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The worst – and best – seaside towns in the UK for a staycation have been revealed, with a small village in the North East of England winning the top spot.
Bamburgh in Northumberland beat more than 100 other beachfront destinations to win best seaside town for the fourth consecutive year, in a survey voted for by the public.
With its commanding castle and miles of sandy beaches, Bamburgh received full five-star ratings for its beach, seafront, scenery tourist attractions and peace and quiet in the Which? survey.
Which? spoke to more then 4,700 travellers, asking them to rate their experiences of UK coastal towns, judging nine criteria including the quality of the beach and seafront, food and drink, and value for money. This led to a total score presented as an overall percentage of how satisfied customers were with the destination.
Bamburgh’s overall score was 86 per cent, with only the shopping letting it down. It received just one star in the shopping category, perhaps because the town with a population of only 400 residents does not have a variety of outlets, and its only retail outlets are a butcher’s shop and a post office.
The Welsh town of Portmerion came closely behind Bamburgh with an overall score of 83 per cent, despite getting two stars for shopping.
However, the popular Welsh town did receieve a full five-star rating for its beautiful scenery, seafront, tourist attractions, and parking, and four stars for its beaches. Some of the survey respondents called the scenery and the lush sub-tropical forests around the area “idyllic”. Others praised the “beautiful” mediterranean-inspired architecture and colourful buildings of the town.
The top seaside location in Scotland was St Andrews, which scored 82 per cent. Visitors were impressed with its beautiful historic tourist attractions and long beachfront.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “From wild, unspoilt stretches of remote coastline to charming traditional bucket and spade resorts, the UK’s seaside towns offer something for everyone.
“While you may have your own favourite coastal spot, this year’s survey shows that it’s worth looking beyond the most famous resorts this summer, to the lesser-visited hidden gems in every corner of the UK.”
The top 10 seaside towns in the UK according to Which? consumers are:
- Bamburgh, Northumberland
- Portmerion, Gwynedd
- St Andrews, Fife
- Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
- St David’s, Pembrokeshire
- Dartmouth, Devon,
- Rye, East Sussex,
- Southwold, Suffolk
- Llandudno, Conwy
- Swanage, Dorset
