Full list of 93 cleanest beaches in England and Wales where you can swim without worrying about sewage
FANCY A DIP? Full list of 93 cleanest beaches in England and Wales where you can swim without worrying about sewage
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A REFRESHING sea swim isn't what it used to be thanks to the UK's water companies pumping sewage off our coastline on a daily basis.
In fact, of the 561 designated bathing waters across England and Wales, there are just 93 that are considered the safest to swim in.
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Durdle Door East and West makes the list for clean bathing water
Credit: Alamy
The Sun's Travel team have been working with Surfers Against Sewage, a charity fighting to keep our favourite swim spots clean, to collect data on the 93 English and Welsh coastal waters that are least impacted by pollution.
Swimming in polluted water or water of poor classification can leave people ill due to the likelihood of harmful bacteria, viruses, or pathogens like E. coli being present.
The most common illness associated with bathing in dirty water is gastroenteritis, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
In most cases these symptoms are mild and resolve on their own - but some cases can be severe, and even require hospitalisation.
The list of 93 bathing spots is based on water company assessments, which reveal which coastal waters are not impacted by sewage pollution.
One of the most popular beaches on the list is Broadsands Beach in South Devon.
Another stunning Devon beach, Ladram Bay, has been included in the list too.
Low Newton in Northumberland, Whitesands Bay, and Poole Harbour Lake also make the cut.
Alum Chine Beach in Bournemouth, meanwhile - the coastal spot that has just been named as one of the World's Best Beaches - has a water cleanliness classification of "excellent".
Of the 93 bathing waters, 15 are in Devon, 28 are in Cornwall, 21 are in Wales and 12 are in Dorset - with others scattered around England.
UK beach named one of the top 100 in the world
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15 of the cleanest bathing waters are found in Devon
Credit: Alamy
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Tunnels Beach rock pool in Ilfracombe is classed as a good spot for swimming
Credit: Alamy
The beaches are either managed by Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Southern Water, United Utilities, Welsh Water or Wessex Water.
Inland bathing waters have been removed from the data as these are often affected by sewage, whether that be due to overflow or agricultural and sludge runoff from fields.
The 89 bathing waters in Scotland haven't been included here as Scottish Water doesn't provide data or have processes in place to indicate the impact of sewage on these bathing waters.
You can see the full list of beaches along with the water company and water classification in our interactive map below.
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Whitesands Bay in Pembrokeshire has a water classification of 'excellent'
Credit: Getty
The classification of bathing water is sorted into four categories - excellent, good, sufficient, and poor.
Those rated as excellent or good generally have the best water quality for swimming.
On the list of 93, only two have the sufficient water classification - Goring Beach and Llandudno North Shore.
You can still swim in sufficient classified water, as it indicates it meets the minimum standard for bathing, but there may be some risk of illness from bacteria.
To see more about the water classification and for more information on bathing waters across the country, Surfers Against Sewage has created the Safer Seas and Rivers Service app.
The app has its own map showing live sewage discharges across the UK while monitoring over 17,000 overflows.
We'd recommend checking it before visiting a beach in the UK - especially after heavy rainfall.
Here is the list of 93 coastal bathing waters least impacted by sewage
Based on water company assessments, these coastal bathing waters in England and Wales are not impacted by sewage pollution...
