In the third of our four-part series we reveal the best places to live by the sea in the UK. From tiny Welsh coastal villages and Scottish harbours with spectacular views, to chic Norfolk towns and Dorset bays with secret beaches near by, this is the ultimate property list. Chosen by the experts on Bricks & Mortar, our award-winning supplement, free every Friday with The Times.
• 1 Rhossili, South Gower
Why is it so great?
A three-mile swathe of golden sand deemed so outstanding it has been voted the UK’s best beach by TripAdvisor, and the ninth best in the world. It’s popular with surfers, walkers doing the Gower Coast Path and the town is accessible enough to Swansea to attract workers to a life near the beach.
Who lives here?
Nostalgic holidaymakers seeking a second home, returning expats and downsizers.
House prices
A traditional cottage costs £350,000, or £500,000 with a sea view. A farmhouse will cost £500,000 or £1 million if it has a view.
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• 2 The Witterings, West Sussex
Why is it so great?
A trio of welcoming seaside villages with a Blue Flag beach. West Wittering, East Wittering and Bracklesham Bay are near enough for Londoners to spend half the week there (Tatler dubbed it England’s answer to the Hamptons) and offer easy access to both the South Downs and the cultural hub of Chichester.
Who lives here?
The Bransons, Kate Winslet, young professionals, surfers, sailors and downsizers.
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House prices
A small bungalow in need of a refurb near the beach costs £500,000 to £600,000, but expect to pay £3 million for homes in the sought-after West and East Strands or frontline East Bracklesham Drive.
• 3 Overstrand, Norfolk
Why is it so great?
Once the “village of millionaires” when Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Henry Royce spent their summers in the palatial Lutyens villas, Overstrand is a sleepy pocket of gentility — and a well-kept secret. Life revolves around the Cliff Top Café, the White Horse pub, the Sea Marge hotel or the buzzy little arts centre.
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Who lives here?
North London and Midland-based weekenders seeking more bang for their buck than the trendier north Norfolk hotspots.
House prices
A small cottage or little bungalow comes in at about £250,000, while a five-bedroom villa with sea views and an acre recently sold for £789,000, reports Henrietta Bruce of Jackson-Stops & Staff.
• 4 Hope Cove, Devon
Why is it so great?
An unspoilt coastal village, Hope Cove is characterful and far more peaceful than fashionable Salcombe (just don’t expect boutiques or celebrity chef restaurants). Inner and Outer Hope both offer fantastic sea views — a Salcombe homeowner, who loves to surf, recently downsized here in order to glimpse waves from the window.
Who lives here?
Londoners and Midlanders seeking better value than Salcombe, or those with three-generation family connections.
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House prices
Go for a small fisherman’s cottage for £300,000, or a three-storey townhouse for £360,000. You can get a three-bedroom property with sea views and parking for about £400,000, says Harriet Cundy of Marchand Petit.
• 5 Bonchurch, Isle of Wight
Why is it so great?
With a superb collection of large Victorian villas, quaint and historic Bonchurch — where Charles Dickens wrote part of David Copperfield — offers an idyllic retreat off the beaten track, with pretty Horseshoe Bay and the superb Bonchurch Inn, tucked away for those in the know.
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Who lives here?
Not yachties - it’s miles away from the Cowes set (both physically and mentally). It’s a mix of southeast second-home owners and successful islanders.
House prices
A better postcode than nearby Ventnor. Six-bedroom homes on the sought-after The Pitts or Bonchurch Shute command about £1.5 million.
• 6 Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire
Why is it so great?
Whitby and Scarborough have historically been the most popular local coastal towns but this quintessential fishing village now commands a premium. Its idyllic cobbled centre with chocolate-box cottages is fully pedestrianised and the village pub, the Royal Hotel, forms the social hub.
Who lives here?
North and West Yorkshire families seeking an easily reached weekend home, plus the odd overseas investor
House prices
A two-up, two-down cottage weighs in at £250,000 while a four-bedroom family home will be about £750,000, says Nick Talbot of Jackson-Stops & Staff.
• 7 Allonby, Cumbria
Why is it so great?
A lovely coastal village on the northwest coast of Cumbria that is fast becoming a sought-after destination. On a clear day you can see the mountains of Scotland, the Isle of Man or the fells of the Lake District. Its attractive five-mile-long beach is popular with kite and windsurfers.
Who lives here?
Buyers seeking better value than the Lake District.
House prices
A former sea captain’s home with five bedrooms on three levels recently sold for £350,000 but you can buy small cottages for less than £200,000 The average price is £149,000, according to Rightmove.
