UK’s Top 50 beaches includes six from Devon

A list of the 50 best British beaches has been compiled with six of them named in Devon.

The Times has singled out Woolacombe, Mothecombe, Soar Mill Cove, Branscombe Beach and Budleigh Salterton.

Mattiscombe Sands in the South Hams, dubbed by a local business owner as a “cult beach”, also made the list.

Charlie Ansell, from Start Point Events said: “We have had friends come over from Australia and they are amazed that there are beaches like that in Britain.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, he continued: “It is what I think of as a cult beach, so for many years people have not really thought of it as a great beach to go to apart from those who have known it.

“It is great for it that is has a little bit of wider recognition, maybe we do not want too much recognition as we do not want too many people to come.”

Start Point Events organised weddings at the beach after several of Mr Ansell’s family also got married at the shoreline.

“They really enjoyed it and utilised part of the beach for the wedding so we thought if members of the public would like to do that too and enjoy beautiful scenery of Start Point then, ‘why not?'” he said.

Mr Ansell added: “If it is a good day you can see a couple other beaches on the list, you can see Branscombe and over to East Devon.”

Mattiscombe Beach was also used as a filming location to double for the US coast in Tim Burton’s 2012 comedy Dark Shadows.