How to holiday in the UKBeach breaks

Which? Holiday experts pick out ten tantalising seaside locations from as way away as Rothesay to St Ives, and stretching across from Portrush to Frinton-on-sea.

Whitby

A historic port from where Captain Cook set sail on his way to the Pacific. Whitby has a postcard-perfect harbour split by the River Esk. St Mary’s Churchyard offers the best views over the town (the reward for climbing the 199 steps to the Graveyard). From inside the Church you can see the three-tiered pulpit, built like a crow’s nest in a tall ship.

What to see and do

Escape to the stunning, unspoilt coastlines of the UK

Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Tel 01947 601 900, www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk
Lovely old 18th-century house where James Cook lodged while apprenticed to a local ship’s captain.

Whitby Abbey, Tel 01947 603 568, www.english-heritage.org.uk/yorkshire
Interesting audio-guided tour explains all about the history of Whitby’s headland and its Anglo-Saxon monastic community. Adult £5.50 (Concession £4.70, Children £2.80).

Whitby Museum, Tel 01947 602 908, www.whitbymuseum.org.uk
Gloriously old-fashioned traditional museum in Pannett Park.

Tourist information centre, Langborne Rd, Tel 01723 383 637.

Wells-Next-The-Sea

Saltmarshes and miles of golden sand on an unspoilt Norfolk coastline. The picturesque quayside on a tidal inlet remains its bustling heart, where children dangle baited crab lines in the water and holidaymakers eat fish and chips on the harbour wall.

What to see and do

Anglian Bird Tours, Tel 01263 732 350
Daily bird tours from 9am-10am and 4pm-5pm. £30 a day or £15 half-day.

Doodle Pots Ceramic Café, Tel 01263 713135
Paint your own masterpiece in this fun café in nearby Holt.

Langham Glass, Tel 01485 529 111, www.langhamglass.co.uk
Great for glass-blowing and sculpting demonstrations. Adult £4.95 (Concession and Children: 5-15 years £3.95, Children under 5 Free).

Holkham Hall, Tel 01328 710 227, www.holkham.co.uk
A Palladian-style mansion, Holkam Hall displays paintings by Rubens, Gainsborough and Poussin. Hall only: Adults £8 (Children 5-16 years £4). Lake cruise Adults £3 (Children £2.50)

Houghton Hall, Tel 01485 528 569, www.houghtonhall.com
The impressive Houghton Hall, with its fine surrounding park, was built by Sir Robert Walpole. There are also stables and a soldier museum. Adults £8.80 (Children 5-16 years £3.50).

Sandringham, Tel 01553 612 908, www.sandringhamestate.co.uk
The Queen’s country retreat. Adult admission to house, gardens and museum £10 (Concessions £8, Children 5-15 years £5).

Tourist information centre, Staithe Street, Tel 01328 710885.

Frinton-On-Sea

At low tide, Frinton’s beach is a broad expanse of soft sand beneath a wide green, where families build sandcastles or play cricket on the grass, while stressed-out professionals relax over golf on the seaside course.

What to see and do

Frinton Golf Club, Tel 01255 674 618, www.frintongolfclub.com
9-hole Kirby course: Adults £11 for 18 holes, 18-hole Havers course: need handicap certificate (below 28) or to provide proof of membership to a golf club, £50 all day or £35 after 11am weekday. Trolleys and buggies can be hired.

Frinton Summer Theatre, Tel 01255 674 443
A seven-week season of plays, starting mid-July.

Tourist information centre, Princes Esplanade, Walton-on-the-Naze, Tel 01255 675 542.

Swanage

Laid-back resort with a lovely, gentle-shelving beach and stunning coastal walks. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Dorset, this unpretentious little town has lots going for it, not least the gently-shelving sweeping bay with fine sand perfect for sandcastles.

What to see and do

Swanage Heritage Centre, Tel 01929 421 427
Small but good display on the development of the town from the days of ‘chipping and shipping’ when vast quantities of Purbeck stone used in some of the great buildings of London was taken to the quay at Swanage and shipped off around the country (leaflets available from the museum).

Swanage Steam Railway, Tel 01929 425 800, www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Take a trip on the six-mile stretch of track from Swanage to Norden (day visitors can leave the car at Norden and arrive by train). Hop off at Corfe Castle where you can visit the ruins (www.swanagerailway.co.uk) and buy Ginger Pop and Enid Blyton novels from the pop shop in the square.

Tourist information centre, Shore Road, Tel 01929 422 885, www.virtual-swanage.co.uk, www.virtual-swanage.co.uk.

Sidmouth

An elegant Regency town, flanked by glorious coastal cliff scenery now transformed from a quiet fishing village to a fashionable seaside town.

What to see and do

Connaught Gardens
Lovely lush gardens, protected from sea winds by the walls of the old house that stood on the site until the 1930s. Don’t miss the Topiary Gardens with its pretty water feature and sunken centre.

Norman Lockyer Observatory, Tel 01395 579 941, www.projects.ex.ac.uk/nlo/welcome.htm
Norman Lockyer moved out of London to set up on Salcombe Hill in 1912 to continue his research into cold spots and helium on the Sun. Now there’s a small planetarium and original telescopes on display.

Town Museum, Tel 01395 516 139
A small local museum with lace-making displays, stories of local fishermen and a brief description of the geology of the World Heritage coast that extends in either direction from the town.

Tourist information centre, Ham Lane, Tel 01395 516 441, www.visitsidmouth.co.uk

St Ives

Heavenly beaches that are perfect for surfers – and an arty side for grown-ups. Take a seat at the Malakoff Garden above town to soak up the sublime vistas of St Ives that have captivated artists and tourists for over a century. A walk through the steep cobbled streets reveals that many of the pretty cottages are now artists’ galleries or let to holidaymakers. With four sandy beaches you are spoilt for choice of where to set up camp.

