Scarborough

England has a stunning coastline. But unfortunately some previous popular holiday resorts are not so good these days, at least not for a relaxing holiday.

Read how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.

Just a few decades ago, people would flock to resorts like Scarborough (above, England’s first holiday resort), Great Yarmouth (Norfolk) or Clacton-on-Sea (Essex) for a fun bucket-and-spade holiday. In Victorian times, people would flock to Skegness (Lincolnshire) from Leicestershire, as it’s the nearest beach.

But today, many of these towns have more litter than tourists, more amusement arcades than  quirky bed-and-breakfasts. And traditional piers (used to extend boat jetties, and enjoyed for a an evening stroll) are home to candy floss bars and noisy amusement arcades.

Skegness was even voted one of the ‘worst places to visit’. Such a wasted opportunity, it just needs more visionary councils. It has a stunning coastline, what are these councils doing?

Yet a recent beach survey put this town (and Clacton-on-Sea in Essex – where Nigel Farage has just been elected as MP) as the least-friendly seaside holiday destinations (Northumberland’s Bamburgh came top). The answer is obvious – less fast food outlets, noise & litter – and more peace and quiet so nature is king, not theme parks!

Councils often get defensive, promoting their towns. But reviewers online are not so charitable. Saying ‘yes let’s blame the tourists, not the government for spending £400 million on an airport (this was in Wales).

One Kent town has a review on TripAdvisor:

Horrid graffiti. Run down beach chalets, with rusty metal doors. Squalid concrete buildings. Brown sea water (raw sewage).

Perhaps councils should look at these issues, rather than slamming tourists for not enjoying expensive breaks by the seaside?

The Merseyside town of Southport is presently undergoing a project to restore the old houses on the seafront, to bring them back into use, and restore this lovely seaside resort. The aim is to refurbish the historic hotels and small cottages that were turned into shops, and repair the external fabric to bring vacant shops and upper floors back into use. What a nice idea!

England’s Love Affair with the Seaside

the seaside

The Seaside: England’s Love Affair sees writer Madeleine Bunting journey clockwise around the country from Scarborough to Blackpool, to visit a coastline made of cliffs, coves, pebbled shore, wide sandy beaches, salt marshes and estuaries.

On these coastal edges were where England’s great holiday resorts  grew, developed in the early 18th century for medicinal bathing, and soon morphing into places of pleasure and adventure. Taking in 40 resorts, thankfully most no longer have donkey rides, but there are still golden sands and cold seas. From hotels to caravans and holiday camps, she swims near the beaches and talks to residents, to delve into landscapes and histories.

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