London beach to open in July

A brief weekend will see a historic London beach open to the public this July

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Tower beach
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Whether you want to get dirty on a dig or have a rare paddle off one of London’s beaches, there’s something for all the family at the Tower of London’s Archaeology Weekend on July 25–26.

These two days are the only time that the public can access the Tower’s beach, which was opened 75 years ago on July 23, 1934. George V granted the children of Stepney and London ‘free access forever’ to the foreshore and had more than 1,500 bargeloads of Essex sand dumped between St Katherine’s Steps and the Tower.

More than half a million Londoners visited the beach between 1934 and 1939 remarkable given that only 500 people could be on it at a time and it was only usable for 5½ hours a day before the Thames reclaimed it. It was forced to close in 1971 because of rising pollution levels.

The Tower’s conservators will be on hand to evaluate your finds. For details of opening and tidal times, visit www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon

Country Life
Country Life

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.

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