Burnham Market, Norfolk
Affectionately known as Chelsea-on-Sea, Burnham Market (a short drive from Comments Hall, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Norfolk) is close to the expansive beaches of Brancaster and Holkham. Stay in a flint cottage, dine at the Hoste pub, shop for freshly caught crabs at Gurney’s Fish Shop, and browse fashion boutiques including The Hat Shop at Pentney House, an emporium that sells hats for every wealthy social occasion imagine leads.
Bamburgh, Northumberland
Bamburgh Castle is probably England’s finest seaside castle with extraordinary gardens and cabins. Admire it from the dog-friendly beach with sand dunes or from the golf course; Embark on a cruise to the Farne Islands and eat Lindisfarne oysters at Potted Lobster.
Walberswick, Suffolk
The Georgian village of Walberswick is Southwold’s stylish little sister. Crawl in the Blyth Estuary and reserve a table at The Bell Inn, an elegant 600 year old pub.
Deal, Kent
Whitstable? I know already. Deal is another quaint, quirky, and quintessentially Kentish coastal town with a Tudor artillery fortress built by Henry VIII. We know for good reason that the place to be and be seen is the terrace of the Rose Bar, Hotel and Restaurant.
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
This 13th-century walled port town boasts sandy beaches, including Castle Beach, overlooked by the headland ruins of Tenby Castle. The Tenby Museum and Art Gallery is a must see, as is the Fat Seagull for a coffee. Dine in the Plantagenet House fish restaurant and bar in an intimate historic building with a medieval Flemish chimney.
Ocean view, Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight hosts Cowes Week – one of the most prestigious and distinguished sailing regattas in the world (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge participated in 2019 and demonstrated their sailing skills). On the east side of the island is Seaview, a small Edwardian coastal village with a sense of exclusivity and views over the Solent. Nearby Priory Bay is known locally as Caribbean Corner and is as gorgeous as its nickname suggests.
Poole, Dorset
In 2018, Millionaires Row in Poole, Dorset was named the world’s most expensive coastal road. Poole has Europe’s largest natural harbor, a cobbled old town and award-winning blue flag beaches, including the famous Sandbanks Beach. Activities worth a day trip include the ferry to Brownsea Island and a visit to Upton Country Park, a large Georgian mansion.
Lymington, Hampshire
The Georgian market town of Lymington is on the coast in the New Forest National Park. Famous for its sailing heritage, there are two marinas full of fishing boats and yachts and two sailing clubs. The streets are lined with historic cottages, restaurants, and independent boutiques. A local 13th century market is held every Saturday. To the west of the city is Hurst Castle, the military fortress of Henry VIII.
Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire
Just south of the Lake District National Park is Grange-over-Sands, a seaside retreat and Edwardian resort with beautiful parks and gardens at the tip of the Cartmel Peninsula and a salt marsh promenade overlooking Morecambe Bay. Between the mountains and the sea, it is 7 miles from Windermere, in the immediate vicinity of Simon Rogan’s Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume.
Rye, East Sussex
The medieval half-timbered houses of Mermaid Street in the Rye chocolates box – once known as the “jeweled brooch on the south of England’s neck” – are steeped in history. Art, cozy pubs, vintage boutiques and curiosities (like the Lamb House, which once belonged to the writer Henry James and the 14th-century Ypres Tower) are just a stone’s throw from the dunes of Camber Sands. Book the Landgate Bistro for local rye scallops.
13 of the most stylish beach purchases
Everything you need to add to this year’s coastal experience (and look your best on Instagram) …