Britain’s best seaside destinations ranked by Which?

A tiny village on the Northumberland coast has topped a ranking of Britain's best seaside resorts for the second year in a row.

Bamburgh came first out of 87 destinations in a survey of more than 4,300 people by consumer group Which?.

Bamburgh, which has a population of about 400, has a historic and imposing castle with a cricket pitch below, miles of beaches with clean sand and rock pools and the wildlife of the nearby Farne Islands.

Budget-friendly Llandudno, north Wales, claimed second place. The town's biggest draw is the Great Orme, a limestone headland which rises to more than 200 metres.

Hotels in Llandudno cost an average of just £95 per night which proves that “for popular locations, there's no need to break the bank”, Which? reported.

Third-placed St Andrews, Fife, is home to Scotland's oldest university, a world-famous golf course and a network of medieval streets.

Joint fourth place was taken by Dartmouth in Devon and Tenby in Pembrokeshire.

“The British seaside hasn't boomed like this since the 1960s,” said Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel.

“Holidaymakers had such a fantastic time in their caravans, tents and beach lodges over the past two years that a coastal break on home shores is on the cards for many, even with restrictions on overseas travel lifted.

“Prices for a UK stay have increased but there's no need to pay over the odds. For a holiday on a budget, it's best to aim for an off-season trip.

“Head to one of the many well-priced resorts with your bucket and spade, an empty stomach for the candyfloss and a pile of 2p coins and go make your fortune on the slots.”

Bamburgh received the maximum of five stars for its beaches, seafront, peace and quiet, scenery and value for money — with an overall score of 87 per cent.

Which? said respondents to this year's survey praised Bamburgh's beauty, describing the clifftop castle as “spectacular”.

UK seaside locations have enjoyed a surge in popularity during the pandemic, with many people opting for domestic holidays rather than overseas trips.

Wales has three of the top six seaside resorts in the ranking and 51 destinations across Britain scored at least 70 per cent in the survey.

The bottom five resorts included Skegness, Lincolnshire; Bognor Regis, West Sussex; Southend, Essex; Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; and Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.

Skegness earned no more than two stars for any category other than its beaches.

Here are the top 30 seaside resorts

1. Bamburgh, Northumberland

2. Llandudno, Conwy

3. St Andrews, Fife

4=. Dartmouth, Devon

4=. Tenby, Pembrokeshire

6: St Davids, Pembrokeshire

7: Aldeburgh, Suffolk

8: Filey, North Yorkshire

9: Conwy, Conwy

10: Lyme Regis, Dorset

11: Lynmouth, Devon

12: Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

13: Robin Hood’s Bay, Lancashire

14: Southwald, Suffolk

15: St Mawes, Cornwall

16: Lymington, Hampshire

17: Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

18: Beaumaris, Anglesey

19: North Berwick, East Lothian

20: Sidmouth, Devon

21: Rye, East Sussex

22: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

23: Blakeney, Norfolk

24: Bude, Cornwall

25: Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire

26: Deal, Kent

27: Fowey, Cornwall

28: Looe, Cornwall

29: Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

30: Sheringham, Norfolk