Britain’s top 10 cleanest and dirtiest beaches revealed
A BEACH in Cornwall has topped the list for cleanest in the UK.
Treyarnon Bay came in pole position in a list dominated by Cornwall and Dorset.
Data from 425 beaches across England, Scotland and Wales has been analysed to reveal the cleanest and dirtiest beaches across Britain.
But when it comes to dirt, it’s not all about litter and washed-up plastic debris.
The rankings are based on the total count of E. Coli found within the water over the past two years.
E. Coli is referred to as a ‘fecal indicator’, found in the intestines and poo of humans and animals.
While its appearance in the beach water isn’t necessarily harmful to humans, it can suggest the presence of other more dangerous bacteria.
If it enters your system, some E. coli can cause illness such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
Treyarnon Bay came top for clean beach water with an E. coli count of just 50.
The second cleanest beach is Shell Bay in Dorset, with an E. coli count of 51, narrowly missing out on the top spot.
Third place also went to Dorset with Kimmeridge Bay scoring an E. coli count of just 53.
Outside of Cornwall and Dorset, the only other location to land in the top ten list was Devon, with Combesgate Beach coming in seventh position.
The best beaches in Britain for clean water
- Treyarnon Bay, Cornwall
- Shell Bay, Dorset
- Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset
- Kennack Sands, Cornwall
- Durdle Door East, Dorset
- Constantine Bay, Cornwall
- Combesgate Beach, Devon
- Church Cove, Cornwall
- Poole Shore Road Beach, Dorset
- Praa Sands East, Cornwall
Meanwhile, the waters in other UK beaches told a whole different story, with the water at St Annes Beach in Lancashire having a staggering E. Coli count of 4338.
Plymouth Hoe East Beach in Devon ranked second worst for quality of water with an E. Coli count of 3611 in the sampled water, and Bowleaze Cove in Dorset was the third worst with a count of 3349.
In fact, Lancashire’s beaches dominated the list of dirtiest beach water.
The worst beaches in Britain for clean water
- St Annes Beach, Lancashire
- Plymouth Hoe East Beach, Devon
- Bowleaze Cove, Dorset
- Thurlestone South, Devon
- Cleethorpes Beach, Lincolnshire
- Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire
- Blackpool Central Beach, Lancashire
- Broadstairs, Viking Bay, Lancashire
- Lyme Regis Front Beach, Dorset
- Anstey’s Cove Torquay, Devon
Mark Hall, the co-founder of BuisnessWaste who commissioned the research has spoken about the importance of staying safe in coastal water.
He said: “With summer travel back to normal this year, deciding on a beach spot may be a hot topic over the next few months.
“You will probably avoid beaches that are filled with litter and washed-up plastic, but you may not instantly think about what dangerous bacteria may be lingering in the water.
“We hope that our study on the cleanest and dirtiest beaches will help you make that all-important decision, and we urge you to stay safe in those coastal waters too!”
A survey of British tourists recently revealed the top ten seaside resorts in the UK – and surprisingly, Cornwall didn’t make the list.
The Sun Online also revealed the UK’s most beautiful beaches according to Instagram, and this time Cornwall took the top spot.
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