Last resorts: traditional seaside towns lose sparkle

A VILLAGE in Northumberland has been named Britain’s best seaside destination as the country’s traditional coastal towns lose their appeal, a survey has found.

Bamburgh, which has a population of about 400, has been crowned the UK’S leading seaside resort, triumphing over better-known beachside towns such as Bridlington, Margate and Weston-super-mare, according to Which? It comes after thousands of holidaymakers rated their most recent visits to the coast across the UK in a range of categories including quality of the beach, seafront, food, scenery, attractions and value for money.

Bamburgh, which is known for its castle and the RNLI Grace Darling Museum, scored an overall rating of 89 per cent after receiving five stars for its scenery and beach.

Narrowly missing out on the top spot was Portmeirion, on the fringes of Snowdonia, which scored 88 per cent. At the opposite end of the scale, Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Clactonon-sea in Essex received a score of just 47 per cent.

Traditional coastal resorts such as Great Yarmouth, Skegness and Morecambe were ranked among the lowest 10 towns and villages in the survey for overall satisfaction.

Rory Boland, the Which? travel editor said: “These ratings won’t make happy reading for some of those destinations many of us remember from childhood breaks.

“But whether you fancy blowing out the cobwebs in Bamburgh, pottering around in Portmeirion or taking your bucket and spade to St Mawes, it’s clear that the Great British seaside has something for everyone.”

In February, almost 3,000 Which? members provided feedback on their visits to British seaside towns over the last year, with 6,286 experiences recorded in total.