Beautiful seaside town 14-miles from major city named among Britain's best
A "thriving" little English town has been crowned among the best seaside destinations in the UK - and has one very special royal connection.
The "thoroughly charming" town of Sidmouth in Devon scored a whopping five stars in Which?'s annual seaside survey for its food and drink offerings, scenery and accommodation, where the average price for one night's stay is £160.
More than 3,600 holidaymakers were surveyed about their experience of the British seaside, and were asked to rate the towns they'd been to on their tourist attractions, quality of the beaches, views, food and drink, and value for money. One respondent called Sidmouth "a thoroughly charming, thriving English seaside town".
The stunning hotspot is most famous for its breathtaking red cliffs, which overlook the sand and single beach - part of the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast.
Fossil-hunters flock to Sidmouth to search for the remains of rare reptiles, fish and amphibians from the Triassic age, while in the past, bones and footprints of the enormous 6-metre Mastodonsaurus lavisi have been found.
Sidmouth's most popular attraction is its Jacob's Ladder beach, accessed via the pretty wooden staircase leading down from Connaught Gardens. At low tide, rock pools are exposed across the shoreline, making for a fun trip for families to check out the local sea life.
History lovers will love discovering the backstory of Sidmouth, which has been in human occupation since before the Iron Age. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Sedemuda, meaning 'mouth of the Sid', and some historians believe its origins date back to the Bronze Age thanks to the discovery of ancient burial mounds on the nearby Gittisham Hill and Broad Down.
And the town was a known spot for smugglers, who used the former Old Ship pub - now a Costa Coffee - as a rendezvous point and for slashing contraband wine and brandy in its basement since the 1400s.
It even had a secret underground passageway leading to Church Path so smugglers could flout the law under the very noses of the authorities.
More recently, Sidmouth was a temporary home to Queen Victoria when she visited as a baby with her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent. She was nearly the victim of a stray bullet thanks to a local lad taking potshots at birds in the garden outside Woolbrook Cottage, now the Royal Glen Hotel, where the young heir to the throne was playing in the nursery.
The shot narrowly missed her head, but the evidence is still there to this day: a pane of coloured glass in the window marks it out as the one shattered by the bullet.
Outside of history, for adrenaline junkies, Raceworld Karting is ideal for those less sunny days where you can live out your racing driver dreams. Whizz around the indoor circuits in a 200c kart, reaching speeds of 40mph as you compete with friends and family for the fastest lap.
And for smaller adventurers who need to burn off some energy, Crealy Theme Park and Resort offers 75,000 square feet of slides, tunnels, rope swings, climbing nets and aerial walkways in its vast Adventure Zone. Feeling brave? Take on the Shark Bay rollercoaster and the Dolphin Drop with its 20-foot vertical drop.
For those who prefer things a little more sedate, Sidmouth's Norman Lockyer Observatory offers breathtaking stargazing sessions that let you literally sit back and relax.
As night falls, you can set your sights on stars and planets millions of light years away - and even see if you can spot a shooting star zooming into the Earth's atmosphere.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
16 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
One of the UK's biggest cathedrals to open for overnight stays for the first time ever
Plus, there's lots to do in the city of Winchester CITY BREAK One of the UK's biggest cathedrals to open for overnight stays for the first time ever Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THERE are certain stays in the UK that have an added touch of grandeur - including this one at Winchester Cathedral. For the first time ever, visitors can stay on the site of Winchester Cathedral in a house with plush velvet sofas, huge bathrooms and a secret English garden. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The holiday let at Winchester Cathedral makes for a very luxurious stay Credit: 5 Guests can stay at the neighbouring house called The Deanery Credit: Getty Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here For the first time ever, Winchester Cathedral will welcome tourists for short-term holiday lets. The home to the deans of Winchester, aptly called The Deanery, is available to book for a memorable city break. The house sleeps up to 10 people across five bedrooms, and has four bathrooms, including two ensuites, some with double sinks. There's a large modern kitchen as well as a large gallery that was first created to entertain King Charles II. The house is filled with antique furniture and there's a huge library full of antique books. Outside is a huge English garden where guests are welcome to play some lawn games, eat outside and of course, take in the view of the impressive cathedral. There's also a secret garden, called the Lower Deanery Garden which is not open to the public. It's described as being a "charming riverside retreat" and is guaranteed to be a peaceful spot away from any other visitors. It's pretty costly coming in at £4,500 per week, which jumps up to £5,500 per week over Christmas and New Year. The Pigsty in Winchester tops the list of most lusted after Airbnb homes by Brits 5 The rooms are light and airy and filled with antique books Credit: 5 There's a piano inside and gardens to explore outside Credit: The money raised will go towards maintaining and operating Winchester Cathedral. And anyone wanting to stay will need to book sooner rather than