In message , at
12:22:00 on Wed, 3 Aug 2011, Paul Cummins
remarked:
The closest I can see is Southend (and people will quibble about
whether that's the "sea"). About an hour and 40 minutes. Anywhere
on the south coast is 2hrs+ and Weston Super Mare (also see
quibble) is two and a half.

Nowhere in Britain is more than 76 miles

Probably as the crow flies. When heading for Southend or Brighton from
Aylesbury, it's faster to take a longer route via the M25.

from the sea (read open salt water)

But the parameter to look at is time. Or are you counting how long it
takes a police motorbike on blues and twos?
--
Roland Perry