Bamburgh in Northumberland, with its wild, unspoiled beach overlooked by an imposing castle, has topped a Which? Travel survey to find Britain’s best seaside destination.
From nostalgic boardwalks and beach huts to fish and chips served on the seafront, visitors have rated 96 of the country’s coastal towns, villages and resorts to find the nation’s favourite.
Resorts were rated in 10 categories, including the quality of the beach, attractions, scenery, food and drink, accommodation, peace and quiet and value for money.
Find out how your favourite British seaside town fared in the full results of our survey
The UK’s best coastal destinations
Welsh resorts scored particularly well, with two entries in the top 10, from the Italian Riviera inspired Portmeirion to the five-star beaches of Pembrokeshire’s Tenby.
With the average hotel rate of less than £100 a night, it’s no surprise that both resorts also received excellent value for money scores.
Suffolk also drew praise, with Southwold and Aldeburgh both making the top 10. The region promises a serene escape from the crowds as both seaside towns scored five stars for peace and quiet.
Seaside flops
Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Essex’s Clacton-on-Sea share the bottom spot of the table, both receiving a customer score of just 47%.
Both towns received a lowly one-star rating for their attractions, scenery, peace and quiet and value for money.
Video: We visited Clacton-on-Sea to find out for ourselves why it rated so poorly
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