England's worst beaches, infamous for their filthy waters and sewage problems, have been exposed in the second annual Brown Flag Awards by Holiday Park Guru. With a brazen approach to environmental awareness, the company has issued literal brown flags to the most contaminated coastlines, based on the official Environment Agency water quality data, as a stark warning to potential swimmers about the pollution just below the waves.
Holidaymakers might want to cross Bognor Regis, Aldwick, and Blackpool North off their lists as these locations have all been designated 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to the subpar summer water quality. The notorious Brown Flag status is attributed to beaches with significant levels of harmful bacteria, including e-coli from sewage and other waste. Destinations like Blackpool, Weston Super Mare, and Bognor Regis have shown some of the most alarming results in water cleanliness, signalling a potential hazard at these popular resorts.
However, it's important to note that not every part of these beaches may be affected, as sometimes the poor rating applies only to specific sections.
The tally of brown-flagged beaches astonishingly surged from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. Sharing his dismay, campaigner Robbie Lane from Holiday Park Guru said: "We had hoped that we'd be handing out fewer Brown Flags this year – but things have gone down the pan. Do your research this summer and you'll be saying 'wish you were here' rather than 'wish I'd worn a hazmat suit'."
The water quality readings are based on measurements taken during the warmer months, when people are most likely to be swimming.
Furthermore, the sea is less likely to be clean in winter due to increased rainfall causing more unpleasant substances to overflow into rivers and eventually the sea, reports MirrorOnline.
Lancashire once again finds itself at the bottom of the county league table, with none of its ten designated bathing spots achieving the Environment Agency's sought-after three-star 'excellent' rating for cleanliness.
Somerset, Cumbria, Merseyside and Kent also find themselves languishing in the lower half of the league table.
In contrast, Northumberland takes the top spot, with over 90 per cent of its beaches being three-star gems that achieve the highest possible score for water cleanliness. Dorset, Devon and Cornwall also receive high ratings.
The Isle of Wight, County Durham, Lincolnshire and Suffolk deserve commendation, with all their designated bathing areas receiving one of the top two ratings ('good' or 'excellent').
(Listed in alphabetical order, with new entrants labelled 'poocomers').
