A Cornwall beach which is "cradled by an amphitheatre of cliffs" has been named as one of the best secret beaches in the UK.

Vault Beach in Gorran Haven has been included alongside six others in a list from The Times.

Discussing the creation of the list, the publication wrote: "We all love a beach on a sunny day but no one wants to be cheek by jowl, towel by towel or stuck queueing for an overpriced car park.

"But if you’re prepared to work a bit harder, there’s a chance you’ll still be able to find a spot where it’s just you and the sand, sea and sky."

Falmouth Packet: Vault Beach has been praised for its cleanlinessVault Beach has been praised for its cleanliness (Image: MedEngland/Tripadvisor)

The full list of beaches can be found on The Times website here. 

What did The Times say about Vault Beach?

Writing about the beach, the publication added: "The village of Gorran Haven has a tiny jetty and a slice of easy-access sand, but Vault beach lies a 20-minute walk beyond it, around gorse-topped headlands to a 1,000m-long crescent cradled by an amphitheatre of cliffs.

"The whimsical Richard Curtis film About Time was filmed here, and its star Bill Nighy spent hours skimming its sea-smoothed stones.

"Stay near St Austell at the Cornwall, a spa hotel perfectly placed beside Kings Wood and a couple of miles from the Eden Project."

Falmouth Packet: Vault Beach is said to be well sheltered from windsVault Beach is said to be well sheltered from winds (Image: ldimage1/Tripadvisor)

Vault Beach has also been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.5/5 score from 40 reviews on Tripadvisor.

One reviewer wrote: "Even in high summer Vault beach is never over busy, plenty of room for everyone!! The coast path from the car park is a quite steep decent and a fair old climb going back especially on a hot day!!!"

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Another shared: "Stunning beach near Gorran Haven, it's a bit of a climb to get down to the beach but once you are there is beautiful.

"Make sure you take everything you need for the day with you as you really don't want to climb back up to the car park!"

Meanwhile, another said: "This beautiful, clean beach takes a little sled fort to get there, but it’s well worth it. The beach is clean, secluded and very well sheltered from the wind from the headland."