Shock as quaint seaside town with award-winning beach and one of country’s best seafront cafes is named England’s worst
PEOPLE have responded in shock after their seaside town was named one of the worst in the UK – and the worst in England.
An annual ranking of the country’s beach holiday spots, carried out by consumer experts Which?, suggested that Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire was one of the worst that the UK had to offer.
It was second in that respect only to Bangor, in Gwynedd, Wales, meaning that Mablethorpe took the crown as England‘s worst beach destination.
The Lincolnshire town was ranked 125/126 following a survey of thousands of holidaymakers, who were asked about their experiences of UK beach trips over the last 12 months.
Those people were asked to provide their opinions on a range of criteria, including the quality of the beaches, the food and drink options, tourist attractions and value for money, among others.
From that criteria each destination was given a percentage score, with top place Bamburgh in Northumberland getting an overall rating of 86 per cent.
At the other end of the table, Mablethorpe picked up a miserly satisfaction rating of 46 per cent, with some saying it “felt run down in places”.
However, it wasn’t all bad for the east coast spot, which still drew praise from respondents for its “lovely, enormous, clean beach”, with others praising “the traditional atmosphere”.
One repeat visitor said: “It has great character and such a relaxed feeling to it … you just enter into the spirit of the place and it really takes your mind off everyday worries.”
Claire Arnold, Mablethorpe’s mayor agreed with those sentiments and has argued that the survey was not a “true reflection of what our town has to offer”.
She raved about the town’s facilities in an interview with the BBC.
She said: “We have a beautiful promenade where people can walk from the coastal town of Mablethorpe right over to Sutton and back again, we’ve got a free public paddling pool and we’ve got blue flag beaches.
“It couldn’t have come at a worse time because the kids literally just broke up.
“We’ve got the amusement arcades, and bowling, a cinema; there’s plenty of family entertainment to be had”.
The beach is arguably the jewel in Mablethorpe’s crown, with Visit Lincolnshire describing it as having “far-reaching soft golden sand, donkey rides and a nearby fairground”.
It picked up a Blue Flag award for how well it is maintained, while its promenade offers seafront cafes, fish and chips, crazy golf and arcades among other attractions.
Full table of the best UK seaside towns
The full table created by Which? of the UK’s best seaside towns and their overall customer scores.
- Bamburgh, Northumberland – 86%
- Portmeirion, Gwynedd, Wales – 83%
- St Andrews, Fife, Scotland – 82%
- Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear – 81%
- St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales – 80%
- Dartmouth, Devon – 79%
- Rye, East Sussex – 79%
- Southwold, Suffolk – 79%
- Llandudno, Conwy, Wales – 78%
- Swanage, Dorset – 78%
- Aldeburgh, Suffolk – 77%
- Crail, Fife, Scotland – 77%
- Lyme Regis, Dorset – 77%
- Whitby, North Yorkshire – 77%
- Blakeney, Norfolk – 76%
- Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales – 76%
- Portstewart, Co. Londonderry/Derry, NI – 76%
- Sidmouth, Devon – 76%
- Bally Castle, County Antrim, NI – 75%
- Frinton-on-Sea, Essex – 75%
- Nairn, Highlands, Scotland – 75%
- Sheringham, Norfolk – 75%
- St Mawes, Cornwall – 75%
- Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales – 74%
- Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales – 74%
- Bude, Cornwall – 74%
- Conwy, Conwy, Wales – 74%
- Deal, Kent – 74%
- Lytham St Annes, Lancashire – 74%
- North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland – 74%
- Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire – 74%
- Amble, Northumberland – 73%
- Beer, Devon – 73%
- Cromer, Norfolk – 73%
- Dungeness, Kent – 73%
- Falmouth, Cornwall – 73%
- Lymington, Hampshire – 73%
- Lynmouth, Devon – 73%
- Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales – 73%
- Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear – 73%
- Fowey, Cornwall – 72%
- Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland – 72%
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire – 72%
- Weymouth, Dorset – 72%
- Aberdovey, Gwynedd, Wales – 71%
- Broadstairs, Kent – 71%
- Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland – 71%
- Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland – 71%
- Seahouses, Northumberland – 71%
- Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland – 71%
