Four seaside towns that have had major revamps in recent years
MANY of us have fond memories of our UK seaside summer holidays growing up.
Fish and chips, building sandcastles, braving the British waters – this is all a part of growing up holidaying in the UK.
But as time went by, many seaside resorts lost their sparkle, leaving behind abandoned fairgrounds or forgotten piers, especially following the boom in cheap package holidays abroad.
Thankfully, many major seaside resorts in the UK have had some serious revamps – with new restaurants, hotels, cafes and shops breathing fresh life into these beloved beach towns.
Now, some of these familiar towns are becoming family holiday hotspots, and are fast-becoming some of the UK’s must-visit destinations.
Here are some of the seaside towns that were once left to ruin – only to have become the coolest places to visit in recent years.
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Folkestone, Kent
Folkestone was was once dubbed a “dump” in a viral TikTok video, and was left rundown after years of neglect, despite being a popular holiday resort back in the Victorian times.
Not only was there once a direct train from London to the harbour itself, but it had a thriving funicular, lido and even rollercoaster.
Yet over the years, these were all left to fall into disrepair before closing or being knocked down.
However, the seaside town is becoming a new coastal hotspot.
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The town was named the Best Place to Live in South East England last year in The Sunday Times, and even charted as Time Out’s best UK place to visit in 2025.
Folkestone has undergone major transformation in recent years.
Once a tired ferry port, Folkestone has been refreshed with the addition of trendy seafront bars, high-end restaurants, and a thriving Creative Quarter.
The once-derelict Harbour Arm celebrates it’s 10th anniversary this year, now lined with nearly 70 food and retail stalls, bars and live music spots.
Linking the Harbour Arm to the Lower Leas Coastal Park is the Boardwalk – a path over the calm shingle beach made from old railway sleepers.
Or wander up the hilly, cobbled streets from the harbour into the town centre, and you’ll find the vibrant Creative Quarter – packed with galleries, studios, and independent shops.
Here you’ll find the Folkestone Quarterhouse, showing a range of theatre shows, comedy and music events and festivals.
In fact the town is home to many artistic festivals – celebrating everything from poetry to documentaries.
The seaside town even attracts hoards of Kate Bush fans for the viral Wuthering Heights day.
And the transformation isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
The historic Leas Lift, a Grade II listed funicular railway taking passengers between the seafront and promenade, is set to reopen in 2026.
Cromer, Norfolk
Cromer in North Norfolk was seen as a dated seaside town for a long time.
With trendy seaside towns like Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham drawing in crowds to North Norfolk each summer, to many Cromer appeared bland and dreary in comparison.
However, Cromer has recently reinvented itself with a wave of new cafes, shops and quirky art spaces.
And with Norfolk being named a must-visit destination by Condé Nast in 2025, the limelight is shining back on the Victorian seaside town.
“Come for the party but stay for one of the UK’s very best summer getaways […] as you stroll Cromer’s charmingly retro pier” states the travel magazine.
Cromer Artspace is home to contemporary art and exhibitions, whilst the artisan Grey Seal Coffee shop offers a trendy new spot to grab a flat white.
And recently, new dessert spot Norfolk Crumble has seen queues long out the door for its unique crumble flavours and popular thick shakes.
Down at the Blue Flag beach, you’ll find a maritime museum, pretty painted beach huts, and Norfolk’s best waves for surfing.
There’s also a year-round weekly market on Fridays, and the Amazona Zoo where you can meet jaguars, parrots and anacondas.
Hastings, Sussex
For many, Hastings has not been a top pick when choosing a seaside town to visit in the South-East of England.
In fact, a Which? survey of more than 3,500 people saw the resort rank in last place under the “best small UK cities for a short break“.
However, the Victorian seaside town has been undergoing a glamorous a glow-up.
Hastings was one of 101 UK towns to be given a share of investments from the government in their £3.6bn Towns Fund – a plan to “level up our regions”.
The program has seen the addition of public art, extra green spaces, and even a boost in affordable housing for locals.
Thanks to these investments, Hastings is not only becoming a desirable place to live – but a trendy seaside spot to visit.
Historic Hastings Castle is home to Norman ruins and breath-taking clifftop views, whilst the iconic Hastings pier (opened in 1872) is a Victorian classic revamped.
The pier, which suffered a dramatic fire in 2010, has been rebuilt with cafes, children’s rides, and even live music in the summertime.
It’s also home to the Pavilion Restaurant and Bar, a 2x AA Rosette-winning restaurant inside of the original pier’s only remaining building.
There’s also plenty to see and do in Hastings with the kids, including the traditional Flamingo Amusements, and Hastings Aquarium – home to pufferfish, pythons and axolotls.
There’s also the exciting Smugglers Adventure – a journey through caves and caverns to discover the secrets of real smugglers.
Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Southend-on-Sea has long had a divisive reputation, and was even once dubbed the “worst place on earth” by a resident on TripAdvisor.
In fact, Which? Travel ranked the Essex town number 10 in their list of the Top 10 Worst Seaside Towns in the UK earlier this year.
Many have thought the town to be an unsafe place to visit, but a £16 million cash injection has revived the once-faded seaside resort.
Now, Southend is swapping tacky for trendy, with a line-up of brand new restaurants, hotels and revitalised shores.
The well-known Essex Mimosa restaurant has opened up a stylish location on Southend’s seafront, and the brand-new boutique Seven Hotel has added a splash of luxury to the resort.
Plus an £8m refurbishment of the popular Cliffs Pavilion arts venue is underway, which will see a major restaurant expansion, a modern new entrance and brand new outdoor piazza.
Another major change the town has seen is the introduction of a “green oasis” on the seafront.
Work is underway to create luscious gardens which will both prevent flooding and add a pretty landscape of canopies and greenery.
Alongside these new additions, classic attractions such as Adventure Island continue to bring in hoards of thrill-seeking tourists.
Many continue to return to Southend year after year for the ever-popular pier and railway, chasing a wave of childhood nostalgia from bucket and spade summer holidays.
Now in the coming years, the seaside town is set to offer the perfect mix of classic coastal charm and modern design.