Slapton Sands

Slapton Sands is a striking natural feature — a two-mile shingle bar separating Start Bay from Slapton Ley, the South West's largest natural freshwater lake. That juxtaposition of open sea on one side and a reed-fringed lagoon on the other is the shot, but it comes with a firm caveat: the Ley is a National Nature Reserve and SSSI with breeding and overwintering birds, so do not overfly it — launch from the roadside beach car parks, which are public, and keep your flying seaward over the beach and bay. There is real history here too: the beach carries a memorial and a recovered Sherman tank commemorating the 1944 Exercise Tiger D-Day rehearsal disaster, both strong subjects. The bar is exposed to south-easterlies which can build quickly; mornings are usually calmest. Expect walkers, anglers and birdwatchers along the front. The surface is loose shingle with tarmac car parks right behind. No FRZ nearby. Autumn and winter bring dramatic skies, migrating birds offshore and empty beaches; a still morning with low sun down the length of the shingle is the pick. Respect the reserve and you have a magnificent, legal spot.