All beaches › New Forest, England
Can I swim at Christchurch Bay? New Forest, England · Coastal
Checking…
…
Loading today's readings
Fetching the latest warnings and spill data
Where it is, and what discharges near it Map loads as you scroll here
About this bathing water
Rating for last season Excellent (2025)
Water Coastal
Area New Forest, England
Monitored outfalls within 5km 4 (nearest 0.9km) Christchurch Bay was rated Excellent for 2025 — the highest of the four grades in the Bathing Water Regulations. That grade comes from bacterial samples taken over several seasons, so it describes the beach's record rather than the water on any given day.
The Environment Agency issues a pollution risk forecast for this beach every morning during the bathing season, and the water company publishes the status of its storm overflows every few minutes.
Other beaches nearby Highcliffe Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England · 2.5 km away Christchurch Highcliffe Castle Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England · 3.6 km away Milford-on-sea New Forest, England · 3.8 km away Christchurch Friar`s Cliff Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England · 4.7 km away Christchurch Avon Beach Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England · 5.0 km away Christchurch Mudeford Sandbank East Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England · 5.8 km away Check the official source
Can I Swim? shows official warnings, live sewage spill data and rainfall for
every designated bathing water in Britain and Ireland. It is not an official source: if a sign
at the beach says otherwise, believe the sign.
Where the data comes from
Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales — daily pollution risk forecasts,
open pollution incidents and bathing water classifications
SEPA and DAERA — Scottish daily predictions and Northern Irish sampling
The EPA and local authorities in Ireland — statutory bathing restrictions
Eleven water companies — live storm overflow status for 18,600 monitored outfalls
Open-Meteo — rainfall
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government
Licence v3.0. Water company data under CC BY 4.0. How this works and
what it can't tell you .