The unofficial Brown Flag Awards, compiled by HolidayParkGuru.co.uk, have identified England's most unappealing seaside spots based on Environment Agency data. Beaches with bathing water rated as 'poor' are awarded a brown flag featuring a poo emoji.
Worst Regions and Beaches
Somerset emerged as the worst region, with three beaches making the list of 15: Dunster Beach, Blue Anchor West, and Weston Main (including Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Uphill Slipway). Sussex followed with two beaches: Bognor Regis, Aldwick and Worthing Beach House. Kent also had two: Dymchurch and Littlestone, as did Tyne and Wear with Littlehaven Beach and Tynemouth Cullercoats.
Other beaches include Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary in Devon; Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset; Southsea East in Hampshire; Blackpool North in Lancashire; Scarborough South Bay in North Yorkshire; and Haverigg in Cumbria, the only new entry for 2026.
Repeat Offenders
Beaches in Blackpool, Weston Super Mare, Bognor Regis, Lyme Regis, and Scarborough have held Brown Flag status for three consecutive years. The awards are announced annually just before the May Bank Holiday, when many families head to the coast.
Improvements and Cleanest Beaches
Five beaches have shed their Brown Flag status this year, including Porthluney in Cornwall, Deal Castle in Kent, St Annes North in Lancashire, Heacham in Norfolk, and Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire. They are now rated 'sufficient' for bacteria levels.
Nationally, 68% of England's beaches now boast 'excellent' ratings, up from 66.5% last year. Northumberland leads with 92% of beaches rated excellent, followed by Dorset and Cornwall at 90%. The cleanest counties are Northumberland, Dorset, Cornwall, Norfolk, Isle of Wight, Lincolnshire, Devon, Hampshire and New Forest, Suffolk and Tyne and Wear, and Essex.
Commentary
Robbie Lane from HolidayParkGuru.co.uk stated: 'Some of England's beaches are in a terrible state. We've handed out fewer Brown Flags this year, but this campaign is far from over. At the current rate of improvement, it will be 2047 before all official swimming beaches are rated excellent. Hopefully, a bit of embarrassment and a brown flag with a poo emoji might encourage improvement and serve as a warning to families on holiday.'
Full List of Brown Flag Winners 2026
- Haverigg, Cumbria
- Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary, Devon
- Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset
- Southsea East, Hampshire
- Dymchurch, Kent
- Littlestone, Kent
- Blackpool North, Lancashire
- Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay, Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway, Somerset
- Dunster Beach, Somerset
- Blue Anchor West, Somerset
- Bognor Regis, Aldwick, Sussex
- Worthing Beach House, Sussex
- Tynemouth Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear
- Littlehaven Beach, Tyne and Wear
- Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire
