By Jo Tweedy
THE BEST
Bamburgh, Northumberland
Bamburgh Castle overlooks the coastline and woos hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to this stretch of Northumberland
Small but mighty, Bamburgh village, nudged up to a particularly beautiful stretch of the Northumberland coast only has around 400 residents – but, according to Which?’s latest poll the prettiest sands in the land.
The downside? It attracts more than 150,000 visitors each year because of it, with locals swamped by tourists in the summer months – and parking spaces rare as hen’s teeth.
Its imposing castle is regarded as one of the world’s most important Anglo-Saxon archaeological sites.
Zoopla average property price: £464,500
Beer, Devon
A beer in Beer: Devon’s crescent of shingly beach has a limestone cliff backdrop
Another tiny village with a divine crescent of beach, this time shingle, Beer lies in Devon’s East and is flanked by limestone cliffs.
Once a smuggler’s haven, this fishing village’s closest town is Seaton, with the South West Coast Path accessible for walkers.
Zoopla average property price: £454,000
Portmeirion, North Wales
Worth the price: The coast around Portmeirion, which costs from £13 to visit
So inspired was Noel Coward when he visited the folly village of Portmeirion that he wrote his play, Blithe Spirit, in just six days.
This Italianate village sits against a rocky headland in North Wales and is so well preserved you have to pay to get in – £20.00 for adults, £13 for children.
The beach? It’s full of white sand, plus hidden caves and views out across the Dwyryd Estuary.
Zoopla average property price: £171,969
St David’s, Pembrokeshire
Whitesands, the sweep of beach close to St David’s
St David’s main beach, known as Whitesands Bay, is made up of fine, alabaster sand that merges into a rockier portion of coast, which reaches a crescendo at the craggy headland that is St David’s Head.
Walkers love it, as do surfers. St David’s is famously the UK’s smallest city with a population of around 1,750 people.
Zoopla average property price: £326,108
Sidmouth, Devon
Victorian favourite Sidmouth remains popular with beach goers heading to Devon
At the mouth of the River Sid, 14 miles from Exeter, Sidmouth was a fishing village until the fashion for coastal resorts grew in the Regency period from 1811 to 1820.
Edward VII checked into the Royal York Hotel in 1856, and when the Devon town was connected to a railway (no longer running) in 1874, well-heeled Victorians flocked there.
The esplanade is lined with Grade II-listed hotels, with the 240-million-year-old Jurassic Coast just beyond it.
Zoopla average property price: £489,333
AND THE WORST…
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
West Sussex’s Bognor Regis didn’t fare well – but that’s unlikely to put off the tourist masses this summer
Bognor Regis is one of the UK’s best-known bucket and spade seaside towns today – but it started life as a small fishing village.
The town’s popularity soared in the late 1800s after a railway station was built in 1864 that made the seaside hotspot much more accessible.
In recent years, the resort has been known for cheap and cheerful UK breaks, with Butlins the beach’s most famous place to stay.
Zoopla average property price: £356,463
Bangor, North Wales
Garth pier in Bangor jutting out across the mud and sand of the Menai Strait, which separates Anglesey island from the Welsh mainland
The historic Welsh resort of Bangor took the unwanted number one spot in the Which? survey of worst seaside town in Britain back in May.
Bangor has fallen since its heyday, with historic photos showing hundreds of people gathered to watch the opening of the pier during the Victorian period in 1896.
Even as recently as 30 years ago, the area was still a beloved hub for tourists and holidaymakers, and even featured in a popular song by folk group Fiddler’s Dream in 1979 named Day Trip to Bangor (Didn’t We Have a Lovely Time).
Away from the beach, Bangor has the longest high street in Wales, and is also the oldest Welsh city.
Zoopla average property price: £204,661
Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
Clacton-on-Sea has faced social deprivation in recent years, with unemployment, drug use and crime all issues for the town, say locals
Another resort that’s a shadow of its former self, Clacton-on-Sea was once one of Britain’s thriving seaside towns – popular with Londoners who would flock to the Essex coastline for a day at the beach and fun on the pier.
A decline has seen the town battling spiralling unemployment, drug use and crime – with shops on the beachfront and in the town centre closed.
Zoopla average property price: £251,103
Southend-on-Sea, Essex
The seafront promenade and beach to the east of the Pier at Southend-on-Sea
One travel guide described this Essex coastal resort as ‘Pugnacious and brash’, saying ‘Unless you’re after tacky arcades, flash amusement rides or sleazy nightspots, there’s not much to do’.
There’s no getting away from the fact it’s still very popular though: Essex’s largest town, with a population of some 175,500, hosts nearly three million visitors each year.
Zoopla average property price: £339,634
Fleetwood, Lancashire
The sun sets over Fleetwood beach in Lancashire; the town is set for a £16million makeover
Just 25 minutes from Blackpool, Fleetwood has long attracted holidaymakers with its low prices – including hotel stays that average around £73 a night – and old-school seaside charm.
And while it’s fared badly in Which?’s latest poll, it is in line for a £16million upgrade, including a major overhaul of the town’s iconic Art Deco Marine Hall and the local leisure centre.
Zoopla average property price: £145, 744
