It's no secret any more: Northumberland's beaches are the most underrated in England

CV Villas analysed TripAdvisor data to reveal the lesser-known but best-reviewed beaches to visit in England

Embleton, overlooked by the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle and described by many reviewers as being perfect for paddling, came out on top with 90.5% excellent reviews on TripAdvisor.

Ross Back Sands, near Budle, came second on 90.2% with Bamburgh fourth on 88.3% and Warkworth 10th on 82.7%.

Embleton Bay also comes in at 10th on the European list, topped by Traig Lingeigh Beach in North Uist, Hebrides, Scotland.

Iain Robson, access and natural environment officer at the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership, said: "We used to refer to Northumberland as the Secret Kingdom - but increasing visitor numbers suggest that it isn't that much of a secret anymore so I am surprised that so many of our beaches appear on this list.

“I'm not surprised that our beaches get excellent reviews though, they are beautiful!

“When people talk about the beaches of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty they use adjectives like 'pristine', 'tranquil', 'remote' and 'unspoilt' and they are one of the reasons this area is designated as a nationally protected landscape. Maybe being 'underrated' isn't such a bad thing?”

Others to feature in the top 10 were Porthcressa Beach and Rushy Bay in the Isles of Scilly, Lundy Bay, Porth Joke Beach and Gwithian Beach in Cornwall and Marske Sands Beach in Yorkshire.

Tristan Symondson, managing director at CV Villas, said: “This summer will be different from any we have known before with sun-seekers actively looking to avoid crowds and head for quieter spots.

“We wanted to provide a useful, inspirational resource to bring some quieter, but much-loved beaches to the fore. Whether people are staying at home or looking to head abroad as soon as they can, our list of stunning beaches is the perfect starting point for sun, sand and sea inspiration.”

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