I like it here although it says to be said the beach itself is not the best. Never seems too busy but usually a good mix of people and hardly any gawkers.

You can drive down the road and park more or less under the beach - or at least you could last year!

The problem when the tide is out is that the sand is more mud than sand...

I've been going to Leysdown for years, probably about six times a year for the last 20. As said its not the prettiest beach in the world, but it is ok and I think has a bit more sand and less shells than it used to.
As long as the road holds up there is good access with parking and I've found it a friendly place with not too much inappropriate behavior. The dunes are as much as for shelter from the wind than anything else but on a busier day there will be folk all over the beach.

As for mud, it's only a band between shingle and the flat sand, but can cause a problem when you end up with black "socks"  on the way back from the sea.

All in all it's a good place.

Is this beach different from a beach at Shellness an elderly naturist chatfriend  from a few years back on NS used to often use ?, had low limited dunes with car park behind, looked a bit scruffy but usable from the pics he had of it.

no its the same beach.

yes its a bit scruffy, but nice and convenient and in the main a friendly place

I've been there, it seemed to be well used, probably by a local crowd who go regularly. I'm not sure its a good prospect, except in the more inclement weather, most people seems to have large windbreaks. The beach itself is made from millions of shells, but people use the dunes for shelter. The only other downer is the amount of rabbit droppings. I'd like to go back there at some point, as I want to look at some of the wartime remains in the area.

Thanks Herne & Wombat - the shells explain the name, my chatfriend used a windbreak sometimes from what I remember, occasionally the dunes.

There are other threads on this beach on other pages in Uk beaches in case anyone's interested.

Spent 6hrs there today
here's some of my thoughts !
There were between 4 or 6 men on there own and dressed who spent most of the time walking around or standing just looking.
The beach was smaller than i thought it would be but the beach was ok and was well used and easy to get to , perhaps thats why to get a few people who like to look !!
I enjoyed my day and will visit again

Glad the dressed gawpers aren't putting off the local naturist users.

I went to Leysdown for the first time on Sunday. I met a member of NC there  and we chatted to a naturist and nodded hello to another,  so that was about 30% of beach users accounted for. There was a family with  young girl who was fully dressed but ran and played on the beach and in the dunes.  It was remarkarble for its unremarkable - ness. Just another day playing out on the beach.

Its true,  its not the prettiest beach using the conventional definition of the word,  but i was mesmerized by its brutal landscape.  The shells nearest the dunes are whole, then broken, coarsely ground which is where the sand comes in.  flip flops worked for me  and stopped me sinking into the mud flats.

The tide was way, way out, so the pinky brown shells led into the pale brown sand, and in turn into the  brown mud into light brown water, into the blue sea and in the distance it was deep blue before merging with the blue sky. The different layers of colours complimented each other  and i  could sit for hours just taking it all in.

Towers and wind turbines could be seen in the distance, and the broken groynes all added to the unique landscape.  Looking out to sea, I was struck at the sheer size and space of it all when in reality the naturist section is only about 100m long  and the car park is 10m in the opposite direction to the sea.

The dunes are perfect natural wind breaks but i will bring my own next time  and sit on the edge of the beach.

I liked it very much there.

Loved Missy's description of Leysdown beach. Although I have never been there, I could picture its stark beauty from her submission. It obviously had a very positive effect on her. Enjoy your future visits to the beach, Missy.

It is an evocative location from what pics I've seen on google earth, geograph.org.uk, flickr, panoramio etc.

I visited there on a weekday afternoon, was kinda surprised that my suspension made it along the approach without falling off but apart from that thought it was a lovely place. I was surprised that there were about 20 people there on a weekday afternoon, I would go again if in the area.

Hoping to make it over to Leysdown tomorrow, so if any other NC ers are there, look out for me in my straw hat and say hello. Keith