Good UK coastal villages for holidays

November 12, 2005 7:33 AM

I am looking to go away for a long weekend with friends and hire a cottage. We want to go to somewhere coastal ideally and find a village to stay in that has a some pubs and places to eat. We have been to Robin Hoods Bay in North Yorkshire a few times and are looking for somewhere quaint and pretty like that where you can have a few walks on the beach and a few pints. Any ideas for anywhere good? Any recommendations for cottages would also be appreciated. Cheers.
posted by blacksky to Travel & Transportation around United Kingdom (8 answers total)

Llanfair in North Wales.
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:06 AM on November 12, 2005

I second Wales, but I'm partial to Pembrokeshire and the area around St. Davids. There are some beautiful walks along the beach to be had, and plenty of places to rent a cottage. I've rented the cottage at the Trevaccoon B&B before and it was very nice, as well as a great deal in the off-season. One of the best meals in my life (and super-cheap!) was had in a tiny seaside village nearby called Porthgain -- it's called The Shed and is right down the hill from the Sloop pretty much on the dock. Anyway -- good luck!
posted by lazywhinerkid at 11:31 AM on November 12, 2005

Sorry if this is a cuntish answer, but the Lake District is cool for walks and pints. No sea, but lakes. You weren't going to go swimming I take it.
posted by lunkfish at 1:08 PM on November 12, 2005

We hired a cottage in St Ives a few years ago and really loved that. There is a gastropub within walking distance of the town, as well. We found the cottage online (can't remember the service we used, but a good Google search should uncover one like it).

Lots of similar small towns up and down the Cornish coast that are worth a visit.
posted by LGCNo6 at 2:19 PM on November 12, 2005

Alnmouth (Northumberland) is a small seaside village with several pubs and restaurants and a pleasant sandy beach -- not so quaint as Robin Hood's Bay (if quaintness is what you're looking for) but not so steep either, which may come as a relief. We stayed here, which I wouldn't recommend, as the landlady was rather unfriendly. But don't let that put you off, as there are plenty of other self-catering cottages in Alnmouth and it shouldn't be difficult to find a decent place to stay.
posted by verstegan at 3:12 PM on November 12, 2005

I spent a weekend at Totland Bay on the Isle of Wight a few years ago, and it was really, really great. Beautiful sunsets, the locals were nice, we wandered about like the stupid, lost tourists we were and had a great time. It's windy, but very pretty. We took the ferry from Lymington and then buses and such over to Ryde, where we took the hovercraft back to Portsmouth. We stayed in a hostel at the time, so no recs on cottages, but there are definitely B&Bs and such in the area.
posted by Medieval Maven at 3:45 PM on November 12, 2005

Sheringham or Cromer in north Norfolk? Away from their centres, they're quiet, and they have a Victorian atomosphere to their seafronts. LLandudno in North Wales is similar.
posted by Neon at 5:29 PM on November 12, 2005

If you're considering Wales, why not go to Portmeiron (where "The Prisoner" was filmed)? You could retrace No. 6's footsteps, ride old-timey bicycles, play human chess, and bubble-watch on the shore. Seriously, it looks just beautiful!
posted by rob511 at 7:05 PM on November 12, 2005