There’s no obvious point where Winchelsea Beach becomes Pett Level Beach, but it’s a long sweep of steep shingle beach with sand and rockpools at low tide and weathered wooden groynes stretching into the water. You can usually find a parking spot on the road right next to the beach (which is a godsend, particularly when you’re lugging all the children’s beach paraphernalia around) or in the small road-side car park, and there’s a path of sorts along the top of the bank that takes you all the way to the western end, Cliff End, where you’ll find half-buried tree stumps from the sunken ancient forest that was once grew here. For some extra trivia, it was also here where David Bowie filmed parts of his music video for Ashes to Ashes, and where the 17th-century warship, HMS Anne, lies buried.
The water is lovely for swimming, and you can very happily spend a day here. So what’s for lunch, you ask? Well, it’s the significant lack of facilities (including no toilets) that’s no doubt what keeps this beach crowd-free, but for locals and those who’ve been reeled in by its charm, there is a great little spot. The New Beach Club is a members’ social club, not in the Soho House sense, more a fisherman’s watering hole. It’s tucked into the sea wall, with outdoor tables in the sun and direct access to the beach, and welcomes well-behaved kids and dogs. You don’t have to be a local to join, but you do have to pay a £30 annual membership fee to have a beer here. It’s a level of investment which may feel a stretch for a single visit, but one I take on the chin, partly because I didn’t pack any drinks or snacks the first time we came so didn’t have a choice, but now, we venture back here specifically for the battered hake roll from the seafood kitchen, Cockles and Dreams, that does a delicious roaring trade from here. If you are indeed a local, you’ll also benefit from the club’s weekly quiz and live band, but those I’m yet to experience first-hand — I just read about in my members’ newsletter that lands in my inbox each month and reminds me to suggest a beach day at the weekend.
