A TRIP to the English seaside doesn’t have to just be in the summer – in fact many of them get a lot less rain than the rest of the country.
The UK gets an average 164 days of rain a year. Compared to as little as 45 days in Spain it’s certainly a depressing thought.
Yet Botany Bay beach in Kent is near to the Spanish rainy statistics, getting just 58 days of rain on average a year.
A study conducted by Parkdean looked at the rainfall patterns over the duration of one year aT some of the UK’s most popular beaches.
Joining others across Scarborough, Bristol and Weymouth, Botany Bay came out on top.
The small beach is often forgotten about by tourists, being away from any main train stations or shops.
It sits between Margate – often named one of the UK’s trendiest seaside towns – and Broadstairs, a more traditional beach town.
Despite this, it is often called one of the UK’s most beautiful beaches, being relatively unspoilt.
One said: “Really lovely and doesn’t feel like you’re in the UK”.
While it isn’t ‘hot’, Botany Bay is also one of the warmest beaches in the UK in winter thanks to its location on the Channel.
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Expect temperatures of 9.5C on average in winter – not sunbathing weather but warmer than most coastal spots.
Botany Bay doesn’t have a pub, but there is nearby the Captain Digby at Kingsgate Bay, sitting on top of the cliff and overlooking the ocean.
Expect a more authentically British pub rather than a trendy gastropub, but it’s great for a pint and a burger.
Otherwise there are also public toilets and a snack kiosk open in the summer months selling drinks and food.
If you fancy a long walk, the 32-mile Viking Coat Trail takes you from Margate to Broadstairs which goes via Botany Bay along the way.
When it comes to Margate, you can explore the trendy bars and restaurants of Cliftonville, named one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods last year by Time Out.
Or you can explore the retro Dreamland theme park, with a great line up of live music acts this summer.
If you’d rather explore Broadstairs, you an go on the Charles Dicken’s trail, with the town loved by the author.
And make sure to stay at the town’s newest hotel, Smith’s Townhouse.
Here are five other British beaches that are better to visit in winter.
And here’s how to find the UK’s warmest beach in winter.