Climping Beach

Climping Beach, also known as Atherington Beach, is a rural and largely undeveloped stretch of the West Sussex coast between Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. For much of its history it was a classic shingle beach with large sand exposures at low tide, backed by sand dunes and divided by wooden groynes. In recent years, however, significant coastal erosion and storm damage have altered the beach's character: the original car park, cafe and toilets were permanently closed after storm damage, and ongoing erosion has removed much of the lower sand. The upper beach is now a wide, natural shingle ridge with concrete sea defences in places, and the landscape has a raw, slightly industrial quality in some sections. Walking east towards Littlehampton leads through the dune SSSI; walking west leads to the quieter stretches near Elmer. Despite its changed state, the beach retains a wild, spacious character and is very rarely crowded.

Dogs are welcome at Climping Beach year-round with no seasonal restrictions, making it one of the reliably accessible options on the West Sussex coast. The long, flat shingle shore suits steady walking, and the absence of facilities means the beach is almost always quiet. Visitors should be aware that beach debris including metal, wire and old groyne timbers can be present in the shingle following storm events, and checking conditions before walking with a dog is advisable. There are currently no toilet or cafe facilities at the beach itself following storm damage, though a pub is located a short distance back up the road. Very limited roadside parking is available near the beach access, and parking enforcement is active.