Low Newton - Northumbrian Water - Excellent
Roker, Sunderland - Northumbrian Water - Excellent
Seaton Carew North Gare - Northumbrian Water - Excellent
South Shields - Northumbrian Water - Good
Ansteys Cove, Torquay - South West Water - Excellent
Berrow North of Unity Farm - South West Water - Good
Boobys Bay - South West Water - Excellent
Bovisand - South West Water - Excellent
Brean - South West Water - Good
Broadsands Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Chapel Porth - South West Water - Excellent
Church Cove - South West Water - Excellent
Combesgate Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Constantine Bay Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Crinnis Beach (Carlyon Bay) - South West Water - Excellent
Daymer Bay - South West Water - Excellent
Great Western - South West Water - Excellent
Gwynver - South West Water - Excellent
Hartland Quay - South West Water - Excellent
Hayle Towans - South West Water - Excellent
Ilfracombe Tunnels - South West Water - Excellent
Kennack Sands - South West Water - Excellent
Ladram Bay - South West Water - Excellent
Lusty Glaze - South West Water - Excellent
Maenporth - South West Water - Good
Maidencombe - South West Water - Excellent
Mother Ivey's Bay - South West Water - Excellent
Ness Cove - South West Water - Excellent
Northcott Mouth - South West Water - Excellent
Oddicombe - South West Water - Excellent
Pendower - South West Water - Excellent
Penzance - South West Water - Good
Perranporth Penhale Sands - South West Water - Excellent
Polkerris - South West Water - Good
Porthcothan - South West Water - Excellent
Porthmeor Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Praa Sands - South West Water - Excellent
Praa Sands East - South West Water - Excellent
Putsborough - South West Water - Excellent
Sandymouth Bay Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Saunton Sands - South West Water - Excellent
Sharrow Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder - South West Water - Excellent
Slapton Sands Monument - South West Water - Excellent
Tolcarne - South West Water - Excellent
Tregonhawke - South West Water - Excellent
Treyarnon Bay - South West Water - Excellent
Upton Towans - South West Water - Excellent
Vault Beach - South West Water - Excellent
Watcombe - South West Water - Excellent
Wherrytown - South West Water - Good
Goring Beach - Southern Water - Sufficient
Rottingdean Beach - Southern Water - Good
Formby - United Utilities - Excellent
Silecroft - United Utilities - Excellent
Abereiddy - Welsh Water - Excellent
Borth Beach - Welsh Water - Excellent
Borth Wen Beach (Borthwen) - Welsh Water - Good
Broad Haven (South) - Welsh Water - Excellent
Church Bay - Welsh Water - Excellent
Freshwater West - Welsh Water - Excellent
Llanddona - Welsh Water - Good
Llanddwyn - Welsh Water - Excellent
Llandudno North Shore - Welsh Water - Sufficient
Llandudno West Shore - Welsh Water - Good
Marloes Sands - Welsh Water - Excellent
Morfa Dinlle - Welsh Water - Excellent
Oxwich Bay - Welsh Water - Good
Penbryn Beach - Welsh Water - Excellent
Porth Nefyn - Welsh Water - Good
Porth Neigwl - Welsh Water - Excellent
Sandy Haven - Welsh Water - Excellent
Silver Bay (Traeth Llydan) - Welsh Water - Excellent
Southerndown Beach (Dunraven Bay) - Welsh Water - Excellent
Tal-y-Bont - Welsh Water - Excellent
Whitesands Bay - Welsh Water - Excellent
Bournemouth Alum Chine - Wessex Water - Excellent
Bournemouth Durley Chine - Wessex Water - Excellent
Bournemouth Southbourne - Wessex Water - Excellent
Christchurch Mudeford Sandbank East - Wessex Water - Excellent
Church Ope Cove - Wessex Water - Excellent
Durdle Door East - Wessex Water - Excellent
Durdle Door West - Wessex Water - Excellent
Henleaze Lake - Wessex Water - Good
Hive Beach - Wessex Water - Excellent
Kimmeridge Bay - Wessex Water - Excellent
Lulworth Cove - Wessex Water - Excellent
Poole Canford Cliffs Chine - Wessex Water - Excellent
Poole Harbour Lake - Wessex Water - Excellent
Porlock Weir - Wessex Water - Excellent
Shell Bay North - Wessex Water - Excellent
Studland Knoll House - Wessex Water - Excellent
Weymouth Central - Wessex Water - Good
Swimfo advises against bathing in these particular waters around England and Wales
According to the Environment Agency's online tool Swimfo, these are the bathing waters where taking a dip is not advised, or there's permanent advice against swimming...
For more information and updates on bathing waters go to: Swimfo
Tynemouth Cullercoats
Littlehaven Beach
Scarborough South Bay
Blackpool North
St Annes North
Bridlington South Beach
Heacham
Clacton (Groyne 41)
Deal Castle
Dymchurch
Littlestone
Worthing Beach House
Bognor Regis (Aldwick)
Southsea East
Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach
Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary
Porthluney
Instow
Ilfracombe Wildersmouth
Dunster Beach
Blue Anchor West
Burnham Jetty North
Weston-super-Mare Uphill Slipway
Weston Main
Weston-super-Mare Sand Bay
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