If enjoying a tipple in a sunny beer garden is top of the list for your seaside trip, there’s one English beach resort that wouldn’t have been your cup of tea before this century.
I visited Frinton-on-Sea, a quaint little town on the Essex Sunshine Coast where boozers were banned until 2000.
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I did a pub crawl round the UK resort town Frinton-on-SeaCredit: Catherine LofthouseThe seaside town has beach huts and is one of the warmest beaches in the countryCredit: Alamy
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Nowadays you can prop up the bar at the town’s first pub, the Lock and Barrel, or enjoy a drink in the sun outside.
There are a couple of small courtyard areas with picnic tables out back, plus tables in front of the pub’s huge double-fronted picture windows overlooking the high street.
It’s all a far cry from the Frinton of years gone by, when industrialist Richard Powell Cooper developed the golf course and land around it in the 1890s, stipulating that no drinking holes would be welcome.
So heading back 30 years after the sea change, I was interested to see if lifting the ban on takeaways and pubs has made much difference to the sleepy seaside chic I remember from my youth.
Now pubs are permitted, Frinton’s main claim to fame is being named by Which? as the warmest and driest coastal town in its most recent survey of best UK seaside spots, as well as scoring five stars from visitors for peace and quiet.
It got just one star for tourist attractions, as it’s not got a pier, arcades or any of the other seaside staples you might expect.
It’s the polar opposite of the party vibe of its coastal cousin Clacton, just five miles down the seafront.
With a family-friendly sandy beach overlooked by the wide lawns and heritage sea shelters of the greensward, there’s something a little bit special about this secluded seaside spot, and the introduction of a pub hasn’t done anything to change that.
It’s still got a village vibe, with only one road in and out over the railway line.
Its high street Connaught Avenue remains packed full of independent shops – a glimpse out of the pub window revealed a toy shop, butcher, bookshop and fishmonger.
Although, Frinton hasn’t avoided the inevitable Turkish barber, charity shop and nail salon that seem to have sprung up in every town centre.
Even a chain like Poundstretcher has toned down its brightly coloured exterior and signage to fit in with the conservation area.
No pubs were allowed in the town until the year 2000 – Lock and Barrel was the first to openCredit: Alamy
Here are more of our favourite UK seaside towns…
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Sidmouth, Devon Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.
Whitby, North Yorkshire With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.
Old Hunstanton, Norfolk This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.
Seahouses, Northumberland This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.
The Essex Skipper on the outskirts of the town has beach hut seatingCredit: Catherine Lofthouse
We popped in for a pint at the Lock and Barrel, paying £30 for a round of two beers, a glass of wine and three soft drinks.
I liked the pub name’s nod to the previous ironmonger incarnation of the building, with Blowers and Cooper storefront lettering preserved on the ceiling above the bar to remember the shop based here for 75 years.
And the lovely green tiled pillar at the entrance preserves part of the pub’s predecessor for posterity.
It all seems very much in keeping with the genteel feel that attracted the likes of Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales here in the first half of the 20th century.
And while Frinton is never going to be prime pub crawl territory, strolling a mile inland while window shopping along Connaught Avenue brings you to the Essex Skipper on an estate towards the outskirts of the town.
We loved the beach hut seating areas in the beer garden and the big word cloud backdrop that commemorates many of the special places, food and experiences that make this stretch of the Essex coast unique.
This pub has a fresh, modern feel, quite a contrast to the olde world charm of its high street counterpart.
With August average highs of 21C, sea temperatures of around 18C and rainfall just 45mm, Frinton combines the best of British summertime with a town that’s stayed true to its traditions.
And it’s easily accessible, with trains from London Liverpool Street taking just 90 minutes.
If you do like to be beside the seaside and all you need for your bucket-and-spade break is a beach and a bit of sunshine, Frinton could become a firm family favourite for you.
THE Hamptons in the US is an exclusive spot for the rich and famous known for its beautiful and pristine beaches.
But for those who want a taste of it, there’s no need to travel thousands of miles, as one beach in the south of England looks exactly like it.
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This beach in the UK at West Wittering has been compared to the HamptonsCredit: GettyIt looks strikingly similar to this beach in the Hamptons called SouthamptonCredit: Getty
The publication said the “beautiful sandy beach in West Sussex could rival Cape Cod,The Hamptonsor pretty much any New England coastal spot in the US.”
