Anderby Creek Beach is one of several pretty beaches on an unspoilt stretch of the Lincolnshire coast between Mablethorpe and Skegness. Situated half way between the two popular towns, Anderby Creek is one of our favourite spots for afternoon getaways in the sunshine. While the beach has ample facilities, including a car park, toilets, café and – somewhat unexpectedly – the world’s first purpose-built cloud observation platform, it’s usually very quiet, and rarely gets crowded even on spectacular sunny days. In this guide to Anderby Creek Beach, we explain all you need to know before visiting.
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Anderby Creek Beach: a quick overview
Anderby Creek Beach is set amid a seemingly endless stretch of sand that runs down the long Lincolnshire coastline. Even on the rare occasions when the main beach area gets busy, you only need to walk a couple of minutes to the north or south to find a quiet spot.
Anderby Creek itself is a small village that is mainly made up of holiday retreats, caravan parks and campsites within close proximity of the beach.
The beach is slowly but surely catching the public attention. The Times has listed it as one of the top 40 beaches in the UK. But despite the word getting out, we paid a visit during the summer 2021 heatwave and it still wasn’t overcrowded.
Although Anderby Creek is much lower-key than its nearby bigger cousins Skegness and Mablethorpe, there are a surprising amount of fun features and activities, making it a great place to visit with kids. This includes the world’s first purpose-built cloud-spotting platform and a nearby Drainage Museum.
When is the best time to visit Anderby Creek Beach?
Anderby Creek Beach is lovely to visit at any time of year. As you might expect, it is most popular in the summer months. At this time of year it makes for a quieter alternative to Skegness, Ingoldmells and Mablethorpe on those chaotic sunny days when it seems the whole county is flocking to the coast.
Spring is a great time to come when the weather is just warming up. Arrive early on a clear spring day and might find you’ve got a whole beach of sunlit golden sand to yourself!
In autumn and even in winter we still like to head to Anderby Creek occasionally. In these colder months you’ll sometimes find moody scenes with low mist clinging to the sand, and we can let the dog stretch his legs for as long as he likes with no worries about heatstroke.
Anderby Creek Beach quick info and facilities
In a hurry and need the quick key facts? Here’s what you can expect at Anderby Creek Beach:
- Car park with 80 spaces (charges apply 10am–5pm, Good Friday to 31 October)
- Quick and easy access to the beach
- Toilets
- Shop and café
- Dogs not allowed on the main beach area between May and September (see more below)
Is Anderby Creek dog friendly?
As stated above, you aren’t allowed to bring dogs onto the main beach area from 1 May until 30 September. However, the area classified as the ‘main beach’ covers only a small section. You don’t have to go far to find reams of sand where dogs are welcome throughout the summer.
If you walk from the car park along the sandy path to the beach entrance, the area to your right is the no-go dog zone in summer. If you turn to the left, as you will see on the sign, dogs are welcome there all year round.
Alternatively, there are some great beaches nearby that are completely dog friendly. Huttoft Beach just to the north (also known as Moggs Eye) is a great option. Our favourite dog-friendly beach in the area is the vast sands of Saltfleet, further north still.
How to get to Anderby Creek Beach
Anderby Creek Beach is very easy to reach from Lincoln or anywhere along the coast.
There are a few different routes you can take from Lincoln depending on the traffic, so consult a sat nav if you can. The journey typically takes about an hour and 20 minutes.
If all’s clear, we usually take the A158 through Wragby, then through the Lincolnshire Wolds via Belchford (a beautiful section of the drive), then onto the coast via Alford.
If driving up or down the Lincolnshire Coast, Anderby Creek is only a short turnoff from Roman Bank, the main coastal road. From the turnoff, Sea Road leads right down to the Anderby Creek Beach car park.
Anderby Creek Beach parking
When you arrive, you’ll probably need somewhere to park. Luckily, there is a car park right next to the beach, only separated from it by the sand dunes.
