Are there any decent, liveable seaside towns in UK which aren’t silly expensive or horribly rundown?

[Moidershewrote]

Basically that - DH and I would really like to relocate with our 2 primary aged kids to live by the sea (near a sandy beach) in either England or Wales - ideally we’d like a half decent primary / secondary schools, friendly community feel with clubs / kids activities etc and not run down/full of pound shops etc and access to train station within approx 5 miles and local buses would be great. We’d love to live somewhere that is walking distance of a beach.

It feels like we’ve looked into so many places and for one reason or another we end up discounting it - usually because either schools seem crap or no train station or no community feel.

Places we’ve immediately rejected are:

• Kent (grammar schools / Kent test)


• Brighton (too expensive / pebble beach)


• Portsmouth/S’ton/Plymouth (too big / towny feel)


• Essex/Somerset coastline (not the right vibe for us)


• E/W Sussex (not sandy😆)

Would love to hear any personal recommendations from people who have moved to another coastal town with kids / or live in one and think it’s brilliant (and why)🙏 We do love Devon, Dorset, Anglia.. Would consider Wales, or NW/NE England.

In South Wales:
Llantwit Major - good schools, train station, shops are very village like iykwim.
Ogmore-by-Sea/Southerndown
Porthcawl - can be a bit touristy so may want to look at surrounding area

Bournemouth? My friend has a lovely life there - i am very jealous!

Just to add, I love about 20mins drive away from all of those suggestions and would happily move there (if I didn't love the house I'm in )

Lytham St Anne's.
I live nearby and it's lovely.

How can you rule out the whole of Kent?

Anyway, Teignmouth is nice.

Hampshire. No grammar schools and great state schools. Lots of places by the sea that aren't Portsmouth or Southampton - Gosport, Fareham, Hayling Island, New Forest etc.

Do you have a budget? Or need to be anywhere for work?

North East what about Tynemouth Sandy beach and on the metro line in to Newcastle good local schools too or Alnmouth on the main train line. Both are expensive compared to other places in the N.E but probably cheaper than others nationally

Mumbles?
Swansea city centre is dire but the council have attracted a lot of investment so I think it will get better - the new arena is now open and the next stage of development is about to start on the sea front. Cardiff is an easy train ride away if you want better shops.
The schools are good, there’s definitely a community feel and the beaches are stunning.

I should add that Mumbles itself isn’t run down and has some nice independent shops and restaurants

Essex has very different vibes wherever you go. Leigh-on-Sea is beautiful and has everything you're looking for.

Skeggy

Do you think? I find it to be a depressing shitpit. My mother lived there for years, she used to call it Stoke-on-Sea

Was going to say the same.

Gosport - stokes bay
hillhead /stubbington/ Lee on Solent

Warsash

Netley/ Hamble

New Milton

So many places that aren't the 2 main cities!

North east you have stunning beaches and loads of options. Whitley Bay, Tynemouth or the south Shields part

I've been twice this past year for ds to swim at the pool.

Agree it's beautiful and I even said I'd move there in a shot!

Second Tynemouth or Whitley Bay. Alnmouth is more rural. Great transport links to main line trains or airport and to Newcastle city centre.

Not Lytham St Anne's. Too near to Blackpool. Total dump. Have to pay for private school (I actually went to private school near there). Main problem is the wind. I was there the other day walking along the front and it was bitter.

Sheringham in Norfolk is lovely but miles from anything and not sure about schools.

I agree with you OP but all the convenient coastal places are expensive for a reason.

Totnes in Devon is gorgeous.

Tynemouth, Whitley bay, Northumberland.

Lyme Regis

Norfolk surely, the coast is glorious.

Brixham

Why a sandy beach? Your DC won’t be building sandcastles for too long and you are ruling a lot of places out with that criteria.

The Northumberland Riviera-if you don't mind bracing walks rather than sunbathing for most of the year.

There are several threads running at the moment recommending Gorleston in Norfolk, it's midway between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

It is a large residential town, not touristy, not run down like GY and L but has a large sandy beach and you'll get a lot for your money. Gorleston has good public transport, Great Yarmouth train to Norwich and then connections from there to the rest of the country. No motorways so travel through Norfolk can be slow if needing to go across country. There is a large hospital several secondary schools and lots of Primary schools.

Schools may not initially look as good as in other areas but bright children or those with invested parents do well, there are higher than average levels of Send in the area which has a knock on effect on results.

Other towns to look at include Fritton, Bradwell, Belton, Beccles, Burgh Castle, Gunton, Carlton Colville, Oulton broad all a short drive or bike ride to the beach and have river / broads walks.