A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK . When I was a child in England, growing up by the sea meant everything. In fact, there was very little that the salt air and a bag of vinegary chips couldn't fix. I still have vivid memories of the beachside picnics my mother would make for us during the summer holidays, and stopping by to see my grandparents (who were always set up on the exact same bench at the end of the promenade) for some “ice cream money.” My grandfather always snuck an extra few pounds into my fist with the wink of an eye. Then there were the extra special days, when the whole family would pack up the car with windbreakers, sandwiches, and sunscreen, and we'd head along the coast to West Wittering, a beautiful sandy beach in West Sussex that could rival Cape Cod, The Hamptons , or pretty much any New England coastal spot in the US. (I should know. I've visited them.) West Wittering beach is surrounded by sand dunes and lined with colorful beach huts.…