• 8 Cosheston, Pembrokeshire
Why is it so great?
An “untapped” area of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, this is a peaceful village on an inlet of the Daugleddau Estuary where one can escape the summer crowds at St Davids or Tenby. The friendly Brewery Inn cooks up a fabulous Sunday roast.
Who lives here?
Retirees from Cardiff, boating types.
House prices
You can get a cottage that needs a refurb but that comes with its own boathouse or mooring for £550,000 to £600,000 — one that is ready renovated will cost £700,000. Or pay £600,000 for a farmhouse with a sea view, says Daniel Rees of Savills.
• 9 Orford, Suffolk
Why is it so great?
The doughnuts of Orford’s Pump Street Bakery were name-checked at this year’s Oscars when local film director Mat Kirkby mentioned them in his winning speech. Until then, Pinney’s smokehouse dominated the growing foodie scene of this charming red-bricked village. The Quay Street Wailers — singing fishermen who inhabit the bar at the Jolly Sailor — and the thriving family sailing club are also top notch.
Who lives here?
The BBC’s Nick Robinson, Anthony Horowitz, artists and Suffolk farming families.
House prices
The classic quaint fisherman’s cottage near the harbour with two bedrooms costs about £300,000 — or a bigger home on the outskirts £450,000 to £500,000 suggests Antony Bromley-Martin of Bedfords.
• 10 Rhosneigr, Anglesey, North Wales
Why is it so great?
The profile of this seaside village enjoyed a lift when the royal couple (William and Kate) were frequently spotted buying groceries here. It continues to appeal to families for its beautiful beach, kite and windsurfing, and popular yacht club.
Who lives here?
Watersports-mad families from Cheshire, the Wirral or the southeast.
House prices
A two-bedroom barn conversion within 50m of the beach costs about £250,000; or for £500,000 you can get a large fixer-upper right on the beach, that will sell for double that when refurbished.
• 11 Camber, East Sussex
Why is it so great?
Life’s all about the beach in Camber, where property prices are going up “dramatically” as demand increases for a limited number of houses right on the sea. The village is laid back rather than sophisticated, but there’s a fantastic atmosphere on sunny days with kids splashing about in the shallows. The Gallivant restaurant serves a delicious fresh-caught dover sole.
Who lives here?
Londoners dominate the second-home market.
House prices
Just 100 metres back from the beach you can buy a bungalow for £300,000, but you’ll need £1 million to £1.5 million to bag one of the three to four-bedroom detached beachfront houses, says Jason Stubbs of Phillips & Stubbs.
• 12 Studland Bay, Dorset
Why is it so great?
Imagine leaving London at 4pm and arriving at rolling countryside and the fabulous beaches of the Isle of Purbeck (not a true island but a beautiful peninsula) in time for dinner at 8pm. That’s why Studland Bay has the edge over Devon and Cornwall, and the trendy Pig on the Beach hotel and restaurant made it a foodie destination too.
Who lives here?
Beach-loving Londoners priced out of Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks.
House prices
Four-bed semis come in a hotchpotch of styles but command about £600,000 to £800,000 (flats are rare). David Price of Goadsby adds that Agglestone Road and Glebe Estate are prime addresses.
• 13 Filey, East Yorkshire
Why is it so great?
An understated yet elegant town of Regency homes with sea views at a fraction of the price of those in Brighton. It has a prom, complete with purveyors of crabsticks and doughnuts. Crucially it connects with York, Leeds and Manchester via the TransPennine Express.
Who lives here?
West Yorkshire second-home owners and southerners with Yorkshire roots.
House prices
One-bedroom Regency apartments cost £150,000 to £300,000, according to Tim Waring, of Knight Frank. Head inland for a five-bedroom former vicarage or farmhouse for about £750,000.
• 14 Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Why is it so great?
This affluent seaside town on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde is great value for money and is one of the few places in Scotland to have a Waitrose. There’s some fabulous architecture from Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the stars of the Arts and Crafts movement, who built handsome villas for wealthy Glaswegian merchants, and it’s only 45 minutes by train to Glasgow.
Who lives here?
Wealthy Glaswegians and some of the finest Scottish footballers.
House prices
You can get a five or six-bedroom sandstone Victorian villa for £500,000 that would have cost £850,000 before the crash in 2007.
• 15 Salthouse, Norfolk
Why is it so great?
