Bank holidays and beaches – a classic British combo. With the country being spoiled with not one, not two, but three long weekends over the next month, we could all benefit from being clued up on the best seasides around.
If you’re still looking to plan your days off, consumer website Which? has just released its ranking of the country’s finest coastal destinations. And so where came top? For the third year in the row, the crown went to Bamburgh in Northumberland.
The northern-eastern village is among the country’s 46 official areas of outstanding natural beauty and beat big-name resorts including Brighton and Blackpool.
The final ranking was based on a survey of 3,000 people, who rated UK seaside towns and villages based on their beaches, attractions, scenery and value for money. Bamburgh scored full points in all of these categories plus five out of five for peace and quiet. Its overall destination score was 88 percent.
You might want to look elsewhere if you’re after some retail therapy, though, as it only scored a measly two points in the shopping category. But Bamburgh’s other offerings seem to more than make up for the lack of stores. A 900-year-old castle overlooking the village’s two-mile stretch of sand makes for dramatic viewing and one visitor told Which? that the beach ‘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’.
Dartmouth in Devon soared to second place in the ranking after placing fourth last year, while third place was awarded to Portstewart in County Derry, Northern Ireland.
Almost all corners of the country were represented in the top five: in fourth place was Portmeirion in Wales and St Andrews in Scotland alongside Tynemouth in the north-east of England.
Right down at the other end of the list, Skegness and Clacton-on-sea tied as the two worst-rated beaches in the country.
Here are the UK’s top ten seaside resorts, according to Which?:
- Bamburgh, Northumberland
- Dartmouth, Devon
- Portstewart, County Derry/Londonderry
- Portmeirion, Gwynedd
- St Andrews, Fife
- Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
- Southwold, Suffolk
- Aldeburgh, Suffolk
- St Davids, Pembrokeshire
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull
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