Seaside resorts, Day Trips!

I vote for Brighton too! Lots of interesting quirky shops and bars. If you are into antiques and handmade craft stuff there are some unusual independent shops in The Lanes. Not as good as it used to be but still worth a visit.

Lyme Regis would be my choice. A bit far for a day trip for us, though.

I’ve never been, but I hear that Deal is lovely.

Brighton is quite an edgy place, it's not known as London on Sea for nothing and parts of the town around the lanes are nice as is the Regency Pavilion, my mother lived further along the coast and thought it seedy and was always horrified when I suggested we go there for lunch, but as far as bars and restaurants are concerned the place is awash with them and I think the town is worth a visit, but the beach just no! unless you like stones that is. Swathes of Sussex have stony beaches apart from Camber Sands to the east, very near the historic and picturesque town of Rye lots of nice eateries and coffee shops. West Wittering has good beaches you can walk for miles on, if I was going for a day out that's where I'd go can get there in less than an hour, Chichester is nearby again awash with places to eat. Margate has sand I believe and possibly Hastings, both appear to have their charms, Margate is written about a lot these days as a place to visit and has been regenerated so I imagine you would find lots of places to eat there too.

No idea about Yarmouth but further north in Norfolk there are some super beaches around the North Norfolk Coast, Holkum in particular.........and then if you felt going further afield and west there are the amazing beaches in South Wales Rhossili and Worms Head I think, as lovely as some the spectacular ones in Cornwall and Devon but quieter.

Bournemouth beach has extensive stretches of sand, we go there often, but love the Isle of Purbeck nearby not as commercialised which has a NT area with beach quite unspoilt.

Not a day trip for me, but stayed in Alnwick a few years ago and the beaches up in Northumberland are also outstanding.

Well that's my Neil Oliveresque round up! Hope you and your friends find somewhere nice that suits you all have a good time.

Bu**er!! Done it again - perhaps the Castle’s a bit shy!

Sorry - missed the castle off!

Bamburgh beach - inundated by tourists

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BBbevan

Nobody has mentioned Wales. Gower is beautiful and Mumbles has great shops. But with all beautiful, popular places parking is a problem.
Same applies to Tenby and even Llandudno.

Barfundal bay Pembrokeshire, absolutely beautiful my daughter and my grandchildren went there last May. I live in North Devon and that is beautiful as well but this was spectacular..☺️

Silverlining48, I apologise to the beaches in Kent, but personally I did not like them at all, especially that terrible pongy seaweed build up at West Bay I can't compare, it is completely different here.

Callistemon
A little bit of envy from me. The Gower is one of my very special places.

BBbevan

Nobody has mentioned Wales. Gower is beautiful and Mumbles has great shops. But with all beautiful, popular places parking is a problem.
Same applies to Tenby and even Llandudno.

The Llyn peninsular has fabulous beaches as has the area around Harlech.Parking again can be a problem. Harlech itself lots of tearooms selling Welsh cakes and one of the many castles in the area all worth visiting.

Given the resorts mentioned bu Audil were all in the south east, a trip to Northumberland is a long way.
A stay maybe, not a day trip.
I keep mentioning that too, Silverlining
?

Now I could get to Gower in an hour
(but not Llandudno)
But I doubt anyone from London could

I used to love a visit to Snape Maltings seacliff so many memories on this thread. Also loved the Christmas show at Thursford, it's certainly come a long way from the early days.

Nobody has mentioned Wales. Gower is beautiful and Mumbles has great shops. But with all beautiful, popular places parking is a problem.
Same applies to Tenby and even Llandudno.

Blackpool may be tacky now but the beach was lovely and the fish and chips were to die for!

Hastings has quirky shops but the beach from memory is pebbled.

Riverwalk
It was very busy today. We took a drive to buy some Rossi’s ice cream and then walk along to the pier head.
It was generally busy all along the seafront.

Aldeburgh for fish and chips, individual if bit pricey shops, and then short drive along coast to quite unique Thorpeness, feed the ducks, rowing boat on mere. enjoy an ice, stroll along sandy beach. If there's time, call in at Snape Maltings, good food and home store, stroll along the marshes. If staying over, there's Minsmere, Walberswick and Southwold

Shandy a bit harsh about Kent beaches, they are ok and generally blue flag unless southern water has an outflow. .
Given the resorts mentioned bu Audil were all in the south east, a trip to Northumberland is a long way.
A stay maybe, not a day trip.

I live in London but have a bolthole flat in Brighton. I'm a young at heart 69 year old and love being here.

Brighton and Hove has some wonderful restaurants, the South Downs up the road and some really interesting trendy shops in the Laines.

Most towns along the South coast- Ramsgate, Folkestone, Hastings etc- are hubs of artistic talent with galleries and flea markets worth visiting

If it is nice restaurants and bars you want, then a few years ago I was impressed with Brighton for a day out with DD. The shops are interesting and quirky. The hospitality and service were very welcoming and friendly. We didn't spend long on the beach, just walked along with an ice cream. It depends what you want to pack in to your day.

Broadstairs has a lovely sandy beach and lots of places to eat and drink.

Shandy57

I was house hunting and went to Kent, I wouldn't recommend any of their beaches.

Come to Northumberland, Bamburgh beach is the nicest.

I third this the walk to Dunstunburgh is glorious . Just inland there is Warkworth .Embleton has a good pub and near good walks
Go west of the LakeDistrict there are some lovely lonely ones. Though you do have to know where to go.
Lymme Regis if you are a Mary Anning and fossil fan but it is very busy even out of Season.

Broadstairs is attractive and interesting with a lovely beach close to the high street, lots of Dickens interest, he lived in Bleak House which overlooks the sea. Many different sandy bays.
Whitstable is also nice, it won the best high street in the country award a few years ago. A lot of independent shops and some nice restaurants, they sometimes call it Chelsea on sea because of the second home owners ‘ dann’ from London.
Margate shabby but up and coming. Nice old town, Dreamland and Fab beach and the new Turner contemporary art centre overlooking sea.
Also big fan of Southwold but that’s a bit far for a day trip for me, we go and stay a few days most years,
Have fun.

Watching with interest - love the seaside and I'm a particular fan of seaside piers!

I really should visit Southend and the world's longest pier

Too right Buffy. I’d been spending holidays in the Holt area since the 60s before we retired here and it’s changed so much over the years. Used to be easy getting to Norwich for a day out, not any more (thank goodness for online shopping!). Still a beautiful area though.

As stated earlier, Holt is not what it was, very expensive shops aimed at the second home owners, nowhere to park and full of charity shops and estate agents. Forget Norwich too, it's just a building site with massive amount of roadworks. I've lived in North Norfolk for nearly 50 years and whilst I can't imagine living anywhere else I suggest you try Southwold.