Sandsend, North Yorkshire is the north of England’s beach of the year, according to the annual Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches guide, published online today and in print on July 13. The 17th edition of the guide is the definitive and most comprehensive list of the UK's 50 best beaches.

In his description of Sandsend, Chris Haslam, the award-winning chief travel writer at The Times and The Sunday Times, says;

“For the time being its unadorned beach, crossed by the East Row Beck, gives space to sit, stare and breathe in the beauty of the Yorkshire coast.”

Chris Haslam has selected the UK’s top 50 beaches from a total of 756 that he personally visited and inspected on a month-long campervan tour of the British and Northern Irish coasts.

The guide showcases the unrivalled beauty of the UK seaside, evaluated through a rigorous 11-point inspection checklist. Criteria include water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, car-parking facilities, lifeguard presence, hygiene levels at restrooms and showers, and dog-friendliness.

As always, this guide covers only mainland beaches.

Best beaches in North England
The north of England's beach of the year: Sandsend, North Yorkshire

Silecroft, Cumbria

Cocklawburn, Northumberland

Embleton Bay, Northumberland

Cresswell, Northumberland

Roker, Tyne and Wear

Reighton Gap, North Yorkshire

Chris Haslam said; “The drive into Sandsend from Lythe is like time travel. The North Sea appears as you pass St Oswald’s church, and by the time you reach the bottom of the hill beside the beach and the Witsend Cafe it feels like you’re back in the 1930s.”