West Wittering sits where Chichester Harbour meets the English Channel and has around 1.8 miles of white-sand shoreline that means it’s often called the “jewel in the crown” of the Sussex coast.
Just like spots in the Hamptons such as Cape Cod and Southampton Beach, the English beach is backed by natural grassland and lined with colourful beach huts.
But mostly, it’s a quiet beach with ample space for building sandcastles and rock pools to explore at low tide.
Sitting along the upper sandy beach, set within the dunes, are pastel-coloured beach huts.
It’s also perfect for wildlife spotting or setting off on one of the idyllic walks nearby.
West Wittering also has a Blue Flag, meaning it has high standards in qualities like water quality and safety.
It’s also a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
If you head down to East Head, take your binoculars to spot wildlife and birds amongst the dunes.
For more on the British coast – here are some of our favourite seaside towns…
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Sidmouth, Devon Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.
Whitby, North Yorkshire With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.
Old Hunstanton, Norfolk This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.
Seahouses, Northumberland This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.
Sun reader Clare Johnson, 52, from Brighton, said: “The best beach has got to be West Wittering.
“It’s a beautiful, huge sandy beach that is great for kids. But in summer it gets busy, so you need to pre-book parking (from £3.10 in low season, from £8.65 in peak season).”
This week would be an ideal time to visit as temperatures are set to rise to 16C.
Aside from its beach, West Wittering is a village home to around 3,000 residents and is filled with cottages and traditional pubs.
Those who want to explore can do so over a few days if they pitch up at Nunnington Farm campsite.
The cost for two people, one vehicle and unit on an electric pitch with free Wi-Fi starts from £20.50pp.
Nearby, visitors can also explore further by heading to the nearby city of Chichester.
Or if you fancy some arcade fun, head over to Hayling Island where there are amusement arcades atFunland Hayling Island.
IF you’re looking for some of the most beautiful beachfront holiday homes, head to Camber Sands.
Two that sit right on the famous beach have been named as being some of the most ‘idyllic’ in the country from cosy cottages to A-shaped beach houses.
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Camber Sands is one of the warmest beaches in the UKCredit: AlamyIt has two of the best beach holiday homes too – like ‘Coastguards Beach House’Credit: Unknown
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Camber Sands sits on the south-east corner of England and its location makes it one of the warmest beaches in the country.
The spot also heats up quickly thanks to its sand dunes that absorb heat from the sun – and the spot is sheltered by the dunes too.
In spring, it can have highs of 19C, which is roughly 1C warmer than other popular UK spots like Dungeness and Studland Bay.
Camber Sands has an average of 195.19 hours of sunshine logged per month too.
The beach is often called the Hamptons of the UK, and it’s a favourite of Caroline McGuire’s (Head of Sun Digital).
She said: “Sussex lays claim to Camber Sands, but according to Wikipedia a small fraction of this seven-mile-long beach reaches over the Kent border.
“Which helpfully means we can use it as part of this round-up, as it is easily the best beach in the area.
“Backed by large sand dunes, Camber is so large that you can always find a spot – even on the hottest of summer days – if you are willing to walk.
“After an afternoon lazing in the sun, drive 10 minutes down the road to the medieval town ofRyefor a pub dinner.“
There are some beautiful places to stay in Camber Sands – and two made it onto Country Living’s list of ’14 idyllic Airbnb beach houses in the UK’.
The first house is called ‘Coastguards Beach House‘ which is right at the edge of the beach perched high up on the shoreline.
Guests can rent out the entirety of the 1875 cottage which has a cosy log burner inside the comfortable lounge.
In the kitchen is a long table for hearty breakfasts and family dinners.
The cottage can sleep up to five guests and it has direct beach access with steps down to the sands.
Lots of guests described it as ‘cosy’, ‘remote’ and ‘peaceful’ thanks to its location away from the main beach hustle and bustle.
You can book a five-night stay in May for five guests from £771 – or £30.84pppn.
‘Barefoot’ is another beautiful beach house right on the dunesCredit: Unknown
For more spots by the beach, check out these seaside towns…
Sidmouth, Devon Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.
Whitby, North Yorkshire With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.
Old Hunstanton, Norfolk This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.
Seahouses, Northumberland This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.
