Find the nearest See & Do
Heading to UK and Ireland and looking for something to do or a place to visit nearby. Coast Radar is not just a list of beaches but we bring you the whole UK and Ireland coast including castles, lighthouses, piers, museums, beautiful gardens, seaside towns, National Trust and other heritage properties.
When on an information page you can also use our tools to search for nearby UK and Ireland seaside towns, and the surrounding coast for the best beaches and places to stay and eat.
Finding the best things to see and do on a UK and Ireland day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the links below, to find the closest hit the jump to my location compass or use the search bar to plan where your next UK and Ireland activity could be.
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- Two circular towers were built each with massive walls and a stone gallery. The eastern, or high lighthouse being 37 metres high and the western or low lighthouse 25 metres high. Placed 302 metres apart they provided leading lights to indicate safe passage past the sandbanks. The high light was painted with black and white stripes and the low light was white. In those days both towers showed a fixed light which was either red or white depending on the direction from which a vessel approached. The red sector marked the Nash Sands. The low light was abandoned early this century and the high light was modernised and painted white. In place of the fixed light a new first order catastrophic lens was installed which gives a white and red group flashing. Nash is one of those lighthouses scattered around our coast that has no claim to fame. For over 160 years its light has done its job as a sign to mariners to keep them clear of danger, its sole distinction is the discovery in 1977 of the tuberous thistle (Cirsium Tuberosum), a rare plant, which was found growing around the lighthouse. Lighthouse has a visitor centre although opening times are restricted.
- Workington lifeboat station was established in 1866 and operates an all weather lifeboat and has an unusual crane (davit system) to lift it over the harbour wall at launch. Station is open daily, no shop.
- Lowestoft is a popular kitesurfing spot on the East coast but is only permitted from September to May. The restrictions are due to the popularity of the Lowestoft beaches for tourists in the summer that make it impossible to launch safely. To kiteboard on Lowestoft main beach you must consult the Beach Warden/Life Guard. Lowestoft has a wooden groyne sea defence system commonly found on the UK coast which can make landing difficult. Two Piers are on the beach so consider the wind direction before launching and if it is blowing towards the pier it is best to move down to Pakefield to give yourself some more room.
- According to the inscription upon the Chichester Market Cross, it was built by Edward Story, the bishop of Chichester from 1477 to 1503. Built so that the poor people should have somewhere to sell their goods. An earlier wooden cross had been erected on the same site by Bishop Rede (1369-1385). The Market Cross is constructed of Caen stone, is octangular, having a strong butment at each angle, surmounted with pinnacles. On each of its faces is an entrance through a pointed arch, ornamented with crockets and a finial. Above this, on four of its sides, is a tablet, to commemorate its reparation in the reign of Charles II. Above each tablet is a dial, exhibiting the hour to each of the three principal streets; the fourth being excluded from this advantage by standing at an angle. In the centre is a large circular column, the basement of which forms a seat: into this column is inserted a number of groinings, which, spreading from the centre, form the roof beautifully moulded. The central column appears to continue through the roof, and is supported without by eight flying buttresses, which rest on the several corners of the building.
- Avondale House was built in 1777 for Samuel Hayes, a barrister who wrote a book on Irish Forestry and was a pioneer of the re-afforestation of Ireland, planting many thousands of trees on the estate. He bequeathed it to his friend and fellow MP Sir John Parnell in 1795 and this is the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891) one of the leading political leaders in Irish history. The house is set in the Avondale Forest Park in over 2 km² (500 acres) of land.
