Blackpool Sands

The name is technically a lie. Blackpool Sands, named England’s best beach by Conde Nast Traveller in 2024, contains almost no sand at all. The beach is smooth shingle, and its owners cheerfully acknowledge the “misnomer”, pointing out that Slapton Sands, Beesands, and Hallsands nearby are all shingle too. The reason the water here looks so improbably clear is precisely because of the small, clean pebbles underfoot. Sediment does not cloud it. On a still summer morning, the cove looks more like the Adriatic than South Devon.

The beach sits in a sheltered bay about three miles southwest of Dartmouth, enclosed by steep wooded headlands thick with pine and evergreen. The pines are not native, they were planted as windbreaks during the Victorian era, and the combination of dark conifer slopes and turquoise water gives the place an unusually Mediterranean atmosphere for the English coast.

Who Owns It

Blackpool Sands has been privately owned by the Newman family since 1797, when Richard Newman, described in local records as a merchant trader and privateer, bought the land when Dartmouth grew too crowded for his taste. The family’s history in the area traces to the 1500s. When tourism began to pick up in Devon in the late 1950s, Sir Geoffrey Newman’s mother opened a wooden hut selling teas and ice creams. It has grown considerably since then, but the beach remains privately managed, which goes a long way toward explaining why it stays so clean and organized.

The Beach

The cove is about 400 metres wide and well protected from prevailing westerly winds. The water shelves relatively gently, which makes it popular for swimming, and the clarity is consistently striking. In 2025, a boardwalk made from recycled plastic was installed across the beach to improve access for visitors of all ages and abilities, a practical addition that makes reaching the water from the car park much easier.

Dogs are not permitted on the beach or in the car parks between 1 May and 30 September, which keeps peak season experience cleaner than many South Devon alternatives.

Parking

The main car park is managed by Blackpool and Start Partnership. Parking charges apply and vary seasonally; peak summer rates (July and August) run to around £8-£10 per day. Payment is made by card on exit via an ANPR system, you do not need to pay on arrival. The car park opens at 9 a.m. and closes overnight. On summer weekends it fills by late morning, so arriving before 10 a.m. makes a real difference.

Eating

The Venus Cafe, which ran at this location for nearly 28 years, ended its lease and now operates at Bigbury on Sea and Broadsands instead. Blackpool Sands now runs its own Cafe, Lounge and Restaurant directly, with Head Chef Sam leading the menu. The operation runs from the same beachside building: a cafe and takeaway open daily from 9 a.m. (closing around 4-5 p.m., later in high summer), serving breakfast until 11 a.m. and lunch from noon. The menu focuses on beachside staples and seafood specials using local produce. There is also a dedicated takeaway window for fish and chips, cakes, hot drinks, and local ice cream, the sensible choice if you want to eat on the pebbles rather than wait for a table.

For dinner away from the beach, Dartmouth is the natural base. The town has a reliable cluster of independent restaurants on Foss Street and along the waterfront, covering everything from gastropub food at The Dartmouth Inn to proper seafood at The Seahorse (booking essential for the latter).

Activities

The beach operation now includes RED Paddle Co paddleboard hire, a SUP inflation station, and, unusually for a UK beach, a beach sauna. Kayaking is popular in the bay when conditions are calm. The water sports equipment is available through the beach shop, which also stocks swimwear and waterproof changing robes from the Red Equipment range.

The South West Coast Path runs directly above the cove. The stretch east toward Dartmouth takes about 45 minutes at a comfortable pace and ends near the Dartmouth Castle entrance. Dartmouth Castle itself, a 14th-century fortress guarding the mouth of the River Dart, is one of the better-preserved coastal fortifications in the southwest and worth the small English Heritage admission fee.

Slapton Sands, a few miles further southwest, is a markedly different kind of beach, a long, exposed freshwater lagoon separated from the sea by a single narrow bank of shingle. It is less comfortable for swimming than Blackpool but better for walking, and the lagoon behind it (Slapton Ley) is a significant nature reserve. The D-Day training story connected to the area, American forces rehearsed the Utah Beach landings here in 1944 and hundreds died in a German torpedo attack that was kept classified for decades, is the kind of historical footnote that most visitors do not know.

Where to Stay

Dartmouth and the villages around it have a strong self-catering market. Cottages in Stoke Fleming (the village directly above Blackpool Sands) put you five minutes from the beach by car. In Dartmouth itself, the Dart Marina Hotel has rooms with river views from around £150 per night in mid-season. The Royal Castle Hotel on the quay is older and more characterful, with some rooms overlooking the Dart.

Budget travelers do better in Kingsbridge or Totnes, both within 20-30 minutes by car, where accommodation prices drop significantly and you still have easy access to the coast.

Getting There

Blackpool Sands is not reachable by public transport, a car is effectively essential. From Dartmouth, it is a ten-minute drive south on the A379, with signs to the beach. From Exeter, the drive takes about an hour. The nearest rail connection is Totnes on the mainline, from which you would need a bus to Kingsbridge and then a taxi, which makes the total journey from London significantly easier with a hire car booked at Totnes or Exeter.

The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs seasonal services along the coast from Paignton to Kingswear, where a passenger ferry crosses the Dart to Dartmouth. It is a scenic route worth doing for its own sake, though it does not bring you directly to Blackpool Sands.

Timing

The beach is at its quietest in late May, early June, and September, when the water is warm enough for swimming but the car park does not fill before noon. July and August are the busiest months, with weekend afternoons reliably crowded. The cove is sheltered enough that it stays pleasant on overcast days when more exposed beaches become unpleasant, which gives it a longer effective season than most spots on the South Devon coast.

Book any restaurant reservations in Dartmouth in advance for summer weekends. The town is small and popular, and the best places fill quickly.