💬 Not sure which course is right? Our team can help.
Home Blog Travel Why is Brighton’s Beach Not Sandy?

Why is Brighton’s Beach Not Sandy?

Travel

For a sandy beach you need a good source of rocks that can be broken down into sand by erosion. Brighton does not have a good source of rocks that can be broken down into sand by erosion. Much of the coast of South-East England is Chalk.

Chalk does not break down into sand, the soft limestone crumbles, and either makes a limey mud, or dissolves.

The pebbles on Brighton beach are made from flint (a hard grey rock) deposited in the chalk cliffs adjacent to Brighton. Through natural erosion the flints are released from the cliffs and slowly make their way through natural process to Brighton where the groynes are in place to “capture” the pebbles. The groynes mean that the pebbles collect into the shores, so instead of limey mud, we have a pebble beach which is much more suitable for sunbathing on.

Beaches are a great place to be even when they don’t have sand. It’s still a fun time and you can walk around and look at things and if it’s warm enough even take a swim in the water. The pebbles go out quite far so you won’t have to deal with limey mud at any point.

Chris McCarthy

Head of Communications

Chris McCarthy
With over 25 years of experience in the global EFL industry, Chris McCarthy brings a wealth of hands-on expertise to the table. Originally from the UK, he spent years teaching in Japan and Malta before transitioning into international education marketing at EC English. Now permanently based in Malta, Chris leverages two decades of academic and industry insight to help students and educators navigate the evolving world of English language learning.
Check other articles from this author
Last Updated:

Did you like this article? Share it!

Related articles