It was 6.30am, the cockcrow slot at Jubilee Park lido, and still not quite light. I hadn’t wanted to come this early – it was the only time I’d been able to book. But as I slid into the pool – heated to a delicious 29C – I realised it was a gift. Vapours rose dreamily into cool air laced with owl hoots and the whiff of dewy blooms, and I swam into a sunrise that became more vivid with every stroke. A man in the next lane paused to admire the reddening dawn too; he was hungover, he said, but had come to do his morning lengths nonetheless. A cure of sorts.
Bath, Harrogate, Buxton – Woodhall? This Lincolnshire village isn’t one of Britain’s headline spa towns. Most probably don’t know where it is – 18 miles (29km east of Lincoln, for the record. But at the turn of the 20th century, Woodhall Spa was among the most fashionable places to be seen, to be healed.
The Petwood Hotel, once the mess for wartime RAF officers. Photograph: Tim Scrivener/Alamy
Those wellness-seekers didn’t come, as I had, for the 90-year-old lido (open April to November). They came for the springs. In 1821, a hopeful entrepreneur sank a mine shaft here, prospecting for coal. He discovered water instead, which was found to be high in iodine and bromine, thought to be beneficial for everything from rheumatoid arthritis to gout. The first proper bath house was built in 1838; trains arrived in 1855. Woodhall Spa was on the map.
The village’s Edwardian heyday is long gone. The railway has closed, the baths are no longer in use – the original building is now a beauty salon. But Woodhall Spa still has a deeply restorative feel. With its broad, leafy avenues, red-brick and half-timber villas, protective shroud of trees, numerous cafes and delis, and promise of simple, bygone pleasures, it’s like a safety blanket; a place to escape the world’s horrors for a few days.
Tina Delaney, a director at Woodhall’s Cottage Museum, agrees. She came here on holiday from Bedford six years ago and ended up staying: “My husband describes it as moving 100 miles north, 80 years back in time.”
The little museum occupies a rare 19th-century prefab of yellow corrugated iron and documents Woodhall’s history, from its early fortunes to its part in the second world war. The 1st Airlanding Brigade trained here for Operation Market Garden, the ill-fated plan to seize bridges in the occupied Netherlands; of the 2,500 men who left, fewer than 500 returned. Many became prisoners of war. Also, Squadron 617 – the Dambusters – were briefly stationed at RAF Woodhall Spa; the officers’ mess was in the grandiose mock-Tudor Petwood Hotel. I wandered there after the museum and sat on the terrace, looking out across the elegant gardens with a half of Petwood Bomber ale.
The Kinema in the Woods, all rich reds and deep-plush seats, is housed in a converted 19th-century sports pavillion. Photograph: Sarah Baxter
While officers hung out at the hotel, lower ranks frequented the Kinema in the Woods. This late-19th-century sports pavilion was converted into a cinema in 1922 and nicknamed the “flicks in the sticks” by airmen, who were shown top-secret reconnaissance films here. It is now a cinephile’s delight. The lobby is all rich reds and movie memorabilia, with separate counters for popcorn and ices. In screen one, deep-plush seats face a stage through which a Compton organ sometimes rises, played by the resident organist – but sadly not for my showing. There was an intermission, though, during which I devoured local-made Dennetts’ apple pie ice-cream.
When I emerged the owls were hooting again and I headed back to Bainland, an 18-hectare (45-acre) holiday park of reclaimed-timber lodges on the edge of the village, large but nicely done. My lodge was smart and cosy, set on a teeny lake. The next morning I breakfasted outside, listening to acorns smack the decking, watching mallards skim through perfectly reflected trees.
I was in no rush. My plan was to borrow one of Bainland’s bikes and make the most of Lincolnshire’s flatness. First, I headed north-east. The railway, so key to Woodhall’s former prosperity, may be defunct but its old trackbed forms part of the off-road Spa Trail, an easy ride (around three miles) to Horncastle, via ancient woods and excellent sculptures: there are steel Viking ships and oversized plants, nodding to Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist on Captain Cook’s first Endeavour expedition, who grew up near Horncastle. Banks also brought the canal to Horncastle, transforming it from backwater to busy market town. The canal, which I followed briefly, is quiet and unnavigable now; these days, the town’s main trade is antique and secondhand stores. I browsed around, wishing I had a bicycle basket to load with dog-eared books and comedy toby jugs.
