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Minehead Strand Beach

(The Strand Beach, Minehead East Beach)

Somerset, England


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Minehead Strand Beach is a popular holiday destination in Somerset, offering a wide sand and shingle beach with various amenities and activities.

Minehead is one of Somerset's busiest holiday resorts, with many amenities and a wide sand and shingle beach that faces North-to-North West and looks out across the Bristol Channel towards Wales. The beach, also known as The Strand, is a wide expanse of sand, with some areas of shingle and a variety of rock pools. As the tide goes out, this sandy stretch of beach becomes ideal for beach games and for building sandcastles.

The promenade, lined with cafés, bars, and shops, offers access to the sandy beach and spectacular views across to North Hill. The beachfront is also overlooked by a large Butlin’s holiday camp, adding to the lively atmosphere of the resort. Visitors can enjoy a range of water sports, including sailing and windsurfing, as well as sports and leisure activities at the Butlin's camp. The resort is also a nature lover's destination, with the gateway to Exmoor National Park and various walks and stunning landscapes to explore.

Minehead is the official starting point for the South West Coast Path, which runs all the way to Poole in Dorset via Land’s End in Cornwall. The full trail is 630 miles long. The resort is also home to Somerset’s oldest golf course – the Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club.

Dogs are restricted on the beach between the Harbour and the Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club from May through September. There is a café on the beachfront, but the nearest public toilets are a little walk away from the beach. There is no lifeguard on duty.

In 1990, a large section of the beach was washed away by storms. Since then, new improved sea defences have been installed, including a long sea-wall which runs along the shore. However, these sea defences have caused a lot of the sand to be washed away.

Sand

Weather and tides for Thursday 17 July

Today
Chance of rain 17%
Max temp. 22°C
(feels like 21°C)
Wind 13mph
Max UV Index
Tonight
Chance of rain 8%
Min temp. 17°C
(feels like 17°C)
Wind 4mph

The tide at Minehead Strand Beach is currently falling. Low tide will be at approximately 5:32 PM, and the next high tide will be at approximately 12:07 AM tomorrow.

Today's air pollution levels are forecast to be Low

Approximate sea surface temperature:   19.1°C  

Detailed weather and tides »
  • Facilities

    Campsite Food available Toilets Shops
  • Popular Activities

    Sunbathing Walking Wind surfing
  • Parking

    Pay and display parking available.

  • Dogs

    Dog restrictions apply.

  • Lifeguard

    No lifeguard cover at this beach

  • Water Quality

    Water quality not measured here

    Water quality not measured here

Recommended holiday cottages near Minehead Strand Beach

Things to do and see in the area

West Somerset Railway (0.4 miles)
Channel Adventure (0.5 miles)
Exmoor Photography Course (0.6 miles)
Dunster Yarn Market (1.8 miles)
The Parish and Priory Church of St. George, Dunster (1.8 miles)
Dunster Castle (1.9 miles)
Dunster Working Watermill (2 miles)
Cleeve Abbey (5.4 miles)
Torre Cider Farm (5.8 miles)
Tropiquaria Zoo (6 miles)

All distances are approximate

Other beaches nearby

Location: Minehead

Location type: Urban

OS Grid: SS980464

County: Somerset

Country: England

Local Authority: West Somerset

Parish: Minehead

Nearest postcode: TA24 6GW

(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!

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Visitor information for Minehead Strand Beach, Somerset, England. Weather, tides, visitor comments, beach facilities, photos, nearest postcode, beach information and nearby accommodation.

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18.97.9.170 Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:03:33 +0100