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Best UK seaside town

126 replies

pfills · 17/06/2022 17:21

What would you say was the best British seaside town for a summer holiday?

OP posts:
GiveMyHeadPeaceffs · 17/06/2022 21:03

Ballycastle or Portrush depending on what floats your boat Grin

MrsSkylerWhite · 17/06/2022 21:05

St. Ives (cornwall). No shadow of a doubt.

buckleten · 17/06/2022 21:05

Nowhere better than Lyme Regis in my opinion!

Indoctro · 17/06/2022 21:07

Findhorn, Nairn or Lossiemouth on the Morsy coast in Scotland.

Stunning

Indoctro · 17/06/2022 21:08

Moray*

Bluepolkadots42 · 17/06/2022 21:09

Swanage or Norfolk- North of Great yarmouth.

BigSkies2022 · 17/06/2022 21:09

North Norfolk beaches are lovely. East Devon - Beer, Branscombe, Budleigh Salterton. South Hams - Brixham through to Plymouth, Dartmouth and Blackpool Sands being a highlight, then across the Tamar to Rame Point and Cawsands. Swanage, Studland and the Purbeck Hills also lovely.

Butterfly44 · 17/06/2022 21:11

Bournemouth....golden sandy beaches.

timestheyarechanging · 17/06/2022 21:12

Broadstairs Kent and the surrounding bays - just got home from a few days there. We are buying a house there - can't wait to move! However, a seagull landed on my head today and stole my ice cream!

St Ives Cornwall but not in school summer holidays.

Kite22 · 17/06/2022 21:21

As pps have said - depends if you are looking for arcades and donkeys and candyfloss or space.
Depends if you want to take a dog
Depends where in the country you are traveling from.

When ours were tiny, then Swanage was nice - gentle sloping sand, sea quite near.

A bit older, places like Weymouth and Bournmouth - although expensive to park anywhere if not in NT when we went to Weymouth.
Bit bigger and we liked the wide open spaces of Pembrokeshire.

I would always put in a vote for N Wales too - Barmouth, up the coast and out on the Llyn Peninsula, or of course across to Anglesey. Being in Snowdonia gives you loads of options if the weather isn't really beach weather.

Katya213 · 17/06/2022 21:25

We decided to go somewhere different and went to Northern Ireland. We went to a beach called ballyhornan, it was beautiful, we went back the following year. Also Ballygally is lovely too.

adorablecat · 17/06/2022 21:33

Aldeburgh, especially when the festival is on.

Salome61 · 17/06/2022 21:35

@Katya213 my daughter lives in Belfast and often sends photos of beautiful beaches. She worked on a tv show called Hope Street, it was filmed in Donaghadee.

Riverlee · 17/06/2022 21:43

Dh and I have been exploring the Kent coasts over the last couple of years - didn’t realise there were so many.

The ones we go back to are Whistable (including Seasalter and Tankerton), Bexhill on sea and Broadstairs. Hastings is one we can’t see the love for. Margate definitely has improved over the years.

Wrongkindofovercoat · 17/06/2022 21:46

Depends what you like and when you want to go ?

St Ives is my number one place, it is difficult to beat for sheer downright bloody gorgeousness, but heaving in the Summer hols and expensive to stay. Can't wait until we can visit late September.

Also in Cornwall, Looe is great if you have younger children, crabbing in either the big pool near the carpark which also has a park or off the harbour wall at either side. Great beach, very shallow shelf. Past the beach are some of the best rock pools I have ever looked in. West looe has Hannafore which tends to be a bit quieter, little rocky coves. Loads of different boat trips. Not far from Polperro which is worth a visit or Fowey which is lovely too. It does get busy in the Summer holidays but a lot are day trippers so it quitens down on an evening and depending on tide times we have hit the beach after tea and had a BBQ and there has been only a handful of people down there.

