Two Whitby locations hailed in top beaches survey

Two Whitby beaches have been named among the best in the North of England by a new survey.

Boggle Hole and Whitby Sands were recognised in the latest The Times and The Sunday Times 50 Best UK Beaches for 2026 guide.

Boggle Hole was put in the spotlight by the survey.

placeholder image — Boggle Hole was put in the spotlight by the survey.

The Times and The Sunday Times 50 Best UK Beaches remains the only annual gazetteer of the British coast in which every listed beach has been personally inspected within the previous eight weeks.

The guide celebrates the unrivalled beauty of the UK’s coastline, with each beach assessed against a rigorous 12-point checklist. Criteria include cleanliness, accessibility, parking, lifeguard provision, the condition of toilets and showers, dog-friendliness and, above all, water quality.

Whitby was named as one of the top locations in the north for beaches.

This year, a new criterion has been added: community engagement.

Low Newton-by-the-Sea in Northumberland was revealed as the North of England’s beach of the year.

Chris Haslam, the award-winning chief travel writer at The Times and The Sunday Times, said: “I’m just back from my 18th annual circuit of the British and Northern Irish coasts and I’ve never seen our seaside look more beautiful.

“We’re now heading into the third heatwave of what we might look back upon as a summer to match 1976, so it would be a shame to waste those sunny days sitting in airports, queuing at immigration machines and fighting for sunloungers. You can do that next year. This year, drop your towel on a UK beach.”