As the weather gets warmer you might be planning on taking a trip to the beach, a weekend getaway with a coastal view, or an evening stroll on the pier.
If you have ever wondered how good your local seaside town is, a new survey by consumer group Which? has revealed the best and worst seaside towns and villages in the UK.
The locations were ranked based on the experiences of 3,000 people in the last year when visiting the towns.
The criteria included ratings of hotel prices, beaches, food and drink, and value for money among others for over 100 towns and villages.
Top 10 seaside towns and villages in the UK
Bamburgh in Northumberland was ranked in the first place, scoring a total of 88 per cent. It's the third year in a row that it's claimed the top spot.
With a population of around 400 people, the village received full five-star ratings for its beach, seafront, scenery, accommodation, value for money and peace and quiet.
Visitors particularly enjoyed the views of Bamburgh Castle, which stands guard on a rocky outcrop above miles of sand and windswept dunes, reports Which?
One person said: “It has super-soft sand that stretches as far as the eye can see, and there is plenty of space, so the beach never feels crowded.”
Mornin'🌅
— North East Tweets (@NorthEastTweets) March 29, 2023
"The Northumberland coastline 🫶 can't beat it".
📍Alnmouth Beach.
📸: Northumberland_Adventures pic.twitter.com/39xAvryxHR
The top 10 UK seaside towns and villages are:
- Bamburgh, Northumberland - 88 per cent
- Dartmouth, Devon – 85 per cent
- Portstewart, Londonderry – 84 per cent
- Portmeirion, Gwynedd – 83 per cent
- St Andrews, Fife – 83 per cent
- Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear – 83 per cent
- Southwold, Suffolk – 82 per cent
- Aldeburgh, Suffolk – 81 per cent
- St Davids, Pembrokeshire – 81 per cent
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull – 81 per cent
Seasonal Beach Ban Areas for dogs are now back in force from 1st May under the Public Space Protection Order (#PSPO) at Mablethorpe, Sutton on Sea & Skegness
— EastLindseyDC (Blue Tick) (@EastLindseyDC) April 27, 2023
The Beach Ban for dogs is also in operation at Chapel St Leonards (enforced by the Parish Council) pic.twitter.com/lwkaqScpVk
Worst 10 seaside towns and villages in the UK
Contrastingly, at the opposite end of the ratings, two traditional seaside towns - Clacton-on-Sea and Skegness were at the bottom of the list, scoring 48 per cent.
According to Which? the towns were rated an average of three out of five stars for their beaches and visitors were “less impressed with their run-down seafronts” as Skegness only received one star.
Worst 10 UK seaside towns and villages are:
- Skegness, Lincolnshire – 48 per cent
- Clacton-on-Sea, Essex – 48 per cent
- Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset – 49 per cent
- Bangor, County Down – 49 per cent
- Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire – 54 per cent
- Bognor Regis, West Sussex – 54 per cent
- Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – 55 per cent
- Colwyn Bay, Conwy – 55 per cent
- Southend-on-Sea, Essex – 56 per cent
- Morecambe, Lancashire – 56 per cent
More information on the survey and the full table of seaside destinations can be found on the Which? website.
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