Beautiful Bay, Dirty Secret

Listen to the track:

Beautiful Bay, Dirty Secret

Beautiful Bay, Dirty Secret is a protest song about the shocking state of sewage discharge around Wembury Bay and the River Yealm in 2026.

On the surface, Wembury is exactly what the postcards promise: rock pools, seabirds, bright water, families on the beach and one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in Devon. But the song points to the ugly truth behind that picture. After heavy rain, storm overflows can affect bathing waters, and South West Water’s own WaterFit Live map tells visitors to check whether water quality has been temporarily affected before going into the sea.

The song uses humour because sometimes that is the sharpest way to tell the truth. “Do not swim on a turdy day” sounds funny, but the warning behind it is serious. Nobody should have to check an app before deciding whether the sea beside a protected and much-loved beach is safe enough to swim in.

Wembury Bay is not just a pretty view. It is part of a rich marine environment, with Wembury Marine Centre describing the bay as one of the United Kingdom’s best places for marine life, recognised as a Marine Conservation Area since 1981. That makes the continuing problem of sewage discharges feel even more unacceptable.

The references to Kiln Quay, Noss Mayo, Lee Mill, Yealmpton and Cornwood reflect a simple point: what happens upstream does not stay upstream. Rain, rivers, drains, treatment works and overflows are all connected. Eventually, much of it finds its way back towards the sea.

This is a local protest song, but it is also part of a national argument. In 2025, sewage was discharged into England’s rivers and seas hundreds of thousands of times, despite that year being reported as unusually dry. For Wembury, the issue feels especially stark because the bay is loved for its beauty, wildlife and family beach days. That is the contrast at the heart of the song: beautiful bay, dirty secret.

Lyrics

Sun on the rock pools, gold on the sand
Buckets and seabirds, ice cream in hand
Looks like a postcard, bright as can be
Till you check your phone
Down by the sea

Wembury Bay
Wembury Bay
Looks so lovely
Check it today