Beaches in Suffolk are among best in UK for swimming, says new report

Suffolk is England's third best county if you want to enjoy a summer dip at the beach, according to new data.

The data analysed Environment Agency summer water quality data from hundreds of beaches across the UK.

Dorset, Devon and Suffolk have the highest percentage of 'excellent' beaches for clean water, according to UK travel site Holiday Park Guru, which carried out the research.

The 13 dirtiest beaches have been awarded 'Brown Flag Awards' - these include Blackpool (Blackpool North Beach), Weston Super Mare (Weston Main Beach) and Bognor Regis (Aldwick).

The unfortunate 'winners' are being offered complimentary brown flags featuring a poo emoji to display for swimmers. These beaches are rated as 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and other waste.

None of Suffolk's beaches has been awarded Brown Flag Awards for 2024.

Overall, 83% of Suffolk's beaches are considered 'excellent' for the quality of their sea water in summer. Dorset scored 89% whilst neighbouring county Norfolk scored 50%.

Lancashire came bottom of England's league table with none of its ten designated bathing spots achieving the coveted three-star ‘excellent’ rating for cleanliness. Somerset, Yorkshire and Kent were all in the bottom half of the league table.

The Isle of Wight, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Essex performed well, with all of their designated bathing areas gaining one of the top two ratings (‘good’ or ‘excellent’).