Going coastal: 15 best sea views in England

From brooding cliffs to storybook villages, we bring you a curated list of the best sea views in England

For a long time, Peter and I were ambivalent about the British staycation. For us, getting on a flight marked the start of a proper getaway. But then, a series of local trips began to change our minds. There was Clovelly, a picturesque fishing village on the north coast of Devon; Langley Castle in Northumberland; walking with my sister in the Chiltern Hills; and, for Peter, hiking the coast to coast and the South West Coast Path. These trips turned out to be some of our most memorable.

Over time, we learnt to love the staycation, not least because they’re better for the environment, more affordable and usually less challenging in terms of logistics (language, customs and so on). Thankfully, there’s plenty on offer for the outdoorsy-ish, from cycling in the New Forest to hiking in the Yorkshire Dales. With the British summer breaking records, many of us are heading to the coast. 

To help you choose your next break on our sunny-ish shores, we’ve teamed up with Classic Cottages to bring you a handpicked list of the best sea views in England.

Best sea views in England

Seven Sisters, East Sussex

The magnificent seven sisters are a series of grass-capped chalk cliffs stretching from Seaford to Eastborne. The cliffs are allowed to erode naturally and, as a result, maintain their bright white colour unlike the White Cliffs of Dover, which are greening due to vegetation. 

Seen from Seaford Head viewpoint, the seven sisters are achingly romantic. In fact, several filmmakers have used them as a dramatic backdrop. The cliffs appear in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Atonement and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire among others. They also came packaged as a default wallpaper in Microsoft Windows 7.

The 14-mile point-to-point walk along the clifftops is well worth doing. Look out for butterflies, wildflowers and, of course, some of the best sea views in England. 

Woolacombe Beach, Devon 

Woolacombe is one of the best beaches in the country. In fact, this three-mile stretch of golden sand was voted Beach of the Year 2021 by the Sunday Times. 

A favourite with surfers, Woolacombe is part of the North Devon World Surfing Reserve, which grants…