They were once the go-to destination where hard working Brits and their families would enjoy donkey rides, the helter skelter and ice creams.
But the three once glorious seaside towns of Clacton, Skegness and Southend have now been ranked among the worst beach holiday destinations in Britain, according to a recent survey.
A Which? Survey of 3000 holidaymakers found the Essex and Lincolnshire towns were ranked among the worst of 118 destinations – with ‘boozed up’ day drinkers blamed as one of the main reasons.
However, despite the towns’ low scores holidaymakers still found ‘plenty’ to recommend like Clacton’s ‘lovely’ seafront gardens and Skegness’s ‘old-fashioned charm’.
Editor of Which? Travel Rory Boland has called for more investment to help the resorts ‘level up’ and said the rankings were a ‘shame’ as the towns offer ‘exactly’ the type of seaside holiday Britons want.
A Which? Survey of 3000 holidaymakers found the Essex and Lincolnshire towns were ranked among the worst of 118 destinations – with ‘boozed up’ day drinkers blamed as one of the main reasons. Pictured: Southend, Essex
Editor of Which? Travel Rory Boland has called for more investment to help the resorts ‘level up’ and said the rankings were a ‘shame’ as the towns offer ‘exactly’ the type of seaside holiday Britons want. Pictured, Southend, Essex, in June 1960
Pictured: A group of eight middle aged women go for a paddle with their hats on in the cold sea at Southend, Essex, in July 1957
Mr Boland said: ‘Where was my last UK seaside break? Southend on Sea. This small city on the Essex coast finished an unhappy fourth from bottom in our survey.
‘Now I’m not going to try and convince you it deserves to be up the other end of the table. Is it as nice as Bamburgh, or Dartmouth? No. But for that holiday where you want to have some fun and not spend a lot of money, it’s fantastic.
‘Not for the first time we also had to cross the road away from boozed up and shouty day drinkers. This is a perpetual problem in some seaside resort towns.
‘Clacton, Skegness and Southend all received one star from visitors for the lack of peace and quiet and some visitors complain that the boisterous atmosphere can tip into feeling unsafe.
‘That’s a shame, because what Clacton, Skegness and Southend offer is exactly the sort of seaside break many of us want. Big beaches, big entertainment and small prices. More should be done to help them level up and become first class holiday resorts.’
Skegness, Lincolnshire, was voted as the worst seaside town in Britain and was also given a score of 48 per cent but fell behind on the sea front and pier rating
Pictured: Children at the start of a wheel-barrow race in the twentieth century at Butlin’s Holiday Camp, Skegness, Lincolnshire
Pictured: A group of eight women in swimsuits while a crowd looks on at Butlin’s Holiday Camp, Skegness, Lincolnshire, which is now ranked the worst seaside destination in Britain
Pictured: Two women do the leapfrog at Butlin’s Holiday Camp, Skegness, Lincolnshire, in the twentieth century
The survey asked holidaymakers to rate coastal resorts they have visited across a range of categories including quality of beaches, seafront, tourist attractions, food and drink, scenery, peace and quiet, and value for money.
Southend on Sea, Essex, was ranked 110th out of 118 seaside destinations – with an overall ‘customer score’ of 56 per cent.
Meanwhile, Clacton on Sea, Essex, was ranked joint 118th out of 118 seaside destinations and was given a customer score of 48 per cent.
Skegness, Lincolnshire, was voted as the worst seaside town in Britian and was also given a score of 48 per cent but fell behind on the sea front and pier rating.
Clacton on Sea, Essex, was ranked joint bottom in the survey of 118 seaside destinations and was given a customer score of 48 per cent. Pictured: East Jaywick, near Clacton, which was recently named as the most deprived neighbourhood in England
Pictured: Holidaymakers on a crowded West Beach with wooden boats at Clacton, Essex, in 1936
Pictured: A fleet of women cycling down Clacton-on-Sea’s promenade in novelty tandem bikes in the 1950s or 60s
Bamburgh Northumberland, with a population of a little over 400, tops the charts for the third year in a row with an overall destination score of 88 per cent, followed by second-place Dartmouth in Devon, and Portstewart in Northern Ireland ‘making an impressive survey debut’ in third.
Which? says that table-topping Bamburgh is ‘renowned for its stunning sandy shoreline’ that’s ‘backed by the imposing ruins of its ancient castle’.
Visitors awarded it a full five stars for scenery – ‘unsurprisingly given its unique setting’ – as well as for the quality of its beach and seafront.
The UK’s best – and worst – seaside destinations for 2023 have been ranked in Which?’s annual survey, and it’s Bamburgh (above) in Northumberland that is No.1 once more
Which? asked thousands of holidaymakers to rate coastal resorts they have visited across a range of categories including quality of beaches, seafront, tourist attractions, food and drink, scenery, peace and quiet, and value for money. Table courtesy of Which?
Which? adds: ‘It also secured five stars for peace and quiet, meaning day trippers never have to jostle for a spot. One beachgoer commented that there is “super-soft sand that stretches as far as the eye can see, and there is plenty of space, so the beach never feels crowded”.’
Dartmouth secures its silver-medal position on the podium with a score of 85 per cent.
It snared a perfect five-star rating for scenery and accommodation, and was awarded four stars for shopping, its seafront, food and drink options and tourist attractions. It also earned a respectable three stars for value for money, and peace and quiet.
Which? says: ‘Proving that hustle and bustle can be more than welcome, however, one respondent praised Dartmouth’s “atmosphere and vibrance”, which they noted is “not found in many coastal towns”.’
Portstewart in Derry/Londonderry is honoured with bronze thanks to an overall score of 84 per cent.
Which? reveals that its attractions include ‘an attractive harbour and promenade’ and a ‘wealth of tourist attractions including a championship golf course’.
Visitors, the consumer group says, praised the ‘fantastic beach’ as well as the selection of cafes ‘selling home-style baking’.
Tying in fourth place with a score of 83 per cent are Portmeirion in Gwynedd; St Andrews in Fife; and Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear.
Dartmouth secures its silver-medal position on the podium with a score of 85 per cent
Portstewart in Derry/Londonderry is honoured with bronze thanks to an overall score of 84 per cent. Which? reveals that its attractions include ‘an attractive harbour and promenade’ and a ‘wealth of tourist attractions including a championship golf course’
‘Quirky’ and ‘magical’ were words used by visitors to describe Portmeirion, a town constructed over 50 years between 1925 and 1975 that harbours a colourful array of Italianate buildings.
St Andrews, meanwhile, drew praise for its ‘expansive’ beach and ‘characterful’ buildings, Which? says, as well as its renowned golf course, ‘a highlight that contributed to its five-star score for tourist attractions’.
Visitors enthused over the ‘beautiful’ beaches in Tynemouth, the consumer group reveals, and the ‘wide range of sites to explore, from the priory, to the lighthouse’.
‘Quirky’ and ‘magical’ were words used by visitors to describe Portmeirion (above), which ranks fourth
St Andrews, fifth, drew praise for its ‘expansive’ beach and ‘characterful’ buildings
Tynemouth ranks sixth in the survey. Visitors enthused over the ‘beautiful’ beaches
Pictured above is Southwold in Suffolk, which ranks seventh in the survey
Editor of Which? Travel Rory Boland said: ‘Few countries can be home to such a diversity of brilliant seaside breaks as the UK.
‘Whether you want world-class beaches and utter wilderness or the bright lights and bucket-and-spade atmosphere of a resort, the UK has a seaside break made for you.’
The results were generated from a survey of 3,007 Which? members conducted in January 2023.