When London feels like it's melting, the parks are rammed with sunbathers in various stages of undress (Speedos offenders, we’re looking at you…), and you’ve ticked off all our favourite things to do in the city, there’s only one thing for it: it's time to make a break for the coast.
These beach day trips are less than 90 minutes from London, so you can be back at your Locke aparthotel in time for a sundowner on your private balcony – still with the taste of sea air on your tongue.
Hit the iconic pebbles in Brighton
Just a 60-minute train from London Victoria, Brighton is London's cooler coastal cousin – the sort that moved away to follow its creative dreams and never looked back. Classic British seaside charm is tempered with a bohemian spirit, with Regency architecture sitting alongside street art, pride flags, and vegan outposts.
Grab an iced coffee and plonk yourself on the famous pebble beach (sand-phobics, rejoice), or people-watch along the promenade. When you're done soaking up rays, strut along Palace Pier – bring pocket change for the retro arcade games and fairground rides that feel delightfully stuck in time.
Next, get lost in The Lanes, a maze of alleyways packed with independent shops – from antique jewellery to avant-garde fashion – and eateries. Riddle & Finns serves seafood so fresh it practically winks at you, while The Coal Shed has a way with fire that makes everything – from seafood to chicken to steaks – taste sensational. Veggies and vegans, you can even get the authentic taste of fish and chips at The No Catch Co.
You can’t head home without a) an ice cream (just watch out for those pesky seagulls) and b) a dip in the sea (but brace yourself – this isn't the Mediterranean…).
Discover the oyster capital in Whitstable
Hop on a train at London St Pancras and 90 minutes later you can be in Whitstable, a Kent fishing town turned boujee seaside destination where oysters are practically currency. The shingle beach is gloriously quaint – think wooden groynes breaking up stretches of pebbles, colourful beach huts, and fishing boats dragged up on shore.
For a true Whitstable experience, head to Wheelers Oyster Bar – a tiny pink shop that's been serving slippery delicacies since 1856. If you don’t manage to nab a table (book early – they go like hotcakes), the family-run Whitstable Oyster Company serves them up right on the beach. Not into oysters? The Lobster Shack does a mean crab sandwich with views to match.
Walk off lunch along Harbour Street, home to some of the oldest buildings in Whitstable, where indie shops sell everything from locally made gin to handcrafted ceramics. For the perfect ending, grab a pint at The Old Neptune pub – affectionately known as "The Neppy" – which sits right on the beach.
Sure, you can’t build sandcastles… but you can sit on the stones (with a sand-free bottom), sipping on a beer from a local brewery and watching the tide roll in.
Get your art and beach fix in Margate
Margate, the UK’s unofficial capital of cool and poster child for British seaside renaissance, is only 90 minutes from London St Pancras. The faded Georgian grandeur of this once decidedly down-at-heel Kent town is now home to a host of creative ex-Londoners seeking more space and sea air, without sacrificing their cultural fix.
Your first port of call has to be Turner Contemporary, a cutting-edge gallery perched right on the seafront. Free to enter with rotating exhibitions, expect world-class art and seriously impressive views across the bay.
For lunch, Dive serves up tacos, margaritas, and stunning views of Turner Contemporary and the beach on the Margate Harbour Arm. For drinks and light bites, head to Little Swift for natural wines, seasonal cocktails, craft beers and delectable platters with a side of sea views. Or for no-frills (but seriously yummy) fish and chips, Peter's Fish Factory is the place to beat.
Before you head back, make time for Dreamland – the vintage amusement park with a distinctly cool edge. Ride the UK's oldest wooden roller coaster, take a spin in the Roller Disco, immerse yourself in a free-roam VR game, or catch one of the regular music gigs.
Play in the dunes at Camber Sands and Rye
Just 70 minutes by train from London St Pancras to Rye, plus a short bus ride, Camber Sands is the most un-British-looking beach in the southeast. Imagine three miles of golden sand backed by rolling dunes, with a vast beach and shallow waters that warm up nicely in summer (although let's be real: it’s still the English Channel).
Once you’ve had your seaside fix, hop back on the bus to Rye, a photogenic medieval town with cobbled streets and crooked, half-timbered buildings perched on a hill just two miles from the coast. For lunch, The Fig on Rye's High Street serves seasonal dishes in a stylishly rustic setting, while The Mermaid Inn – a smugglers' haunt dating back to 1156 – offers proper pub grub with a side of ghost stories.
To walk off your food, meander along the cutely named Mermaid Street picking up tokens from your travels at the many local ceramists, printmakers and jewellers. Round off your day by exploring ancient Rye Castle before climbing the tower of the twelfth-century St Mary's Church for views across terracotta rooftops to Romney Marsh and, on clear days, all the way to France (so we’re told).
Where to stay in London this summer
There’s nothing better than a hot shower and a comfy bed after a sunny/sandy/windy (delete as appropriate) day at the British seaside. Enter Locke aparthotels: choose Ember Locke for West London fun, Bermonds Locke or Locke at Broken Wharf for South London shenanigans, or Buckle Street Studios or Leman Locke for East London adventures.
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