August 20, 2026

Bamburgh once again claims top spot in Which? ranking of UK seaside towns

Which? magazine has once again published its list of the UK’s top seaside town – oft-referred to, affectionately, as the Snob’s list – and Bamburgh claimed the number one spot for the sixth year running due largely to its high score for “peace and quiet.”

The windswept Northumberland location is big has long been a popular choice for Which? readers, who appear to favour empty beaches over traditional amusements, with the small towns of Tynemouth and St Andrews taking second and third place.

“The brooding good looks of Bamburgh Castle and its vast sweep of sandy beach propel it to the top of our table once again,” said Which? “It’s a perpetual favourite with readers, consistently scoring the full five stars for its scenery and beach.The pretty village of a few hundred people has become more popular with tourists in recent years, but it hasn’t been swamped in holiday lets, and there’s still plenty of space on the beach – especially out of season.”

Bognor Regis in West Sussex was ranked last in the list of 135 resorts, with just one star in every category, while many family favourites such as Blackpool also ranked poorly.

“You’re likely to strongly disagree with the results of our best UK seaside towns survey,” said Which? editor Rory Boland. “I know I do.”

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