Here is our guide to the top ten family-friendly beaches within a two-hour drive from Greater Manchester.

We have chosen a mixture of family-friendly beaches, some sandy and some with stone and rock features.

Beach certified EDBW (Euro designated bathing water ) have been clearly marked. This means they are suitable for bathing.

Please make sure you check with individual beaches whether the beaches are manned by lifeguards on the day you are set to visit.

Come rain or shine, Blackpool is always buzzing with families visiting its array of attractions including the Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Tower and Sealife Centre.

But the vast sandy beach, complete with piers and donkey rides are the reason Blackpool is a holiday mecca. The bonus is its only 45 minutes away.

Just a stones throw from Blackpool but this beach is often a little quieter.

There is an ornate Victorian pier in front of extensive tidal sands and a boating lake.

The town itself has plenty of restaurants and B&Bs, its own art gallery and Lytham Hall, a stunning Georgian country house, is open to visitors - prefect for a balmy spring day.

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Beaches within a two-hour drive of Greater Manchester