Some charges were recently introduced to Anderby Creek Car Park as follows:
- Up to 1 hour: £1
- Up to 2 hours: £2
- Over 2 hours: £4
These charges apply from 10am–5pm, Good Friday to 31 October. Parking remains free for disabled badge holders
The car park has a fair amount of space, with capacity for 80 cars. If it happens to be full, you can drive back out and park on Roman Bank. It’s about a five-minute walk back down to the beach from there.
Anderby Creek Beach Café (and apartment!)
There has been a café at Anderby Creek Beach since the 1930s. Today it’s a charming little place ready to welcome anyone. It even has a dog-friendly garden to the rear, and colourful beach huts where you can catch some shade.
The café’s menu includes tasty breakfast buns for after those morning walks, and big breakfast plates served until 12:30pm. There’s also a great choice of classic lunches, including burgers, paninis, sandwiches and jacket pototoes, as well as a range of kids’ meals.
Adjacent to the café is a quirky little shop where you can buy refreshments, beach gear, gifts and toys.
There’s also a lovely two-bedroom self-catered apartment called The Hideout on the floor above the café. Perfect for a weekend escape to the beach!
The Creek Tavern
Looking for an alcoholic beverage? You don’t have to walk far from the beach to find a watering hole. The Creek Tavern, situated along Sea Road, is a friendly little pub – the kind that hosts bingo nights and serves a hearty Sunday carvery.
Things to do at Anderby Creek Beach
Most of our visits to Anderby Creek are spent relaxing on the beach, walking along the sand, playing games or having a dip in the sea. But there are a few more activities you can try while you’re here.
The Cloud Bar
When I first visited Anderby Creek and saw the stairway up to a ‘Cloud Bar’ by the beach entrance, I was expecting beers and cocktails on the rooftop. In reality, what I had found was the world’s first purpose-built cloud observation platform.
Opened in 2009, the Cloud Bar was designed by artist Michael Trainor and endorsed by the Cloud Appreciation Society. Its platform is complete with cloud sculptures, seating, and a ‘cloud menu’ with oodles of information about clouds and how to identify them. You can observe the skies using five rotatable curved mirrors.
You’ll learn tons of interesting facts. For example, who knew that clouds only live for about ten minutes, or that a cumulus can weigh as much as 200 tonnes?!
The Cloud Bar is free to enter and a must to visit while you’re here, even if only for the novelty factor.
Drainage Museum
An old pumping station in Anderby Creek village has been repurposed as a drainage museum. Inside the two old station houses you can see artefacts from its operational days, including drainage tools, engines and documents.
The station was originally built in 1945 to drain over 9,000 acres of land.
The Lincolnshire Coast Path
All of the beaches on this stretch between Mablethorpe and Skegness are connected by the Lincolnshire Coast Path, which will eventually make up part of an epic hiking trail stretching all the way around the coast of England.
The coastal path passes right by the beach at Anderby Creek. As the Lincolnshire shoreline is very flat with virtually no cliffs, it’s an easy stroll whichever way you go from here.
A couple of kilometres to the north you will reach Huttoft and Moggs Eye Beach. To the south, four kilometres’ walk will take you to Chapel St Leonards, passing the North Sea Observatory, the UK’s only dedicated marine observatory, which also features an art gallery.
To find out more about the many beautiful spots along this coastline, read our quick guide to the best beaches in Lincolnshire.
Campsites in Anderby Creek
Looking to make a weekend of your trip to the Lincolnshire coast? There are plenty of places to stay within close vicinity of Anderby Creek Beach.
If, like us, you love the outdoors, here are some campsites in Anderby Creek you can try:
- Creekside Family Camping – a relaxed family-friendly and dog-friendly site for tents and campervans among the scenery of Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park. No electric hookup but good facilities, free fire pits and cheap prices.
- The Grove – a caravan and camping site set on a farm less than a kilometre from the beach. A small, peaceful site with space for five caravans and a few tents, with electric hookup.
- Manor Farm Caravan Park – a cosy, family-run site for tents and caravans a couple of kilometres from the beach, with nature walks and a fishing lake within the grounds. Electric and non-electric pitches available.
Have you been to Anderby Creek Beach? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.
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