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland – 71%
- Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk – 71%
- Exmouth, Devon – 70%
- Filey, North Yorkshire – 70%
- Mevagissey, Cornwall – 70%
- Looe, Cornwall – 69%
- Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales – 69%
- Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, Wales – 69%
- Ullapool, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland – 69%
- Ventnor, Isle of Wight – 69%
- Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – 68%
- Budleigh Salterton, Devon – 68%
- Clevedon, Somerset – 68%
- Whitstable, Kent – 68%
- Easbourne, East Sussex – 67%
- Grand-over-Sands, Cumbria – 67%
- Shanklin, Isle of Wight – 67%
- Southsea, Hampshire – 67%
- St ives, Cornwall – 67%
- Teignmouth, Devon – 67%
- Barmouth, Gwynedd, Wales – 66%
- Brixham, Devon – 66%
- Portrush, County Antrim, NI – 66%
- West Bay, Devon – 66%
- Dunbar, East Lothian – 65%
- Felixstowe, Suffolk – 65%
- Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland – 65%
- Appledore, Devon – 64%
- Bournemouth, Dorset – 64%
- Padstow, Cornwall – 64%
- Plymouth, Devon – 64%
- Salcombe, Devon – 64%
- Abersoch, Gwynedd, Wales – 63%
- Brighton, East Sussex – 63%
- Hunstanton, Norfolk – 63%
- Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales – 63%
- Torquay, Devon – 63%
- Poole, Dorset – 62%
- Scarborough, North Yorkshire – 62%
- Worthing, West Sussex – 62%
- Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales – 61%
- Folkestone, Kent – 61%
- Porthcawl, Bridgend, Wales – 61%
- Swansea, Swansea, Wales – 61%
- Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire – 60%
- Minehead, Somerset – 60%
- Penzance, Cornwall – 60%
- Barry Island, Glamorgan, Wales – 59%
- Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire – 59%
- Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Wales – 58%
- Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset – 58%
- Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland – 57%
- Dawlish, Devon – 57%
- Morecambe, Lancashire – 57%
- New Brighton, Merseyside – 57%
- Newquay, Cornwall – 57%
- Seaton, Devon – 57%
- Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales – 56%
- Herne Bay, Kent – 56%
- Ramsgate, Kent – 56%
- Ilfracombe, Devon – 55%
- Littlehampton, West Sussex – 55%
- Southport, Merseyside – 55%
- Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire – 54%
- Lowestoft, Suffolk – 54%
- Margate, Kent – 53%
- Southend-on-Sea, Essex – 53%
- Fleetwood, Lancashire – 51%
- Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – 51%
- Blackpool, Lancashire – 49%
- Clacton-on-Sea, Essex – 48%
- Skegness, Lincolnshire – 48%
- Bognor Regis, West Sussex – 47%
- Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset – 47%
- Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire – 46%
- Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales – 42%
Included in that is the North Sea Observatory cafe, which can be found on the beach.
UK seaside town expert Madeleine Bunting said it was one of her favourite places to visit, particularly during the winter, because of the unique experience it offers.
Madeleine is an award-winning author and travel writer who has spent the last two years visiting 40 seaside towns in England.
She told Sun Travel: “There’s a wonderful cafe in Mablethorpe. It’s on the coast, just north of Skegness, and it’s right on the beach. It’s called the North Sea Observatory.
“You can sit in there and listen to the waves crashing. Because it has these glass windows, it really feels like the waves will roll right over the cafe.
“I can’t think of another cafe that gives you a better experience of the beach in the winter.”
Visitors to the town also have access to the Lincolnshire Aqua Park, a giant inflatable obstacle course found at Grange Leisure Park in the town.
It has eight different inflatable obstacles, including a four-metre-high pyramid structure known as Jungle Joe.
There’s also water slides and other features for visitors keen on cooling off in a fun way at the outdoor waterpark.
Evenings in Mablethorpe can be spent at the Dunes Leisure fairground, which is described as a “traditional, family friendly, funfair”.
The fair is pay as you go on the rides, meaning it doesn’t cost to enter.
Fans on TripAdvisor say it has “rides for different ages” and describe it as a “must visit” for anyone heading to the town.
A night for two in Mablethorpe can be booked from around £39.
Meanwhile, this is a list of The Sun travel team’s favourite UK seaside towns.
And this underrated beach town has been voted one of the best places to live in the UK.