Barmouth has been mentioned, again busy during the day but gets much quieter in an evening, crabbing off the harbour, beach, hire mountain bikes and cycle across the bridge ( spectacular views ) , try your hand at paddle boarding in the harbour, if the children are older they do a trip up the estuary. Across the water you have Fairbourne with its cute little railway, you can get a ferry boat across and back if you don't want to walk round via the bridge. Loads of fabulous walks nearby too. Not too far from Portmerion, you can get a train and children go free and its a nice journey along the coast. Same for Aberdyfi in the other direction or get off in Tywyn and go on the Talyllyn railway there which is brilliant.

Whitby is lovely, as is Scarborough if you like a bit of old fashioned seaside fun, again it tends to quieten down in an evening at the front. Filey is smashing too as is Bridlington and Robin Hoods bay, all different in their way. If you stay in the general area they are all easy to get to and you can go inland and see the North Yorks moors, go to Pickering and get the steam train. Flamingo land isn't bad for a day out if you have under secondary age/early secondary age children.

Back to Wales, I have to say I do like Llandudno for a visit, Conwy is just around the corner which is lovely and you aren't that far from Betws y coed and the Zip world Fforest.

In Devon I really like Teignmouth and Exmouth,

Everyone I know who has been raves about Anglesey and the Isle of Wight for child friendly holidays.

Katya213 · 17/06/2022 21:50

Salome61 · 17/06/2022 21:35

@Katya213 my daughter lives in Belfast and often sends photos of beautiful beaches. She worked on a tv show called Hope Street, it was filmed in Donaghadee.

Ahh, you should go, it’s a gorgeous place, we did the coastline from Warren point to the Antrim coast, you need to see the views, they are sensational. We are going round Scotland this year for two weeks in our campervan, can’t wait!

Neverendingdust · 17/06/2022 21:52

Weymouth- the beach is great for kids too as it’s a bay so very calm water

Blackpool- it’s tacky, wild, rough, crazy but somehow good at the same time? For a day trip - any longer there and you’d go mad.

Anywhere on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall. Coverrack, Falmouth, Fowey, Newquay, St Ives, St Just, Zennor, Sennen. All spectacular places with their own charm. Mental in the holidays but so is everywhere else…

RoseMartha · 17/06/2022 21:57

I would say most coastal towns in Cornwall but it does get very busy in school holidays.

Alternatives,
Brixham
Woolacomb
Sandown
Eastbourne
Nairn
Weymouth
Lymington

thefatpotato · 17/06/2022 21:57

Llandudno brilliant with little kids. If you have older ones who want proper swimming not sure this would fit the bill!

powershowerforanhour · 17/06/2022 21:58

Castlerock is quite nice. If the beach gets too crowded you can hop across the way to Benone which is 7 miles long so you should be able to find a spot to spread out your towel. It's got some sand dunes to play in and Binevenagh in the background which you can go for a hike up if feeling energetic. Inland a bit round Limavady is nice too with Roe Valley etc.

Redglitter · 17/06/2022 21:59

St Annes & St Andrews

BorisJohnsonsHair · 17/06/2022 22:01

Awakened22 · 17/06/2022 19:41

Cromer is lovely - traditional seaside town without the crowds. Weather is always a gamble on the east coast but the beaches are stunning, crabbing from the pier is great for kids, crazy golf, amusement arcades and I think there is a soft play if all else fails.

The East of England is much drier on the whole. The West is a far bigger gamble in terms of weather imo.

Branleuse · 17/06/2022 22:01

I think the norfolk, suffolk and essex coast is massively underrated, but some great beaches, and quite a bit warmer for swimming than the atlantic. Gorleston near Yarmouth is lovely. Also Walton on the Naze and Harwich beach.

Strangeways19 · 17/06/2022 22:12

We've just come back from West Wales beaches are fabulous, try Cardigan with nearby beaches like poppit sands, riverside settings nearby & go see the dolphins in New quay. I'd steer clear of Tenby it's very expensive & really busy absolutely no parking but beaches are also lovely there so if you don't mind paying loads & it being busy there go for it but I didn't enjoy it much

IrisVersicolor · 17/06/2022 22:15

Salcombe, Topsham, Bosham - none of them quite seaside but lovely.