later as the house is only available for a limited time until the new dean moves in next year. There's plenty to do around the city too, Sun writer Mia Lyndon, took a trip to Winchester earlier this year where she embarked on a 90-minute walking tour down the UK's oldest high street and gazed into the Itchen River. She also discovered cobbled backstreets and local boutiques like The Hambledon as well as P&G Wells, a 296-year-old bookshop with thousands of vintage novels. Another popular spot nearby is the village of Chawton, where you can visit Jane Austen's house where she worked on her novels, including Pride And Prejudice. You can take a look at her writing desk and ponder over her handwritten letters - entry costs £15 per person. Winchester Cathedral itself is the main attraction of the city and tickets to go inside cost £13 for adults and £5 for children. And here's a top travel destination in the UK that's often overlooked but has great secret spots and new attractions. Plus, check out Europe's best city break destinations where you only need two days to explore.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Charity rowers MP mistook for migrants complete first leg of journey
Since departing from Land's End in Cornwall on July 25, the Row4MND crew have covered approximately 900 miles and burned some 450,000 calories, while battling sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion. The have also faced a number of unexpected obstacles, including Storm Floris and being mistaken for a 'migrant dinghy' by Norfolk MP Rupert Lowe while rowing up the east coast of England. The crew of ROW4MND with friends, family and supporters at Port Edgar Marina, South Queensferry in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) In a post on X on August 7, Mr Lowe wrote 'Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW', alongside a grainy picture of the ocean rowing boat, before acknowledging his mistake in a post the following day. The incident brought the row to the world's attention and boosted donations by upwards of £30,000 – including £1,000 from Mr Lowe himself. The original route also took the crew north into the Irish Sea, but after rowing 100 miles strong headwinds forced them to return to Land's End to start the row again, this time heading east along the English Channel. The Row4MND team, consisting of Aaron Kneebone, Liz Wardley, Mike Bates and Matt Parker, is aiming to raise money for research into motor neurone disease (MND), with the first leg of their circumnavigation being the first of four epic rows over four years. As they passed underneath the famous bridge, the crew was treated to a hero's welcome by supporters, well-wishers and members of the MND community. Crews from the Queensferry Rowing Club give an oar salute to the crew of ROW4MND (Jane Barlow/PA) Mr Parker, co-founder of the Row4MND project, said the comments left by people making donations to the team had got them through the 'tough' times on the row. 'While we may have been fortunate in that the 'migrants' story made Row4MND huge news, the media and public interest has now shifted from Rupert's tweet to everyone wanting to talk to us about raising £57 million,' he said. 'We couldn't have wished for a better outcome.' Mr Bates, a former Royal Marine and British record holder for rowing solo across the Atlantic, said the row had 'exceeded our wildest dreams' and he also thanked Mr Lowe for bringing it to the world's attention. 'A huge amount of effort and detail goes into planning a challenge like this,' he said. 'Coastal rowing is very different to ocean rowing and we've encountered some of the most challenging conditions that any of us have faced – including in the Atlantic and Pacific. 'We'd like to thank Rupert Lowe MP for inadvertently bringing the eyes of the world onto our crew, which has opened the floodgates in terms of donations. 'Maybe he can lend a few further words of encouragement for the second leg next year.' The rowers are raising money for research into motor neurone disease (Jane Barlow/PA) Representatives of the three charities involved in the project – the Motor Neurone Disease Association; the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation; and the Leeds Hospitals Charity – were among those welcoming the rowers to shore. Paul Thompson, director of fundraising at My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, said what the four rowers had achieved was 'incredible'. 'They've battled storms, exhaustion and the unpredictable British coastline – all to help fund the research that will one day make MND treatable,' he said. 'Seeing them pass under the Forth Bridge today to such a warm welcome was a special moment for everyone involved. 'Every mile they've rowed and every pound they've raised takes us closer to delivering on Doddie's vision – a world free of MND – and we're hugely grateful for their determination and commitment to our cause.' The crew complete the second half of their circumnavigation next year (Jane Barlow/PA) So far, the rowers have raise more than £135,000. Mr Parker said: 'At the outset, we wanted to deliver two objectives: raising £57 million to have a material impact on the search for a cure to MND; and building awareness about this cruel illness, which will affect one in 300 people over a lifetime.' The crew plan complete the second half of their circumnavigation next year, before rowing from California to Hawaii in 2027, and from New York to London in 2028. More information about the Row4MND project, and to donate, visit
Evening Standard
2 hours ago
- Evening Standard
Our Farm Next Door starring Yorkshire Shepherdess to get third and fourth series
Owen, 50, who is a mother of nine, said: 'I am beyond delighted that we have been given the opportunity to showcase this unique and beautiful part of our British countryside, and for people to join us on our exciting journey through the restoration of our farm next door.
