On the Purbeck peninsula is a pristine National Trust beach, a two-minute chain-ferry ride from Sandbanks. The long stretch of sand is stunning and has views of the mouth of Poole harbour, the Isle of Wight and sailboats and huge ferries coming in and out of the harbour on their way to Brittany. Bring a picnic and get there early – it’s popular but still undeveloped, thankfully.
Updates
It is called Shell Bay I've always known it as Shell Bay. The water is shallow and inviting, but watch out for strong tidal pull - the far end from the ferry used to be a popular naturist area. As the name implies, great for shell gathering.
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
Search Been there
