South Shields has been ranked second from bottom in a list of Britain’s 20 best and worst seaside towns.
The seaside town is popular with scores of visitors, with its stretches of golden sand beaches, impressive sand dunes, the Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, parks and a number restaurants, cafes and pubs.
But South Shields comes in at number 19 in The Telegraph's rankings, earning a score of just 11 out of 100. The publication said: "We chose a score of classic resorts and studied how they have adapted – or not – over the past three decades, looking at factors such as housing and high streets, renovations and conservation, as well as the cultural clout that so often accompanies gentrification."
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St Ives, in Cornwall, earns the top spot with a score of 98/100, followed by Southwold, in Suffolk, in second place with 94/100. Third place goes to Whitstable, in Kent, with a rating of 87/100.
Rhyl, in Wales, is at the bottom of the list with just 5/100, and South Shields is one place above it, at number 19. Writing about South Shields, the Telegraph says: "Few seaside resorts are part of an urban sprawl, but South Shields is one of a handful of exceptions, set at the eastern end of Tyne and Wear, just half an hour from Newcastle.
"Unfortunately, the vibe and verve of the university city hasn’t spread quite as far as the sea – most of the best food, nightlife, culture and accommodation here are all inland. That’s not to say South Shields is without options of its own: the likes of Bravi, Italianish, Mambo, and cosy Davinci’s ensure the town is strong on Italian and Mediterranean comfort dining. The Grotto is a quality hotel.
"For beaches, sand dunes, dramatic cliffs and post-industrial memories, South Shields is a fascinating, half-forgotten place, but for a more complete holiday, it’s best combined with a city break."
Here's the list of Britain’s 20 best and worst seaside towns, according to the Telegraph.
20. Rhyl 5/100
19. South Shields 11/100
18. Weston-Super-Mare 18/100
17. Blackpool 22/100
16. Morecambe 24/100
15. Cleethorpes 27/100
14. Southport 28/100
13. Torquay 33/100
12. Southend-on-Sea 36/100
11. Scarborough 39/100
10. Worthing 47/100
9. Portstewart 53/100
8. Tenby 57/100
7. Margate 69/100
6. Brighton 76/100
5. North Berwick 80/100
4. Lyme Regis 85/100
3. Whitstable 87/100
2. Southwold 94/100
1. St Ives 98/100
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