I also cycled the Water Rail Way, a mostly traffic-free route following the former Lincoln to Boston Railway, by the River Witham. In the middle ages, Lincolnshire had one of England’s greatest densities of monastic houses – abbey-averse Henry VIII called it “the most brute and beastly shire” – and the greatest concentration was in the Witham valley. I started at one, Kirkstead Abbey, where the merest sliver remains, and rode northward for six miles to another, in Bardney, where there was even less. But it was a joyful pedal, along the river, fenlands spreading either side, dotted with more sculptures, swans and defunct stations that now serve only walkers and cyclists.
Woodhall town centre is full of cafes and attractive streets. Photograph: Eye35/Alamy
Finally, I followed the same route a few miles south to Tattershall, home to the enormous, light-flooded Collegiate Church of Holy Trinity and one of England’s first brick-built castles. My timing was good, arriving just as National Trust guide Nigel was starting a tour of the castle’s moated 33.5 metre-high Great Tower. It was constructed in the 15th century by Ralph, third Baron Cromwell, treasurer of England, who wanted a show-off home befitting his self-importance. Nigel described it as “ eight million bricks and a fashion statement” – exposed brick was avant garde at the time.
We climbed up the storeys, from the vaulted basement buttery (used as a prison during the civil war) to the turreted roof. A superlative lookout – and power move – for Cromwell, it’s still the highest point around; Lincoln Cathedral’s gargantuan towers, visible when it’s clear, are 18 miles away. I looked north towards Woodhall Spa, too flat to be perceptible amid the fuzz of green, hidden despite being so close. Indeed, the ideal spot to hide away.
The trip was provided byBainland Lodge Retreats, which has lodges from £649 for four nights (sleeping two) and bike hire from £15pp. For more information see visitlincolnshire.com
The new land will add playful puppy-themed fun to Chessington and comes with new rides, places for kids to play, as well as meet and greets with the much-loved hero doggy characters
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The colourful new land will include four new rides(Image: Merlin)
Chessington World of Adventures has finally revealed the opening date of its long-anticipated PAW Patrol land, and parents will be pleased to hear that the gates will be open to meet the pups before May half-term.
From May 3, kids and their parents will be able to enjoy a brand-new and very colourful PAW Patrol-themed area at Chessington in a new £15 million immersive experience.
The date also coincides with the early May bank holiday, so parents may wish to book Chessington tickets now to avoid missing out on this paw-some experience. At the heart of the new land are four kid-friendly rides, each one inspired by a different pup from the brave crew.
The land’s four new rides are: Chase’s Mountain Mission, Marshall’s Firetruck Rescue, Skye’s Helicopter Heroes, and Zuma’s Hovercraft Adventure, which also claims to be the UK’s first ‘Drifter’ ride. The 1.4 acre land will also have three themed play areas, perfect for little pups to burn off energy, and include Rubble & Rocky’s Play Zone where they can climb and crawl through a maze of construction parts.
At The Flounder Boat Play, kids can enjoy a high-seas adventure with Captain Turbot, and there will also be themed food and drink offerings throughout the area. And of course, there will be a gift shop with plenty of PAW Patrol themed merch to take home as a souvenir. Regular meet and greets will also take place, so kids can get a photo with their favourite hero.
And if simply spending the day at Adventure Bay wasn’t enough, fans of the pups can also book a PAW Patrol themed room at the resort’s hotels. These colourful and fun rooms are fully-themed including bunk beds shaped like the pups’ rescue vehicles and colourful murals. Guests also enjoy early access to the park from 9am, allowing parents with young kids to get on the rides with minimal queues.
The park is the UK’s first and only land themed around PAW Patrol, a series that has become massively popular among pre-schoolers. The series airs on Channel 5 and Nickelodeon, as well as streaming on Paramount+.
Chessington isn’t the only park getting a new themed land this year. Over at Paultons Park guests will be able to enjoy the new Valgard — Realm of the Vikings land from May 16. This will include a new rollercoaster and swing ride.
Crealy Theme Park is also adding two new rides to its offerings for summer 2026, although dates are still to be confirmed. This includes Pirates’ Plummet, which claims it’ll be the tallest ride in the south west, and Rotor, an inverting flat ride which will spin passengers around and upside-down for a “heart pounding adventure”.
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