Collecting on the beach

Maggie Hambling's 15ft high scallop sculpture at Aldburgh. CC image by CMGlee

 I have a lovely book called 'The Essential Guide to Beachcombing and the Strandline' by Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher. It has everything you can think of that you might find on a walk on the beach, from seashells and seaweed to fishing litter and nurdles. It doesn't mention the legal implications of beachcombing at all, which is a) a bit surprising but b) probably entirely sensible given the complications.

'Edible Seashore' by John Wright tries to lay out the situation for foragers. He says "a tender belief lodged firmly in the bosom of most people in these islands is that they have a legal right to walk along any shore that does not sport a 'private, keep out' sign. Sadly, they are wrong. There is no general right of access to the coast and the shore is not some briny species of common land."

Precisely who owns a 'beach' (the bit above the high tide mark) is not always obvious. You'll probably want to get across that to the 'foreshore' (which is the bit between the low and high tide mark). Half of that's owned by the Crown and the rest is divvied up between local authorities, the National Trust, and various other individuals and organisations. Realistically, as long as you stay out of places with big 'No Trespassing' signs, you probably won't get into any altercations. If you can work out that the National Trust (for example) does own the bit of shore you're after, then it would be nice to seek their permission to do your collecting there. This would be especially important if your beach is a nature reserve or SSSI. They might be encouraging even so, so don't be afraid to ask (just ring up or ping them an email to explain your very low-impact and scientific intentions). They may even be interested in a list of what you find.


Rules about foraging relate mainly to just wild fruit, fungi, flowers and foliage. The 'Four Fs' have to be growing wild, and be for personal use only (you can't sell them, or it becomes theft). So if you're collecting empty shells, then you'd imagine this is of little interest to the law (gathering live shellfish to eat or sell would be a different issue). Seaweed doesn't start with an F either, and no general right to gather seaweed exists. But again, if you're not taking wheelbarrowfuls to sell, and you're not trespassing, you shouldn't get into any bother.

This article and its comments on the subject in the Guardian are quite interesting.

In short, seek permission where you can, and obey any local rules.

And if you take some litter home with you while you're at it, then you'll have positively improved the environment!