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.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124033601#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media13&ref=photoCollage

South east Scotland near the border is lovely. Brilliant beaches, close to border, all the benefits living in Scotland has, and great schools with no SATs etc. Dunbar is a bustling sea side town with train links. Also you’ll get more house for your money up here!

Portobello properties extortionate to buy!

Swansea!! We have beautiful beaches. Lovely schools and lots of lovely area with community feel

How about Hoylake?

Come to the north east, we have some of the best beaches in the world 😍

How about Ilfracombe in Devon.

Cornwall or Devon. Both lovely places

Tenby is lovely and beautiful sandy beaches.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124187390

Loads similar depending on your taste!

Whitley Bay/Cullercoats/Tynemouth are lovely!

Well, that’s damning with faint praise…..

Do you like people being rude to you, when you don't move over for them.
Having not at lot of food on the shelves.
Bad parking and having to pay for the public toilets, for 6 weeks over the school holidays.
This is what it is like living near a seaside, I didn't live in Mablethorpe, wouldn't recommend it. But it was a nightmare in the school holidays, basically locals, did venture into the centre, during the 6 weeks. You struggle, to get the food you need, the shelves are nearly always empty.
People just wander over the road, no looking or care in the world and as a car driver, bus driver or motorcycle rider, you have to avoid them, it's very stressful.
On holiday, it seems a nice pace of live, but it's not in the 6 weeks.
I would say, maybe look at villages, near the coast, but not on it, think about a 10 minute drive to the coast. This is maybe a better option. As you will probably still get tourists, but not on your door step or drive way, might be a better option. I lived in one, it was nice, to go to the beach, out of season. In school holidays, stay away.
I cannot recommend where I was, as the bus service was twice a day, a couple of times a week, so not good for work or school. The school was OK, but shut recently.

Approx 20 minutes drive from some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Catchment for excellent primary and comprehensives.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121154177#/?channel=RES_BUY

West Kirby on the Wirral peninsula in the NW. Does have 11+ and grammar schools though.

We live in Plymouth..good schools, 20 mins to a half decent local beach..good for afternoons after school etc , 40 mins to absolutely stunning beaches, easy access to Cornwall..great place to live

The north east has beautiful beaches and lovely costal towns.

Hey @mel71..... waves to another bird called Mel in Thanet!
I am also one of those families in live in the new social housing.... and all my children went to the grammar (although two ended up in our exceptional local special Ed schools)
I hate the snobbery and sneering.

I also don't get the love for south wales/ swansea area! I find it very run down, pembrookshire on the otherhand is absolutely stunning.

Poole Dorset

Bridlington
lots of new houses just being built.
Glorious ,huge expanse of sandy beach on South side, North side is pebbles and sand. I love it here. From Hertfordshire originally.
Near to Yorkshire moors, A short trip to Dales, Hull, York, Leeds,Sheffield not far for city experiences. Best of all worlds.

Interesting about South Wales, I do like Cardiff for shopping and it has some nice suburbs , I like the gower beaches, some of the best in the UK but as someone else said to me lots of it is run down and a bit depressing and the M4 in Wales is awful . It is quite cheap though- but I personally wouldn't pick it over Dorset , south Devon or even the north east around Whitley Bay if they work budget wise

I know Bournemouth has been mentioned already, but that would be my first choice. It's a fantastic lively town with a beautiful beach and is surrounded by gorgeous countryside. I am aware it has a homelessness issue, but I'd love to be optimistic about the population being helped so that improves.

@josephjohnson Only if OP can get round the thing that it has 2 grammar schools- and she's wanting to avoid anywhere that has--that's why I've suggested Christchurch- just up the coast - close enough to Bournemouth to go lots- but no grammar and a sandy beach

The areas of Roker, Seaburn and Cleadon are nice In Sunderland (which is in Tyne and Wear). Seaham beach is lovely - don't know about the schools though

Barrow in Furness - absolutely not !! Ulverston is a far nicer place to live

Ah I didn't know that. But is it like Kent where everyone applies to grammar and goes to a secondary modern if they don't get in, or like other areas where there are still a few grammars to apply to if you want to, but it's basically a comprehensive system?