What to see and do

St Ives Surf School, Tel 07816 787 964
Lessons from £28 (minimum age eight years).

Tate St Ives, Tel 01736 796 226, www.tate.org.uk/stives
A collection of modern and contemporary art in a coastal setting. The gallery closes three times a year for changing exhibitions so call in advance. Adult £5.75 (Concessions £3.25, Children (under 18) Free).

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Gallery, Tel 01736 796 226, www.tate.org.uk/stives/hepworth
Visit and you’ll get a remarkable insight into the work and outlook of one of Britain’s most important 20th-century artists. Adult £4.75 (Concessions £2.75, Children (under 18) Free.

Tourist information centre, The Guildhall, Street-an-Pol, Tel 01736 796 297, www.go-cornwall.com.

Tenby

Medieval town centre and three gorgeous Blue Flag beaches in South Wales (www.blueflag.org). Tenby is proof the traditional British resort is alive and kicking, with a broad appeal that’s not too tacky, not too snooty and not too trendy. It’s one of those places that just don’t seem to change. Take a stroll from the Five Arches barbican gate through cobbled alleys to the strip of pastel-washed Georgian town houses lining the quayside.

What to see and do

Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Tel 01834 842 809, www.tenbymuseum.org.uk
Engaging little museum chockfull of bits and bobs from Tenby’s past, the excellent gallery has works by Augustus John, a native of Tenby, and Graham Sutherland’s abstractions. Adults £4 (Concessions £3, Children £2).

Caldey Island Boat trips, Tel 01834 844 453, www.caldey-island.co.uk
Don’t miss an idyllic day on this tranquil island where Cistercian monks make chocolates and toiletries from gorse blossom.

Tudor Merchant’s House, Tel 01834 842 279, www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Fifteenth-century townhouse mansion with plenty of period atmosphere, interesting 18th-century ‘secco’ wall friezes painted onto dry plaster, as opposed to ‘frescos’ that are painted while the plaster is still wet. Adults £2.70. (Children £1.30).

Tourist information centre, The Gateway Complex, Tel 01834 842 402.

Abersoch

Great for a life on the ocean wave, with amazing beaches and great walks - sea and sand are what Abersoch is all about. The high street offers a handful of cafés, restaurants, pubs and shops selling trendy surf gear to the teenage contingent of the boating set – but the vista of Snowdonia’s peaks on the horizon more than compensates.

What to see and do

RYA Abersoch Sailing School, Tel: 01758 712 963/525 540, www.abersochsailingschool.com
If you’re interested in taking to the waves, this sailing school can show you what to do with sailing dinghys and powerboats.

Portmeirion, Tel: 01766 770 000, www.portmeirion-village.com
Eccentric Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis’ whimsical Italianate village is a fantastic place to visit, its fairytale pastel buildings, wedding cake Pantheon dome and delicate campanile tower are dream-like and a touch weird – and unmissable for fans of cult 60s series The Prisoner.

Tourist information centre, High Street, Tel 01758 712 929, www.abersochtouristinfo.co.uk.

Rothesay

Take a ferry across the Firth of Clyde to a splendid Victorian island resort. The isle of Bute was the only Scottish island with its own tram service, taking visitors across the island to the splendid wide sandy beach at Ettrick Bay.

What to see and do

Discovery Centre, Tel 01700 502 151
The Discovery Centre in the old Winter Gardens was built in the 1920s and gives a glimpse of what the Scottish seaside resort was like at its peak. There is now a cinema, a bistro and the tourist information centre.

Mount Stuart, Tel 01700 503 877, www.mountstuart.com

There is a regular shuttle bus from Rothesay town centre to Mount Stuart house, home of the Marquis of Bute, which also stops at the Victorian Fernery at Ascog. Guided tours of the house last an hour and concentrate on the craftmanship. Admission to house and gardens, Adult £8 (Concession £6.50, Children 5-16 years £4).

Rothesay Castle, Tel 01700 502 691, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
The 13th-century circular castle is set back from the seafront and worth a visit. Its circular design is unusual, it was attacked by Vikings on various occasions and it became a favourite residence of the Stewart kings. Adult £4.20 (Concession £3.20, Children £2.10).

The Waverley, Tel 0845 130 4647, www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk
In August the Waverley – the last ocean-going paddle steamer – makes visits to the resort, offering lovely, nostalgic days out sailing through mountain and loch scenery.

Tourist information centre, The Winter Gardens, Tel 08707 200619, www.visitbute.com

Portrush

Situated on a peninsula with two excellent beaches, some lovely coastal walking and panoramic views, Portrush offers plenty of reasons why a holiday on Northern Ireland’s north Causeway coast – an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – will be a memorable one.

What to see and do

Barry’s Amusements, Tel 028 7082 2340, www.barrysamusements.com
A traditional funfair, complete with helter skelter, rollercoaster, dodgems and a ghost train.

Countryside Centre, Portandoo Harbour, Tel 028 7082 3600
An indoor rock pool, fascinating fossil facts and a list of sealife which has been recently spotted off the Causeway coast. Fee admission.

Dunluce Centre, Tel 028 7082 4444, www.dunlucecentre.co.uk
Interactive games, high-tech treasure hunts and 3D pleasure rides will keep the kids entertained for hours.

Tourist information centre, Dunluce Centre, 10 Sandhill Drive, Tel 028 7082 3333, www.colerainebc.gov.uk

For general information on the coast, and tide tables, see:
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides
www.seasideawards.org.uk
www.visitbritain.com