Kent Beachcombing Guide - Deal to Beginning of Sandwich Bay Estate

Though the town of Deal itself is lovely, I have to admit that Deal beach is not the best place to go beachcombing, I'm going to find it hard to write this guide as after 3 hours walking and scanning, from Deal to the beginning of Sandwich Bay Estate, we found hardly anything at all.

The high tide line was pretty much non existent, and any shells that had been thrown up on the beach had been quickly smashed. It was clear that Deal beach does not catch much in the way of 'sea treasures' - It seems as if everything is pushed into Sandwich Bay instead. IMO There is a huge difference in beachcombing at Sandwich. (one of the best places I've been beachcombing) and Deal (one of the worst places I've been beachcombing)

Deal's great for fishing though, and the shingle beach makes a nice spot to sit and have fish and chips.

Beachcombing Tips - How To Beachcomb

The picture shows one of my most interesting beach combing hauls, it was all found at Folkestone beach, and includes various crystals and minerals, plenty of fossils, a lot of large and beautifully coloured sea glass, pieces of old pots, a china horse...

Half the excitement of beach combing is that you never know what you are going to find, but of course finding nothing is not fun! And has happened to me on a few occasions, before I figured out where to look. - This 'how to beachcomb guide' is a pointer of places to look for certain objects based on my own experiences of beachcombing.

Stuff can be found all over the beach, but the areas mentioned in my beachcobing tips should yield a higher concentration of finds. The pictures are all objects that I have found whilst beachcombing.

Kent Beachcombing Guide - Reculver East Towards Birchington

Reculver is a great place to go for a bit of beach combing, or indeed some beach photography, as there are many interesting and battered groynes and sea defenses to snap.

The Reculver towers, which sit at the top of the clay cliffs are another great subject to photograph, and a good place to sit down for a packed lunch. As you head east the cliffs recede and there is a small coastal path and sea wall surrounded by countryside.

People are friendly but not overly talkative. There are lots of dog walkers and cyclists on the coastal path, and in the summer a lot of holiday makers from the caravan park.

Type of Beach: The beach is shingle at high tide, with patches of sand, and a muddy rocky shore at low tide. There are sea defenses made from boulders, and groynes on the beach. These sea defenses are great places to look for interesting bits, from shells to driftwood, to fossils. As these are trapped and seem to stay relatively intact in these areas.

Kent Beachcombing Guide - Westgate-on-Sea

Type of Beach: Westgate-on-Sea is a sandy beach, surrounded by a promenade. There are rock pools at low tide, and the bay gets more than it's fair share of seaweed washing up on the beach. This seaweed is cleared in the summer, but in winter it can be found covering the shore along with other flotsam and jetsam. 

Westgate-on-Sea is quite a busy little beach, it is popular with retirees and if they spot you beach combing they seem to home in on you. They can range from being friendly and quizzical "excuse me what are you looking for?", to somewhat rude to you, if you do something that they think is unusual (like taking a photo of a seagull for example!:0) "Ooooh, somebody likes taking pictures!" Honestly I have never heard such rudeness from retirees. Lol ;) 

Kent Beachcombing Guide - Copt Point Folkestone

Copt Point at Folkestone is one of the best places in the UK to go beach combing in my opinion. You can find all sorts of things.

It's not for the feint hearted though, Copt Point can be dangerous if you get trapped by the tide, so make sure to go when the tide is going out. You can escape if you ever get caught there, but it involves climbing crumbling clay cliffs, with huge boulders underneath them which is dangerous also!

The people on the beach are mostly friendly, eager to share their fossil finds, or to give advice on where to find them.

Type of Beach: The beach is made up of large boulders which sit on a bed of clay and gravel. There is a shingle and clay beach at low tide, with the boulders being close to the cliffs.

It is a designated SSI, so no digging in the cliffs, or digging fossils out of the ground

Kent Beachcombing Guide - Herne Bay Beach (East to Beltinge)

Kent Beachcombing Guide - Herne Bay East to Beltinge.

Type of Beach: Herne Bay East Beach is a mixed shingle beach, mainly of flint pebbles and gravel, with large areas of sand and clay as the tide goes out. When the tide is out (especially towards Beltinge) there are mussel beds, rock pools, and large rocks which trap fossils and other interesting things.

The beach has wooden groynes, and boulders, which make up the sea defenses. There are gentle, grassy slopes down to the promenade until you get to Beltinge creek, where the clay cliffs rise up. (and fall down! so be careful)

Beltinge is a very beautiful beach, with a view of the Reculver towers. There is a lot of  nature living in the cliffs and the surrounding countryside. There are rock pools at low tide at Beltinge, with a variety of sea creatures, and different sea weeds to observe.

It is a popular beach for dog walking, and sea fishing, and the people are friendly and chatty. There is car parking on top of the cliffs at Beltinge, which is free, and also along Herne Bay Slopes.

Kent Beach Combing Guide - Hampton-On-Sea (studd hill)

This is the first in my series of beach combing guides to Kent. I have decided to do this as it is always nice to know what to expect or look out for, when on a certain beach. I will go into the type of beach and it's features, high tide and low tide, amenities, maps, and what can be found there.

I may add more in-depth geological information for fossil hunters, but my brother will have to help me there as he is the fossil expert. Until I have his input I will mention the fossils that can be found, and where I have found them.

This Kent beach combing guide covers the end of Herne Bay bech, to Hampton-on-Sea. Starting where the beach huts at the west end of Herne Bay end.

Beach Combing Guide to Hampton-on-Sea