HOLKHAM BEACH, NORFOLK

Holkham might not be the biggest beach in the UK, but it feels enormous, especially at low tide, when it becomes about half a mile deep. With its vast expanse of sand sandwiched between a thick pine forest and the sea, it’s a feast for the eyes and it comes as no surprise to learn that Holkham was recently picked as the best beach in Britain by a jury of travel writers. This is the ‘vast, empty shore’ on which Gwyneth Paltrow’s Viola walks at the end of Shakespeare in Love. And should Hollywood royalty not be impressive enough for you, real royalty walked here, too: The Prince of Wales and

The Princess Royal played at Holkham when they were young.