Dunwich Beach

Dunwich is the 'lost city' of Suffolk - a medieval port that fell into the sea - and today it is a wild, atmospheric shingle beach that feels a world away from the busier Suffolk resorts. For a drone pilot the appeal is the emptiness: a long, clean shingle bank, the grey North Sea, and the option of dramatic winter skies with almost nobody around. Launch is easy from the Dunwich Town Trust beach car park or the shingle itself. The critical thing to get right is what you must NOT do: National Trust Dunwich Heath, where drones are prohibited, begins roughly 1.5km to the south, and RSPB Minsmere - one of the most important reserves in the country - lies just beyond it. Keep your flying north over the open beach and out to sea, never south toward the heath and reserve. Ground-nesting and migrating birds use the shingle in spring and summer, so keep height and don't buzz the beach. There is no controlled airspace nearby. The reward for the discipline is a genuinely moody, uncrowded coast; autumn and winter on a calm, clear day give the best light and the fewest people. Warm layers and spare batteries are essential - it is exposed here.