Daily Express, on Climate, 1 November 2026

3.0out of 10Minor

Beautiful hidden beach that's 'one of the UK's best'

Tap a highlight to see why it matters.2 findings

Beautiful hidden beach that's 'one of the UK's best' could disappear in less than 20 years This beautiful beach Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Isobel Pankhurst , Audience Writer, Spare Time 02:59, Sun, Nov 1, 2026 This beach is at risk of vanishing within the next two decades (Image: Getty) Once named among the UK's best hidden beaches , Covehithe beach .

The cliffs, which crumble like cakes in some places, are eroding at a rate of 4.5 metres a year, and experts have suggested that both the beach and the village of Covehithe itself could vanish completely between 2040 and 2110. Located on the Suffolk coast, Covehithe has already lost over 500 metres of land since the 1830s, with some paths along the cliffs now ending in mid-air. Despite this erosion, Covehithe remains a beloved beach and was named one of the UK's seven "best secret beaches" by The Times back in 2024.

Covehithe's unique shoreline is strewn with fallen tree trunks, which have also been victims of coastal erosion. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Covehithe beach is littered with fallen tree branches (Image: Getty) Taking to Tripadvisor, a recent visitor to Covehithe, wrote: "Gorgeous beach. Went in the morning with teenagers and dog. Parked in the village, then 10/15 min walk on a well-marked path to the dog-friendly beach. Beautiful sand, views and quiet.

Well worth a visit." Another wrote: "The most beautiful secluded gem of a beach! We just love it here! We took the dog for a walk on a Tuesday afternoon and only saw 6 other people! Stunning views! A 10-minute walk from the road to get to the beach." While a third added: "If you want a beach off the beaten track in Suffolk, this is it! It was incredibly windy but stunning. Be prepared for the walk to reach it, but really worth it." Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The ‘incredible’ country just 3 hours from UK as Jet2 announces extra flights Historic UK city makes top 10 world destinations of the year Just 11 miles from Covehithe is Dunwich, often referred to as the 'lost city of England' , which has also fallen victim to coastal erosion, with much of the town now underwater.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Suffolk's coastline is among the fastest-eroding in Europe, and the Environment Agency's National Coastal Erosion Risk Map (NCERM) indicates that roughly 20,000 properties across the region could be affected by coastal change by 2105. However, it's the Holderness Coast in Yorkshire that is the fastest-eroding in the UK, receding at an average rate of about two metres per year and up to 10 metres in years with severe storms, which are becoming increasingly common.

Beach Suffolk Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments

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What we found (2)

The Express reports that Covehithe beach in Suffolk is being lost to coastal erosion. Its opening line says in its own voice that the beach is set to go within 20 years, and its standfirst says just a few years, though its own body gives an expert range of 2040 to 2110. The headline also leans on the earliest end of that range.

  1. Headline goes beyond the article

    Minor

    “could disappear in less than 20 years”

    Why this matters
    The headline puts a single deadline, "less than 20 years", on the beach's disappearance.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes experts expect Covehithe to be gone before about 2046.
    The context
    The body says experts suggested the beach and village could vanish "between 2040 and 2110". The headline takes only the earliest end of a range that stretches more than 80 years beyond publication.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“could vanish completely between 2040 and 2110”

    Show it in the article

  2. Uses figures that mislead

    Minor

    “is set to be reclaimed by the sea within the next 20 years”

    Why this matters
    The opening sentence uses "is set to" and "within the next 20 years" in the outlet's own voice, with no attribution and no range.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes the beach's loss within two decades is an established forecast.
    The context
    The article's own source puts the loss anywhere from 2040 to 2110, so the 20 year figure is only the earliest estimate, not the expected outcome.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“experts have suggested that both the beach and the village”

    Show it in the article

    “could vanish in just a few years”

    Why this matters
    The standfirst shrinks the timescale further to "just a few years".
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes the beach may be gone almost immediately.
    The context
    Nothing in the article supports a few years. The earliest date it gives is 2040, 14 years after publication.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“could vanish completely between 2040 and 2110”

    Show it in the article

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