Under-the-radar seaside village that’s one of the coolest places in the UK

THE coolest places in the country to live have been revealed and one is a beautiful Cornish village.

With a pretty harbour, riverside views and Michelin-approved pubs – it’s officially one of the best destinations for 2026.

The Times has revealed its ’11 coolest postcodes’ and Flushing in Cornwall has claimed one of the top spots.

Flushing, which is just across the water from Falmouth sits by the side of the Penryn River and is the perfect spot for ‘water babies‘ according to the publication.

The Times said: “On the banks of the Penryn River, it has a quieter beach, with everything here encouraging you to slip straight into life by the water, including a thriving sailing club.”

It’s not just riverside, but is also has a popular and secluded shingle beach which has views across to Falmouth.

The beach is a popular place for watersports and paddling during the summer months.

During low tide, the shingle beach has rockpools for exploring.

On Tripadvisor, one visitor described the beach as ‘charming’, with another calling it their ‘favourite beach near Falmouth’.

Afterwards, swimmers and paddleboarders can warm up in the community sauna.

Perched near Flushing Beach is Kiln Sauna, a community sauna where swimmers can pop in for a quick session before or after a sea swim.

A 30-minute session in the community sauna costs £8 – make sure to pre-book beforehand.

The village has just two, but popular pubs – one is Harbour House Flushing which is a waterside Cornish pub and it’s Michelin-approved.

You can enjoy a cold pint or their signature smoked negronis and there are nights which have live music and quiz nights.

As for food, dig into tasty meals like sirloin steak, beef short rib, sole and pumpkin tortellini.

The pub is also set to open rooms for the first time in February – so you can book to stay right on the waterfront.

The other pub in the village is The Royal Standard where you can enjoy seafood dishes from stews to mussels and salt and pepper squid.

Another popular spot in Flushing is the fish shack on Devon’s South Milton Sands – on Thursday nights you can pick up pints for £2.50.

To get to Flushing from Falmouth is just a ten-minute ferry ride.

If you fancy a visit and want somewhere to stay, you’re more likely to find quaint cottages on Airbnb or locally run bed and breakfasts.

Check out The ‘Boatwatch’ on Airbnb which has river views and beach access – it can sleep up to four people in two bedrooms.

In late January you can book the cottage for £578 for 7 nights – which works out at £41pppn.

Another guest favourite is this Luxury Cottage for two with sea views which is in the top one per cent of homes.

It has a large open living space, a luxurious bedroom and a private patio overlooking the water.

For a 7 night stay in January, it’s priced at £897 for two which is £64pppn.

For more on seaside destinations, see the pretty twin beach villages in the ‘forgotten corner’ of Cornwall.

Plus, this is a fairytale town dubbed ‘Cornwall on the east coast’ with pretty fishing harbour and no loud arcades.