Best beach UK: The UK's top 50 beaches unveiled ahead of summer holidays - here's what I thought of the Cornwall beach crowned the winner

The best beaches in the UK have been named in The Times' Best 50 beaches. Winners included Beadnell Bay, the best in North England, along with Sheringham in East England and Southbourne in South England.

However, the title of the overall best beach in the UK was given to a gem of a spot in Cornwall. I visited the beach a couple of years ago, and loved it too, so there is no surprise to me that this beach has been crowned the winner.

The Towans beach in Hayle, Cornwall was named the overall winner. Speaking of Towans, The Times said in the study: "The 1,700-acre expanse is an unspoilt, undeveloped and largely unknown stretch of sand, rock, cliff and dune across the bay from the overcrowded St Ives. There are fantastic sunsets, water sports equipment rental and two excellent cafés (Cove Café and the Jam Pot Café).

"As for the important stuff: the Towans’ water quality is excellent, it’s dog-friendly and it’s clean." It added that the sunsets were "phenomenal". I did in fact see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen on a beach at The Towans. As the sun sets across the ocean the sky turned a wonderful striking orange colour as seagulls flew past - and with the sound of the waves too it really makes for a magical moment.

The dunes that provide the backdrop on the beach are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which means that nothing can be built on them and the coastline remains underdeveloped compared to the other nearby Cornish towns. Nearby parking costs around £1.10 per hour and there are a number of hotels and holiday parks nearby. The Towans usually refers to the three-mile stretch of coastal dunes which extends north-east from the estuary of the River Hayle to Gwithian beach with a midpoint near Upton. It is a stunning beach as you can see the stretch of coastline as you are walking along. The dunes make the beach feel more secluded and less over-looked and the sand is soft, not grainy or pebbly. At the time my family and I even braved the sea - when you get over the initial shock of cold you can actually have a nice leisurely swim in the ocean.

The Cornish beach was named the best in the southwest as well as the best in the UK. Other winners included Beadnell Bay, the best in North England, along with Sheringham in East England and Southbourne in South England. In Scotland, Gullane Bents came out on top while Freshwater West was the winner for Wales.

The Times analysed 543 beaches with a number of criteria, including car parking, loos, cafes and dog-friendliness. All of the beaches must have excellent water quality as well.

Listed below are the top beaches in every region.

Best in the Southwest

Winner: The Towans, Hayle, Cornwall

Woolacombe, Devon Summerleaze, Bude, Cornwall Porthcurno, Cornwall Kynance Cove, Cornwall Mothecombe, Devon Soar Mill Cove, Devon Mattiscombe Sands, Devon Budleigh Salterton, Devon Branscombe, Devon

Best in North England

Winner: Beadnell Bay, Northumberland

Cayton Bay, North Yorkshire Boggle Hole, North Yorkshire Whitby, North Yorkshire Redcar, North Yorkshire Rose Sands, Northumberland Bamburgh, Northumberland

Best in East England

Winner: Sheringham, Norfolk

Walberswick, Suffolk Holkham, Norfolk Brancaster Beach, Norfolk

Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk Sutton on Sea, Lincolnshire

Best in South England

Winner: Southbourne, Dorset

Hive beach, Dorset Man O’War, Dorset Middle beach, Dorset Birling Gap, East Sussex Sandgate, Kent Westbrook Bay, Kent

Best in Wales

Winner: Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire

Llanddwyn, Anglesey Porth Iago, Gwynedd Penbryn, Ceredigion Mwnt, Ceredigion Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire Mewslade, Vale of Glamorgan Oxwich, Swansea Monknash, Vale of Glamorgan

Best in Scotland

Winner: Gullane Bents, East Lothian

Balmedie, Aberdeenshire Findhorn, Moray Achmelvich, Highland Mellon Udrigle, Highland Sanna, Highland

Winner: Ballycastle, Co Antrim

White Park Bay, Co Antrim Benone, Co Londonderry Murlough, Co Down