Within the North Norfolk Heritage Coast, Salthouse is slightly more off the beaten track than its fashionable neighbours — Blakeney, the Burnhams and the Brancasters — yet not only does it share many of their attributes, it also has the best fresh fish café on the coast, the famous Cookie’s Crab Shop, and a good pub, the Dun Cow.
Who lives here?
Those who can’t afford the “three Bs” (see above) or who prefer to escape the hordes of Londoners. James Blunt hails from nearby Cley.
House prices
Choose between a classic brick and flint two-bedroom cottage for £300,000, a converted barn for between £600,000 and £800,000 or a larger property with land and tennis courts for £1.5 million, says Ben Rivett of Savills.
• 16 Littlehampton, West Sussex
Why is it so great?
Renowned for its beaches, the South Downs, the excellent golf course and the easy access to Gatwick (40 minutes) and London (90 minutes) by train, the town was once a holiday resort to literary greats such as Byron, Shelley and Coleridge. It has recently benefited from an influx of investment and new riverside developments are attracting second-home owners.
Who lives here?
Retirees, down-shifting Londoners and young families.
House prices
You can buy a new riverside flat or townhouse from anywhere between £170,000 and £500,000, while Rustington and East Preston attract those with bigger budgets. Contemporary beachfront homes go for about £1.8 million, says Ben Glyn-Jones of Glyn-Jones & Co.
• 17 Whitstable, Kent
Why is it so great?
The first decent seaside resort you hit on the north Kent coast heading out of London, Whitstable is a year-round town with a real sense of community — albeit an eclectic mix of the kitsch and the trendy, the locals and the so-called Down-from-Londoners (DFLs). Good train links and some superb fish restaurants also help.
Who lives here?
It has become the place for DFLs to get a second home.
House prices
Victorian terraces off the high street cost £350,000 to £400,000, or there are new two-bedroom apartments at WestBay Court for £365,000. Head to nearby Tankerton for £2 million beachfront homes.
• 18 Marazion, Cornwall
Why is it so great?
One in ten of the properties in this market are sold to second-home owners, especially the high-end ones. Why? The gateway to St Michael’s Mount offers fabulous views, two miles of superb sandy beach and a destination restaurant — Ben’s Cornish Kitchen.
Who lives here?
Rambling and surfing types, including a few overseas buyers.
House prices
Still below their 2007 peak at an average of £297,000. For that you can get a renovated three-bedroom Georgian cottage with sea views.
• 19 Sidmouth, Devon
Why is it so great?
There’s a saying that people go to die in Sidmouth but then continue to live for ever. The handsome Regency seaside resort has much to offer including a lovely cricket pitch overlooking the sea, quality restaurants (especially the Salty Monk at nearby Sidford), independent shops and a little sailing club.
Who lives here?
An older demographic with a decent budget.
House prices
Bickwell Valley is the Belgravia of Sidmouth. For a four-bedroom detached home you’ll need £500,000.
• 20 Elie, Fife
Why is it so great?
Rather like “Edinburgh-on-Sea” during summer weekends, this popular town, half an hour from the Scottish capital, is based around a 16th-century harbour and sweeping sandy beach — on which there’s a rather nice cricket pitch. It also offers a couple of superb golf courses and is far more fashionable than the surrounding seaside towns, so property commands a premium price.
Who lives here?
Second-home hunters and buy-to-let investors from Edinburgh.
House prices
You can buy a three-bedroom cottage for between £400,000 and £600,000. Those with direct sea views require £750,000 to £1 million.
• 21 Portrush, Co Antrim
Why is it so great?
This popular little seaside town on a mile-long promontory offers surfing, three sandy beaches, two good golf courses and handy access to the Giant’s Causeway coastline. An hour from Belfast, it’s one of the top four holiday rental spots in Northern Ireland — actor James Nesbitt grew up around Portrush and is always extolling its benefits.
Who lives here?
A few professional golfers, led by the Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke, alongside local Northern Irish families and retirees.
House prices
Expect to pay more than £500,000 for a frontline property, but in next-door Portstewart you can get a semi-detached property for £140,000.
• 22 Fowey, Cornwall
Why is it so great?
This beautiful port at the mouth of the River Fowey is a special place that has attracted the great and the good, from Daphne du Maurier to Madonna and Kate Moss, both of whom have in recent times been rumoured to be buying a house here. It’s also one of the most easily reached places in Cornwall from London for those who love messing about in boats.
Who lives here?
Dawn French and boaties. The good schools help attract permanent residents, too.
House prices
A small townhouse within a short stroll of the sea costs £400,000 to £500,000. A four-bedroom home fronting the water is about the £1.5 million mark.
