'Absolutely beautiful beach' in England is wowing tourists with old fashioned charm

From pristine sand, crystal clear waters, Punch and Judy show and donkey rides along the beach, a beach in Dorset is the quintessential English beach resort.

Weymouth's Georgian Seafront

Weymouth's Georgian sea front lined in deckchairs (Image: Getty )

Weymouth Beach has been voted TripAdvisor’s Top Beach in Weymouth for 2023. It is a beautiful sandy c overlooked by a magnificent Georgian seafront. It epitomises the quintessential British beach resort.

The wide, sandy arced beach and shallow waters make it safe for children of all ages. It has a gently sloping seabed and is sheltered from the elements making it ideal for swimmers. There are the much-loved deckchairs, donkey rides along the beach, and even an outlet that will give you buckets and spades should you have forgotten to pack yours.

In summer the town really comes alive with events galore including fireworks, funfairs and festivals. The Punch and Judy puppet show, which dates back to the 1880s is performed on the beach during the summer.

George III chose Weymouth as his favourite beach in 1789 and came here to try this new fad of ‘swimming in the sea’ whilst recovering from illness. “The King bathes and with great success”, wrote Fanny Burney. “A machine follows the royal one into the sea, filled with fiddlers, who play ‘God save the King’, as his majesty takes his plunge”.

Weymouth became the St Tropez of its time with people flocking to dip into the same, ‘royal’ waters. The colourful Jubilee Clock Tower on the Esplanade was erected to commemorate the 1887 Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

Punch and Judy

Punch and Judy shows take place on the beach in Summer (Image: Getty )

Donkey rides

Donkey rides on Weymouth beach (Image: Shutterstock)

These days it’s still as popular as ever with a huge array of attractions - not least, the pretty Weymouth Old Harbour.

Pull up a chair and watch the motor cruises of all shapes and sizes come and go in a constant parade. It’s a lovely place to have a meal or drink as the sun goes down.

Why not row yourself across the harbour on one of the small rowing boats from the Pavilion Theatre to Nothe parade on the opposite side? Visit Nothe Fort Museum which features over 70 rooms and underground passages.

Weymouth Beach

The gentle sloping beach is perfect for the little ones (Image: Getty )

In Trinity Street, there’s a Tudor house furnished in period style. Sandworld is also a must, to see the incredible, gigantic sand sculptures carved by various sand artists.

There are actually seven beaches within Weymouth. Obviously, there’s Weymouth Beach itself, which is also a blue flag, award-winning beach.

Visitors to Weymouth have posted favourable comments on TripAdvisor: One wrote: “I’ve never seen a nicer or better-maintained beach anywhere in this country”

Another said: “Really nice harbour with quite a few pubs to get a drink or something to eat. A couple of small shops and boat trips leave from here”.

Fossicking on the Jurassic Coast

Fossicking on the Jurassic Coast (Image: Getty)

Durdle Door

The dramatic limestone formation of Durdle Door (Image: Getty )

Another said: “It retains its real ‘day at the seaside’ atmosphere”.

An international visitor wrote: “Wonderful sand. Gorgeous Georgian architecture behind you, and the sweep of Weymouth Bay in front. It’s beautiful.”

Finally, high praise indeed: “The best traditional seaside resort in this country… bar none!”.

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