This weekend’s sky-high temperatures have sent Brits across the country scrambling to their nearest coastline – but those hoping to get some sunbathing and swimming in near West Wittering in Sussex may be left disappointed. West Sussex recorded highs of 29C on Saturday, with the mercury hovering just below on Sunday, but visitors flooding to one of the UK’s prettiest beaches on the Manhood Peninsula were turned away and urged to go elsewhere. The sandy stretch in West Wittering has a single car park and allows beachgoers to book spaces ahead of time – and the ongoing heatwave saw all spots sold out for the whole of the weekend.
In a statement shared to social media on both Friday and Saturday evening, a spokesperson for the beach, which is operated by the West Wittering Estate PLC, announced that all bays had “sold out”. “Please do not travel to the area without a pre-booked ticket,” they continued. “You will be refused entry. There is no alternative parking in the local area.”
Would-be beachgoers took to the comments to warn others about buying tickets for the car park secondhand – leading some confused non-locals to ask if there was an event being held.
“People are trying to sell ‘tickets’ without willingness to prove they actually have a ticket to sell,” one person said. “Some also try to charge extra for ‘registration number change’. Beware.”
“What’s the event, please?” another asked, prompting a third person to respond: “Heatwave.”
The parking charges, which range from £8.25 to £15.45 between May and September depending on day and time, can be paid upon entry when the car park is not fully booked, but on busier days only vehicles whose registration plates have been linked to a pre-booking are allowed in.
West Wittering Beach, which lies just 55 minutes outside of Surrey, was ranked among the best in the UK by Condé Nast Traveller earlier this year, crediting its “shallow lagoons and blank canvas for sand castles” for the high praise.
“West Wittering draws a crowd from all over the south coast and is particularly popular with windsurfers,” the magazine continued. “[And] there’s a grassy patch ideal for picnics behind the beach huts that fringe the beach.”
The popular spot also has 4.1 stars on TripAdvisor, with recent visitors describing it as a “lovely unspoilt beach” with “beautiful views” – although some warned that the flat parking rates and nearby traffic meant tourists would only get their money’s worth by bringing along a picnic lunch and making a day of it.