• 23 Deal, Kent
Why is it so great?
The new high-speed train link to London has halved travelling time to just over an hour and is drawing investors to this pretty Kentish port of Georgian townhouses with its high street of great independent shops and award-winning food suppliers.
Who lives here?
Retirees, nautical types and investors.
House prices
The conservation area is sought-after: two-bedroom houses cost £350,000; an apartment with sea views £180,000.
• 24 Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Why is it so great?
The artistic hub of Suffolk’s Heritage Coast, Aldeburgh continues to draw crowds for its classical music festival and quaint shingle beach dotted with Martello towers. It has an one of the best fish and chip shops in the country, a fantastic art-house cinema, and the controversial Maggi Hambling giant rusty Scallop sculpture on the beach.
Who lives here?
Music lovers, sailing obsessives and YBAs (Young British Artists) — Sarah Lucas lives in the former residence of Benjamin Britten, and Gavin Turk also has a home here.
House prices
A fisherman’s cottage in the Old Town goes for £250,000; but you’ll need £500,000 for a sea view.
• 25 Bamburgh, Northumberland
Why is it so great?
This stunning village on the northern stretch of the Northumberland coast is dominated by an imposing inhabited castle sitting atop a huge rocky plateau. Its beaches are popular with surfers, while the coastal walks are a big draw in this area of outstanding natural beauty, and there are plenty of music, beer and archaeology festivals.
Who lives here?
Southern, Yorkshire and Newcastle city-dwellers seeking laid-back weekends — there’s a big second-home community. Sir John Hall and Kevin Whately also live here.
House prices
A three-bedroom home with castle or sea views commands a premium at about £700,000 but you can buy a two-bedroom terrace for £230,000.
• 26 Bude, Cornwall
Why is it so great?
This popular spot on the north Cornish coast is famed for surfing, its lovely sandy beaches, pastel-painted beach huts and clifftop walks. You won’t find a McDonald’s or a Jamie Oliver, but locals say that is exactly why they like it. However, its Beach at Bude boutique hotel has just gone into the Mr & Mrs Smith portfolio so the tide is turning.
Who lives here?
Second-home owners seeking better value than Rock or Padstow.
House prices
Last year most property sales in Bude involved detached properties that sold for an average of £296,636.
• 27 Sandgate, Kent
Why is it so great?
This pretty seaside town next door to Folkestone is one to watch. The new high-speed train link from Folkestone West (a ten-minute walk from Sandgate centre) takes commuters up to London in less than an hour and while the town itself has a lovely little parade of shops and cafés, its three good schools are the real draw for families.
Who lives here?
Downsizers from the capital and retirees.
House prices
A coastguard cottage costs about £350,000 and a slick new-build with sea views £400,000 to £500,000, says Dee Ryall of Jackson-Stops & Staff.
• 28 Isle of Bute, Argyll and Bute
Why is it so great?
This small island in the Firth of Clyde is making a comeback. Once a popular holiday destination with the monied industrialists from Glasgow, it fell out of fashion when the package holiday was invented but it’s now exceptional value for money. You can reach it by a 45-minute ferry from Wemyss Bay, which is 45 minutes from Glasgow.
Who lives here?
A very broad range of Scots, and keen sailors.
House prices
A pretty six-bedroom Victorian villa right on the water costs about £595,000.
• 29 North Berwick, East Lothian
Why is it so great?
Perennially popular seaside town on the south shore of the Firth of Forth that’s a 45-minute commute from Edinburgh. The beach is the big draw, along with the handsome Victorian properties, and the fantastic golf.
Who lives here?
Edinburgh lawyers, retirees from across Scotland, and golfers.
House prices
There is a high demand for two-bedroom apartments that go for £300,000 to £400,000, or a small fisherman’s cottage with sea views is between £400,000 and £500,000, says Savills.
• 30 Dartmouth, Devon
Why is it so great?
A magical little seaside town on the estuary of the River Dart in south Devon, famed for its naval college where the Queen first laid eyes on her future husband. The town’s year-round festivals draw arty and foodie types to its winding Elizabethan streets, which are packed with boutiques, good bistros and art galleries. Crabbing from the cobbled quayside at Bayards Cove, backed by elegant townhouses, is one of life’s simplest pleasures.
Who lives here?
Sailors, retirees, and downshifting professionals.
House prices:
You’ll pay £795,000 for one of those grade II listed townhouses on the quayside at Bayards Cove or £595,000 for a four-bedder in the heart of the town.
