What's a really great UK seaside city or large town to live in?

[LAHallucinations]

As the title says really. I've lived in a small town in the Home Counties all my life and I'd like to move to the coast within the next year. The trouble is I have very few restrictions/criteria for where I could move, so I'm struggling with very bad choice paralysis. Whenever I do find somewhere I think would suit me, I search for threads about the place on here, and inevitably they'll be a handful of comments saying what a shithole that place is, which just sends me back to square one (even if most other comments are very positive).

So no negativity please, just places that you think are really good to live in.

The only essentials are:

• Must be by the coast (doesn't need to have a sandy beach, just some good coastal walks)


• Must be a big town or a city (I don't drive so I want everything nearby and plenty of things to do/opportunities to meet new people)


• Mustn't be somewhere really 'rough' or rundown

I work from home, I don't have children, and I have a large budget, so none of those things are an issue.

Where would you recommend?

What puts me off Scotland are the long winter nights and the long summer days,

Portishead, big advantages are close to Bristol, and because half the town is fairly new, there's lots of incomers, something that's an issue in smaller places, many middle aged moved to the sea situations including us! Most my neighbours too, but some families too. Expensive for Somerset but affordable if selling in the se.

Poole. I prefer it to Bournemouth. Love Poole Harbour, and the walks round it, across to Brownsea Island, Studland, Arne.

It has good transport links and facilities.

We live on Portland. Don't recommend that. Poor access - only one road on and off the island and, if there's an accident or incident, it gets closed. Only one big supermarket, and other smaller Co-ops. The upside is beautiful views, coastal walks, cafés in the summer season. Weymouth is nice - Chickerell is close to the coast road and easy route out to Bridport, Lyme Regis etc.

Hoylake in Merseyside.
A reasonable sized town - 20 mins on the tube and your in Liverpool city centre.
Beautiful area.

Agree with Poole.

A friend of mine lived near there. Short walk to the beach from her house. It was one of those big houses, a few remaining that have not been changed into blocks of glass and chrome:(

Anyway she had to sell the place for death duties and we were all hoping our lottery numbers came up so we could save it but sadly no.

Or there is always Southend (cough cough!),

I would not recommend Hasting unless it has changed more than 100% since I lived there. Seedy, run down, full of 'transients'.

Exeter. Short train ride to Exmouth, lovely little seaside town. Went there a few weeks ago. The whole seafront has been renovated Small seaside towns can sometimes be run down but Exmouth was really well kept.

Lancaster is not a seaside city, though it's near Morecambe.

Portsmouth - Gunwharf area. (Old Portsmouth)

Very up and coming, lots of shops and bars and plenty of coastal walks. Train directly from the harbour so easy to travel.

Plenty of museums and often free stuff going on too. Lots of events on the common throughout the year.

Another vote for Edinburgh. Plenty buses and easy transport links. Despite being a city many areas still retain their own character and village feel. Merchiston, Morningside, Bruntsfield, Craiglockhart, Marchmont, Blackford and Newington yes I’m a south sider. There is also Stockbridge and Murrayfield which are central north and Blackhall and Portobello on the north. I’m sure someone else would be able to recommend more areas on the north side.

I would definitely recommend as someone else said renting for a year first wherever you decide to move and getting a feel for different areas of the city before buying a property.

I know people have mentioned Exeter and Exmouth; Teignmouth is also a nice town, only a few minutes down the line from Exeter and you can walk straight out onto the coast. You can also get the train to Dawlish and Topsham, and ferry to Exmouth from Starcross. And then in the other direction, if you change at Newton Abbot, you can get to Torquay/Paignton/Brixham. I imagine there are some bus links onto Dartmoor as well, although I don't know how good the bus service is. If I were going to move back to Devon, Teignmouth would be near the top of my list of choices. It is hilly away from the coast though!

I should say that if you were asking where I would live I would say New Forest. Two beaches I know. One at Lepe and one at Calshot. You can get to Calshot by bus but I think buses only go to Lepe in Summer (the open top Forest buses). Lymington has been mentioned and you can get there by bus but it is one of those that has only a few a day and you have to remember when the last bus goes back. However, if you get to Southampton, you can get a bus from there.

Hythe in Hampshire is a small market town with a darling little train to take you to the ferry over to Southampton. From Southampton you can get the Red Funnel to the Isle of Wight.

I have friends in Hythe but there are only two buses that run regularly which is why I am not living and working there at the moment!

Why not go on a few trips by train or coach to some of the places we have suggested to get a feel for the places. Don't just go when it is sunny!

St Andrews, Dundee (Broughty Ferry has a lovely each) and Aberdeen
but not Bangor! ....lovely countryside round about but no good if you can't drive and the town centre is dire! I've lived in area for 25 years and never seen it looking so run down

Eastbourne, lovely seafront walk and the South Downs, Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. Brighton not far on the train.

Deathraystare
Southend is more than the 1/4 mile stretch of pubs and arcades.

Another vote for Newcastle, amazing city and stunning coastal places, very near, with really good transport links.

Barmouth?

I also agree with Liverpool/the Wirral - and people are mega-friendly.

Don't discount Kent either, it's a very pretty county, loads of train lines and a few places worth a look such as Folkestone or (not on coast but within easy reach by train and has access to walks on North Downs Way) Canterbury.

Having lived there too ciela the south side doesn’t feel remotely coastal though. It’s lovely and green - but not coastal!

Portobello is nice but very much a promenade and busy

Musselburgh, port seton, prestonpans - all up and coming areas by the sea. Longniddry and aberlady and Gullane - quiet coastal villages. North Berwick and Dunbar - thriving wee towns

I also like Berwick upon tweed and into Northumberland

That’s a hard ask! By their nature large coastal cities tend to be old dock / industrial areas and veering into shithole territory (Eg Liverpool) with a bit of a drive to a nice beach or they are nice, genteel resort towns with a beach but not big cities (eg Exmouth) or in need of regeneration (eg Margate), or big suburban retirement/tourism sprawls eg south coast (Bournemouth).

I would live in Penarth with Cardiff on my doorstep.

If you've lived in the Home Counties all your life, do give thought to whether you are prepared to live somewhere that gets really cold and dark in the winter. I've lived in London all my adult life but as a child lived in Edinburgh for a lovely couple of years, and then in a much less lovely place in Central Scotland. I can tell you that it is a shock to the system to go back to Edinburgh in winter now. I love it, and would live there in a heartbeat if for some reason I had to leave London, but it's bracing! The wind is coming straight off the North Sea from Siberia (that's how it feels to me, anyway). Much colder than the west coast in winter, although the west has higher rainfall to contend with.

Portsmouth, Southend-on-Sea

I agree Southend or Colchester. The Essex coast is very underrated.

You could get an absolute mansion in Belfast/north down and we’ve the most beautiful coastline! Go onto propertypal and a look

Newcastle. You can then also access the stunning beaches of Northumberland from there. I lived in a house near the beach at Sunderland and absolutely loved it but the city isn’t big so Newcastle will definitely fit!