British Beaches

Visitor information for every beach in the UK

"Here about the beach I wander'd, nourishing a youth sublime"

Brightlingsea Beach

Essex, England


Rate this beach!
Approximate Location Map

Use two fingers to pan or zoom the map

Brightlingsea Beach, located on the River Colne in Essex, is a charming small beach resort with a rich maritime history. .

Brightlingsea Beach is a classic small South East beach resort with a paddling pool backed by a pleasant sandy beach and colourful beach huts. The beach is situated on the River Colne and is rich in seafaring history, being one of the Cinque Ports. The town is a haven for yachting and hosts international sailing events annually.

The town was once an important boat building centre and fishing area, but is now a popular resort with plenty of amenities, including a lifeguard service. Visitors can enjoy a range of sports and leisure activities along the promenade, such as windsurfing, canoeing, jet-skiing, swimming, and bathing, as well as pleasure trips on sailing barges.

The beach offers attractive walks along the Western Promenade, with pleasant views and a parade of colourful beach huts. There is a play area for children, rock pools for crabbing, public toilet facilities, a lost child centre, and first aid points. Visitors can also explore the nearby nature trails along the site of an old railway line to Alresford Creek.

Dogs are not allowed on the sand from 1 May to 30 September, particularly around the paddling pool and the beaches to the east of it. However, there is plenty of low-cost or free parking, including spaces for disabled visitors, and disabled access to the beach.

Sand

Weather and tides for Thursday 4 June

Today
Chance of rain 78%
Max temperature 18°C
feels like 18°C
Wind 19mph
Max UV Index
Tonight
Chance of rain 38%
Min temperature 10°C
feels like 12°C
Wind 15mph

The tide at Brightlingsea Beach is currently falling. Low tide will be at approximately 8:58 AM, and the next high tide will be at approximately 3:18 PM.

Today's air pollution levels are forecast to be Low

Detailed weather and tides »

Recommended holiday cottages near Brightlingsea Beach

Things to do and see in the area

Brightlingsea Lido (0.3 miles)
Cudmore Grove Country Park (1.2 miles)
Jaywick Martello Tower (4.2 miles)
Lady Grace Boat Trips (5.1 miles)
Mersea Island Watersports (5.1 miles)
St Peter's Chapel (5.7 miles)

All distances are approximate

Other beaches nearby

Location: Brightlingsea

Location type: Town

OS Grid: TM077160

Coordinates: 51°48'16"N 1°0'44"E

Mapcode: GBR SP8.YHP

What 3 Words: rams.confetti.warm

Coordinates and location codes are for an approximate mid-point of the beach, and may not reflect the best access point or the most popular part of the beach.

County: Essex

Country: England

Local Authority: Tendring

Parish: Brightlingsea

Nearest postcode: CO7 0HL

(for sat-nav purposes only, a beach does not have a postal address!)

Important! Beach information is compiled from a variety of different sources and is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of compilation. However, information may be incorrectly supplied by our sources or go out of date after publication. BritishBeaches.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any information on this page.

Stuff you might want for the beach!

(Or après-beach. Or pre-beach. Or, just because you might want stuff)

Visitor information for Brightlingsea Beach, Essex, England. Weather, tides, visitor comments, beach facilities, photos, nearest postcode, beach information and nearby accommodation.

British Beaches is a Good Stuff website.

216.73.216.53 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:19:19 +0100