I just looked at their brochure and find the photos so enticing I am convinced.

You can see them with the “View All Photos”:button on this page:

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/destinations/united-kingdom/isle-of-wight

Lola, the Isle of Wight has been on our itinerary for the past two trips we did not get to do.
Thanks for the information about HF Holidays.

Lots of beautiful natural areas there, lovely beaches, good hiking.
Plus Osbourne House, Queen Victoria's favorite home, is open for tours.

However, beware of going there during the annual Cowes Week Sailing Regatta. There won't be a hotel room on the island to be had. Restaurants at dinnertime will be mobbed. Cowes Week 2023 is set for July 29 to August 4.

Do check what the actual beach is like - some English beaches are made up of pebbles, not sand….

Thank you all for such wonderful suggestions. I'm working through each one to figure out the best location for our family. I really appreciate this forum and the ideas you shared.

By the way the ferries from Southampton run to Cowes, rather than Ryde from Portsmouth.
The only problem with Southampton is you have to transfer (walk or bus) to one of two different piers for Red Funnel- either for the Red Jet high speed service to West Cowes (the side for the town and the yacht club) or the slow(er) vehicle ferry to East Cowes (the side for Osborne House). The two sides of Cowes harbour are linked by a frequent chain ferry.

Both terminals at Southampton are linked to the station by this bus which is free to people who hold through train tickets to Cowes. When weather disruption happens you end up on the vehicle ferry, losing the advantage of a rail journey which is 45 minutes shorter.
The positive is the deck space on the vehicle ferry and (if not foggy) the views.

I have experienced a lot of disruption on the Red Jet when there is reduced visibility in the Solent. That is really why I suggest Portsmouth as it's an easy connection at the end of the station platform and gets much less disruption.
But it's all a case of preference with no right or wrong answer.

I had forgotten that the first hybrid energy ferry (Diesel and Battery) in the UK is the Victoria of Wight on the Portsmouth Gunwharf Road to Fishbourne Route- for those who like to be that bit more environmentally friendly- a car ferry route.
It is less suitable for those with luggage as Gunwharf Road is a short walk from Portsmouth Harbour Station, and the bus stop at Fishbourne is 1/2 mile away from the terminal (except at midnight when a bus meets the ferry as it is the only route from Portsmouth to run late at night.

We used public transportation along the Dorset coast to stay at this lovely, old fashioned beach resort in 2022. We loved the hotel where we booked half board, the coastal path walks, the views of Old Harry Rocks, the recreational activities supplied free of charge at the hotel, afternoon tea and the Purbeck Breezer bus that ran frequently and stopped right in front of the hotel for excursions. There was a small town within walking distance and the bus system to take you to many coastal and sightseeing towns nearby.

We loved it as a vacation from our vacation. https://www.knollhouse.co.uk/

Ramsgate, suggested by Claudia, is not "a long and difficult journey" from Bath. You train to Paddington, cross London to St Pancras then 1 hour on HS1.
It's a lot easier than Cornwall.

Pegswell Bay (a new railway station called Thanet Parkway on the HS1 route opens there on 1 August) has a replica Viking longship (dating from 1949) marking the first arrival of Vikings (initially invited by King Vortigern) on UK shores in the year 449. It is also the site where St Augustine landed in 597 on his way to what is now Canterbury.
The bay is 2 miles west of Ramsgate.
As well as the beaches and lesser known chalk cliffs at Ramsgate there is also a Maritime Museum in Ramsgate. There is also a 25 mile coastal and villages circular walk between Pegswell Bay and Broadstairs (the Viking Way) and a 17 mile walking route from Pegswell Bay to Canterbury.
So you can learn a bit (or quite a lot, if you read up on it) of history, and have a peaceful and calming time at a seaside resort.
I must admit that the last time I was at Pegswell Bay was in the 1980's to catch the cross channel hovercraft to France, but am working up a day trip there in August, in connection with the station opening. And I am doing my history homework now!