Residents in Bamburgh, sitting on the picturesque Northumberland coast, say many are being forced out of the area by newcomers.
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Grade I-listed Bamburgh Castle is along the attractions of the Northumberland village
Bamburgh has just been named Britain’s best seaside town by consumer group Which?, claiming the title for the second year running.
The resort’s scenery was given a five-star ranking in the poll of 3,000 people.
Yet Bamburgh’s future appeal could be in danger of fading, according to the Telegraph.
Alistair Brett, who has lived in Bamburgh with his family since 1985, said: “The village hasn’t changed much in size, but there are far fewer locals than when we bought.”
Between 20 and 50 per cent of properties there are now holiday homes or rentals, he estimated.
Yet he also suggested: “It’s a pretty village, a lovely spot with lots of nice people – it would be crass to complain.”
The village can be walked in just ten minutes, with three pubs, a seafood restaurant, a museum, and various shops and tearooms.
Its landmarks also include 11th-century Bamburgh Castle, standing on a cliff 150ft above the North Sea.
The Grade I-listed building was previously home to a succession of kings from Henry VI to James I and the first castle in the world to fall to gunpowder in the War of the Roses.
It has appeared on screen in movies such as 1964’s Beckett, starring Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton, and a 1971 film adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Macbeth directed by Roman Polanski.
The castle also features in author Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories novels which have been adapted for Netflix series The Last Kingdom.
And in August it will host outdoor cinema screenings of the films Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia, The Greatest Showman and Grease, it was announced this week.
The current church in Bamburgh dates back to the 12th century though the first there was founded in 635 by Irish monk and missionary St Aidan.
Bamburgh scored 88 per cent approval in the recent Which? vote, ahead of 85 per cent for runner-up Dartmouth in Devon.
Other seaside resorts where long-standing residents fear being pushed out by new arrivals especially second home-owner and Airbnb renters include Newquay, Falmouth and Padstow in Cornwall and Newport in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Similar concerns have also been raised in Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire and The Witterings in West Sussex.
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