Overlooked English seaside village where you have ‘your own private beach’ set for £120million regeneration
A SMALL seaside getaway in the UK has been described as being “over hated” along with claims it has the best of all the nearby beaches.
There are plenty of overcrowded holiday destinations in the UK, each claiming to be the best the country has to offer.
But Jaywick Sands in Essex has long stretches of sandy shoreline, that some even say are quiet enough to feel like you have a private bay all to yourself.
In recent years, it has received a bit of negative press, with some labelling it as both “deprived” and “England‘s poorest village”.
But despite that, it certainly has plenty of fans, with some holidaymakers choosing to head there each year, to make the most of its serene stretches of beach.
What’s more, plans are in place to regenerate the town to the tune of £120m, with new affordable homes, better flood defences and enhanced public spaces among the changes being proposed.
It was originally custom-built as a holiday destination for Londoners during the 1930s.
Chalets were installed as a place for the capital’s residents to head to for a sunny seaside getaways outside of the city.
However, it now has a year-round population of people, as well as many visitors in caravans, enjoying the golden beaches of Jaywick Sands.
Visit Essex said: “It’s a great place to be on a sunny summer day when people stroll along the miles of sea walls, sit on the dunes or swim by the seaweed covered, boulder breakwaters.”
There’s historical monuments found in the village too, in the shape of its Martello towers.
The small round forts were constructed during the 19th century to defend against attacks from across the English Channel.
Today, the tower acts as a community hub and tourist attraction for visitors.
It hosts regular arts and heritage exhibitions, as well special talks and events.
What’s more, it has amazing views out to sea, making it well worth a visit for anyone in the village.
Elsewhere, families in the area can take their youngsters to Hasty’s Adventure Farm, where there are a number of attractions to enjoy.
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%
They include pedal go karts, grass sledges, ride on tractors for toddlers, den building, giant Lego bricks, hobbit huts and, for older children, a huge undercover wooden adventure zone.
Kids can also get up close and personal with the various animals who call Hasty’s their home, including lambs, goats, pigs, chicks, runner ducks, alpacas and cows.
For people who like the area, a lot of them can’t understand why people are so negative about it.
Its beach has plenty of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, with some people even going so far as to call it a “hidden gem”.
One wrote: “Jaywick is so over hated, it’s a decent place to live, its got the best beach in Essex.”
Another said: “The beach and sea here are a real hidden gem! There is golden sands and calm bays. Miles to walk and some sand dunes as well.”
A third added: “Was like having our own private beach! It was clean and often deserted and the sea was actually quite warm. We went swimming every day.”
A night for two in Jaywick can be booked from around £55, while camping nearby starts around £10 for a pitch.
Meanwhile, this seaside town has been named the best in the UK four years in a row.
And this seaside town has the biggest ice creams in the UK.