Devon's Brown Flag Beach Faces Criticism: Visitors Urged to "Do Your Homework" Before Visiting

A Devon beach has received criticism for its subpar water quality. In 2025, Coastguards Beach located near the Erme Estuary in Devon was designated with a 'Brown Flag' following an assessment by the Environment Agency which deemed its waters to be of poor quality.

The ranking indicates that the water might have bacteria like E.coli originating from sewage. The count of Brown Flags at English beaches is also mentioned. jumped from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025 — an rise of 46%, as reported by Holidayparkguru.co.uk after they examined the Environment Agency’s water quality information.

In total, 86% of Devon's beaches have received an 'excellent' rating for their water quality. Only Northumberland and Dorset outperformed Devon in this regard, whereas Cornwall achieved a marginally lower score.

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In total, 86% of Devon’s shores have received an 'excellent' rating for their water purity levels. The standard of bathing water in Devon has seen positive growth recently, with three coastal areas having been elevated in classification within the past year; these include GoodrINGTON. Paignton Sands and Hollicombe.

Nevertheless, Wembury has been downgraded from 'Excellent' to 'Good'.

Campaigner and open-water swimmer, Robbie Lane from HolidayParkGuru.co.uk commented: "We were hoping to distribute fewer Brown Flags this year, but unfortunately, things haven’t panned out well. The disappointing news for Devon is that they've received their inaugural Brown Flag Award."

The great news is that over 80% of Devon’s beaches achieve an 'excellent' rating for water quality during summertime. So do some homework this season, and you might find yourself thinking "wish you were here" instead of "wish I had put on protective gear".

A complete listing of the three-star swimming locations can be found at https://www.holidayparkguru.co.uk ."

Holidayparkguru.co.uk is providing complimentary brown flags for the 19 ‘winners’ to alert summertime bathers about their low ratings. These flags feature a discreetly designed poop emoji.

Last year, Somerset was the sole county to accept the complimentary flag – which had been utilized by protesters during a campaign for clean water.

The Brown Flag Award Winners for 2025

The Brown Flag Awards are designated for those particular beaches that receive a 'poor rating' from the Environment Agency’s water quality assessments.

Arranged alphabetically by county:

1. Porthluney in Cornwall

2. Coastguards Beach at the Erme Estuary in Devon (Newcomer for 2025)

3. Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach Dorset (Newcomer for 2025)

4. Southsea East in Hampshire

5. Deal Castle in Kent (Newcomer for 2025)

6. Dymchurch in Kent (Newcomer for 2025)

7. Littlestone in Kent

8. Blackpool North in Lancashire

9. St Annes North in Lancashire

10. Heacham in Norfolk

11. Weston Main, Sand Bay near Weston-super-Mare, and the Uphill Slipway in Weston-super-Mare are included. Somerset

12. Dunster Beach in Somerset

13. Blue Anchor West in Somerset (Newcomer for 2025)

14. Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex

15. Worthing Beach House in Sussex (Newcomer for 2025)

16. Tynemouth Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear

17. Littlehaven Beach in Tyne and Wear (Newcomer for 2025)

18. South Bay of Scarborough located in North Yorkshire Yorkshire

19. South Beach in Bridlington, within the East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire

It should be mentioned that major resorts often feature multiple beaches and sampling locations, so only a specific part of the beach might be marked as 'poor'.