Bamburgh in Northumberland is named as Britain’s top seaside destination in Which? survey

A tiny village in the north of England has been crowned Britain’s best coastal destination in a new Which? survey, with some of the nation’s most famous resorts languishing at the bottom of the ranking.

Thousands of holidaymakers rated 100 seaside destinations, from their most recent visits, in a range of categories – quality of the beach, seafront, food, accommodation, scenery, attractions, peace and quiet, and value for money.

Bamburgh in Northumberland, which has just 400 residents, triumphed over better-known and pricier destinations, earning a full five stars for scenery, peace and quiet and value for money. Its ‘wild unspoilt beach’ also got top marks, helping it land an overall customer score of 89 per cent.

Narrowly missing out on the top spot is Portmeirion (an 88 per cent customer score).

Enviably positioned on the fringes of Snowdonia and boasting Italian Riviera-inspired architecture made famous by the 1960s TV series The Prisoner, it gets five stars for scenery, attractions and accommodation.

In fact, Wales has four entries in the top 20 of the Which? survey. 

Tenby (81 per cent), Llandudno (78 per cent) and St Davids (78 per cent) also get five stars for scenery and rate highly when it comes to being good value for money. 

Which? said that price ‘proved to be an important factor’ for the 3,000 or so holidaymakers who took part in its survey.

The highly-rated Welsh resorts have hotels costing an average of less than £100 a night – giving them a clear edge for those seeking a bargain staycation. 

Moving down the map, St Mawes (83 per cent) pips supposedly swankier rivals, including St Ives and Padstow, to be named king of the Cornish coast, with a bargain average room rate of £105. 

The fishing village, which is home to ‘good seafood and restaurants’, also lands four stars for the quality of food on offer.

Picturesque Salcombe (75 per cent), in South Devon, has the most expensive hotels, with rooms averaging £210. 

This did not deter those surveyed, as its famous sandy beaches bagged a full five stars, as did the beachfront and scenery.

But the same outlay on a hotel would get you a three-night stay in highly-rated Tynemouth (75 per cent), on the northeast coast, where hotels average £64 a night.

Those travelling to Scotland this summer might like to note that North Berwick (83 per cent) and St Andrews (82 per cent) both feature in the top 10 places of the Which? survey. 

While both are at the pricier end of the scale when it comes to hotels, self-catering was suggested as a more affordable option by some of those surveyed.

Languishing at the bottom of the table are Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Clacton-on-Sea in Essex – both only earn a 47 per cent customer score.

Despite regeneration in the area and attractions including a pier, annual air show and award-winning seafront gardens, Clacton received some particularly critical reviews. 

And at £116 for an average hotel room, it was also rated as poor value for money with one star out of five.

Although Bognor Regis was once lauded for being the sunniest spot in Britain (the Met Office calculated in 2011 that West Sussex gets 1,902 hours of sunshine every year) and has been named as the Sussex Riviera, the town only got a 47 per cent rating with one-star ratings for its beach, seafront, attractions, scenery, value for money and peace and quiet.

While some said the town, which had an average hotel room price of £96, was ‘tacky’, others were more positive, praising the seafront promenade as ‘quintessentially English’.

Londoners looking for a hotel getaway should head to Rye (77 per cent), Lymington (75 per cent) or Whitstable (75 per cent).  

All three destinations scored highly for accommodation despite being among the more expensive destinations for a night’s stay. 

Those looking for a cost-effective option should head to Deal (73 per cent) – no pun intended. 

This Kentish town, which is less than an hour and a half from London St Pancras, nets a full five stars for value for money with an average room rate of £67.

Commenting on the survey results, Which? travel editor Rory Boland said: ‘These ratings won’t make happy reading for some of those destinations many of us remember from childhood breaks of times gone by, which may have failed to keep pace with trendier destinations or those offering a better overall experience for our hard-earned cash.

‘But whether you fancy blowing out the cobwebs in Bamburgh, pottering around in Portmeirion or taking your bucket and spade to St Mawes, it’s clear that the Great British seaside has something for everyone.’ 

Commenting on Clacton’s ranking, Alex Porter, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism at Tendring District Council (TDC) said the survey was disappointing as Clacton had so much to offer.

‘There are so many great things about Clacton I cannot list them all,’ Cllr Porter said.

‘Whether it’s the Clacton Airshow or other events, our award-winning sandy beaches, great weather or attractions such as the Pier and Pavilion, there are numerous reasons to visit.

‘It would be interesting to know how many people actually had their say on Clacton. An average price of £116 may be right for a top hotel during the Airshow – but doesn’t apply to a budget room in October half-term, when Clacton still has plenty to offer.

‘TDC works closely with partners to make Clacton the best it can be. It is not perfect, there is still plenty to be done, but we are working together on lots of things – such as our recent bid to the Better High Streets Fund – to keep improving Clacton.

‘If you’ve not been to Clacton recently – why not come and judge it for yourself?’

Billy Ball, Managing Director of Clacton Pier, said that Clacton attracts millions of people every year – and they can’t all be wrong.

‘It is about horses for courses and providing for an ever-expanding variety of visitor tastes and choices,’ he added.

‘England is fantastic at offering an amazing range of places to visit. Clacton has its loyal followers who come back year after year.’

The survey took place in February 2019 with almost 3,000 Which? members providing feedback on their visits to British seaside towns in the past year. 

In total, 6,286 experiences were recorded.