Climping Beach

I love this beach to walk Hank, as with any beach in Britain when it's glorious weather it will be incredibly busy but even then not as much as the more commercial beaches. I tend to avoid busy times, and go at low tide if possible as even though there are still rocky patches there's a large expanse of sand beyond the steeper pebbles and stones at the top of the beach. It's not a pristine beach, with old concrete defence blocks and often debris but that kind of helps create the character here.

Coming out of the car park you can go left which will take you towards West Beach and Littlehampton, but I like to go right where it's a bit bumpier but the further you go it's much quiter. The groynes almost help to make individual beaches where it's great for letting Hank off the lead without fear he'll run too far away! When the tide is right out, you can pretty much walk right along the beach beyond all the groynes, but if not you may find you're walking back up to path to get round them all as they can be a bit high to get over. There is also a path that runs from the car park and past the fields along the top of the shoreline so even at high tide is a nice walk just without the sandy plains, and there's something relaxing about this walk even in awful weather!

With regards to parking the best thing to do is completely avoid what I did! There is a large car park, which at peak times is manned and you can pay £7 for the whole day or £1.50 for an hour. Outside of the car park there are several spaces along the road and opposite the entrance, and I've been here numerous times (in fairness mainly in the Winter) and people use these spaces all the time along the whole section of road without problem and there's nothing to pay. I know, I know I'm outside of the lines so only have myself to blame, but a warning to not just copy what everyone else is doing, parking wardens operate in this area so £35 for me to learn that lesson!