A Cornish beach has been named the dirtiest in the UK – despite sitting in one of the country’s cleanest counties. Porthluney Beach in Cornwall was awarded a “Brown Flag” by UK travel site Holiday Park Guru. The poo emoji accolade is based on Environment Agency water quality data and highlights the worst-performing beaches in England for bathing. The agency rates these beaches as ‘poor’ due to bacteria such as E. coli from sewage and other waste.
YouTubers from the Cornish Walking Tours channel visited the beach in their video, branding it the “dirtiest” in the UK, to see if the title was deserved. Examining murky patches along the shore of “Port Poo”, the YouTuber said: “What do you think that is? I’m hoping it’s mud.”
But shockingly, they concluded the beach wasn’t as bad as it seemed.
“Do you know what? You wouldn’t have any idea would you? This is actually beautiful.”
“It’s actually in an area of an outstanding natural beauty.”
South-facing for maximum sunlight, the privately owned cove has long been popular with Brits. On Trip Advisor, the beach has 43 five star reviews. And while 44 people rated is as terrible, most of the reviews relate to the state of parking issues rather than cleanliness.
One visitor wrote: “We popped to the beach for a brief spell. It’s a beach we’ve been to many times. It’s a beautiful beach but the state of the carpark is terrible. Kind of fearful now of getting a parking ticket. Fingers crossed we don’t.”
Another review from 2023 said: “I have visited this beach twice: once when the tide was right out and again when it was in. It is what beaches should all be about – with little rock pools and beautiful sand. Plus, very much a bonus, there’s a lovely cafe selling delicious food nearby.”
Despite the brown flag, the beach sits within a county that otherwise boasts impressive water quality. According to Environment Agency data, 81% of Cornwall’s beaches are rated ‘excellent’ for their bathing water, and the county ranks as the fourth cleanest in England for summer swimming.
Still, the brown flag raises questions about Porthluney’s specific water conditions, especially as Cornwall is such a magnet for holidaymakers in search of clean sea and sandy shores.
Holiday Park Guru explained: “Some of the worst water cleanliness readings were found at beaches at popular resorts including Blackpool, Weston Super Mare, and Bognor Regis.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean the whole beach is ‘poor’ for bathing – it is sometimes just one section of beach.
“The water quality readings are based on readings taken in the warmer months (i.e. May 15th to September 30th). The sea is less likely to be clean in winter, as it rains more which leads to more unpleasant stuff overflowing into rivers and into the sea.”