There are few things more enjoyable than heading down to the beach in the warm weather, and over a three year period, the number of people spending their leisure time at the beach in the UK has increased by 4 million. Every July in the UK the term ‘beaches near me’ spikes, with almost 300,000 searches last year, and an average of 106K searches a month in the UK. With this in mind, Middletons Mobility has conducted research into the most accessible UK beaches, revealing the top 10 most accessible beaches in the UK.
Research conducted by Middletons showed that:
- Dorset is the region with the most accessible beaches .
- Cornwall is the second most accessible region for beach getaways.
- Portobello Beach and Perranporth Beach are the only beaches to offer free dsiabled toilet access and wheelchair hire.
- Bournemouth is ranked the busiest out of all beaches.
- Brighton Beach is the most popular with 945,000 Instagram hashtags.
Those who have limited mobility and use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, will be happy to know that the UK has some of the most accessible beaches in Europe. Bournemouth Beach in Dorset came out on top, placing first out of all UK beaches in terms of accessibility. Second place went to Sandbanks Beach, also in Dorset, and third to Porthminster Beach.
Dorset is the go-to beach destination for people with mobility issues, four beaches in total reside within the Dorset area. With Weymouth Beach and Studland Beach also making the top 10 list, 40% of this list includes beach destinations within the region. Porthminster Beach and Perranporth Beach in Cornwall also made the list in second and fifth place, making Cornwall the second most accessible destination in terms of number of beaches.
Here are the top 10 UK accessible beaches
Bournemouth Beach
- Busyness Score: 2/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 186,000
- Wheelchair Hire: £50 deposit
- Disabled Toilet Cost: £5 per day
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 9/10
Sandbanks Beach
- Busyness Score: 4/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 38,400
- Wheelchair Hire: £50 deposit
- Disabled Toilet Cost: Free
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 9/10
Porthminster Beach
- Busyness Score: 4/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 12,200
- Wheelchair Hire: £45 per week
- Disabled Toilet Cost: Free
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 8/10
Portobello Beach
- Busyness Score: 4/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 45,500
- Wheelchair Hire: Free
- Disabled Toilet Cost: Free
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7.5/10
Perranporth Beach
- Busyness Score: 4/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 30,800
- Wheelchair Hire: Free
- Disabled Toilet Cost: Free
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7/10
Brighton Beach
- Busyness Score: 3/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 945,000
- Wheelchair Hire: £25 deposit
- Disabled Toilet Cost: £5 per day
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7.5/10
Weymouth Beach
- Busyness Score: 4/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 39,800
- Wheelchair Hire: Possession deposit
- Disabled Toilet Cost: £5 per day
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7.5/10
Studland Beach
- Busyness Score: 3.5/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 5000
- Wheelchair Hire: Possession deposit
- Disabled Toilet Cost: £5 per day
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7.5/10
West Wittering Beach
- Busyness Score: 2/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 26,000
- Wheelchair Hire: £20 deposit
- Disabled Toilet Cost: £5 per day
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7.5/10
Whitby Beach
- Busyness Score: 4/5
- Instagram Hashtags: 18,600
- Wheelchair Hire: £37 per week
- Disabled Toilet Cost: £5 per day
- TripAdvisor/Disability Rights UK Score: 7.5/10