I visited the UK's best seaside town with cheap beach huts, dolphins offshore and a bag of chips for only £2.25
GRABBA THE HUT I visited the UK's best seaside town with cheap beach huts, dolphins offshore and a bag of chips for only £2.25
RECLINING in the blue and white striped deckchair, a cup of tea in hand, I took in the spectacular view of the bay and kept my eyes peeled for porpoises.
I've been lucky to travel to beaches in Greece, Spain, Antigua and even Japan in my time, but on a sunny June day, you can't beat a trip to one of the UK's best seaside towns.
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Historic beach huts at one of the UK's most stunning seaside towns
Credit: North Yorkshire Council
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Scarborough is a great British day out for families
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
Just over an hour's drive from my home in North Yorkshire, I've visited this stretch of Scarborough coast on dozens of occasions.
But only recently was it described as one of the best seaside towns in the UK by Condé Nasté Traveller.
It's the perfect family day out and we hardly spend any money - which these days can often be impossible.
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When you factor in the kids and all their gear, sandy feet, sticky hands and sun cream application, the idea of the beach can make you groan.
But, I have a trick and it keeps everyone happy.
When we have a whole day planned at the beach, I hire one of the town's historic beach chalets, with uninterrupted views across South Bay.
The huts are managed by North Yorkshire County Council and cost from £50 a day to rent from 10am.
And if you rent for seven days they range from £14 a day off peak to £32 a day at the height of summer.
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Compare this to visiting Flamingo Land theme park just 20 miles away – booking an advance family ticket during the summer is at least £168.
There are 35 chalets available, with two of the rows dating from Edwardian times, making them Britain's oldest surviving beach huts.
We live in picturesque seaside town where beachfront homes go for just £135k – it feels like a holiday all year round
But our home for the day – number 247 – is at the end of a third row that was opened last year after the originals were demolished by a landslip in 2019.
Care has been taken to ensure they match the original style of their neighbours, part of the 52-acre South Cliff Gardens, and next to the Grade II-listed Scarborough Spa.
The location is at the quieter end of South Bay, known for its traditional amusements, shops and restaurants.
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In the background, the 12th-century Scarborough Castle is perched proudly on the headland.
There's plenty of on and off-street parking nearby.
We opted for South Bay Underground, beneath the celebrated cast iron Spa Bridge and next to the Blue Roundabout, a sea-themed piece of public art.
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Alex and her family made themselves at home
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
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Scarborough's South Bay, castle and harbour from the air
Credit: Getty
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It costs £10.60 for eight hours – and is free after 6pm.
The town's train station is a 20-minute walk too – downhill to the huts but uphill back.
Cheap check-in
After picking up the keys from the chalet attendant, my two sons – Ralph, eight, and Max, five – were excited to open the yellow shutters and see what was inside.
The décor is simple but extremely welcoming and clean – a classic black and red tiled floor with white walls, a white kitchen unit and a couple of wooden shelves.
Use of the hut includes a sink with a washing-up bowl, a USB charging port and a wired-in kettle for making hot drinks.
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There are also two deckchairs, four metal chairs and a metal table, as well as a sweeping brush, dustpan and brush, overhead lighting and hooks for your towels and bags.
You need to bring your own plates, cups, cutlery and washing up liquid, as well as a cool bag for perishables and a barbecue if you are planning to cook. A rubbish bag is handy too, but there are public bins a minute away.
I'd barely got the kettle on before the kids were in their swimming trunks (no awkward sandy changes behind towels today!) and heading down to the sand with their spades.
The chalet's cliffside location means you're not directly on the beach, tricker with babies and toddlers.
But there's a short, step-free (and buggy-friendly) stroll down to the sand, and you have an excellent bird's eye view to supervise older children as they jump in the waves and explore the rock pools.
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In fact, we barely saw our two all afternoon, other than when they wanted snacks or to bring us treasures of seaweed and crab shells.
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The huts look over Scarborough South Beach
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
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Inside is simple but has everything you need
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
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Alex and Ralph build sandcastles on the beach
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
Friends who live locally joined us for the trip, allowing us to split the price between two families for even better value.
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This meant we got shade, electricity, deck chairs and free tea all day for £25 per family.
Pals were also a font of knowledge about the bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and minke whales that live in this stretch of the North Sea. It left us cursing our lack of binoculars.
We all came armed with picnics, teabags, coffee and a few cans of beer in a cooler to save money on our day out.
But should we have forgotten anything, the Clock Café was immediately behind us. It's famed for its scones – just check if the flag is flying to see if it's open.
There were public loos next door, but coins were needed to access these – it's 40p per use.
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Time to explore
We were all blissfully happy chilling at the hut, but I grabbed my youngest son to help me explore the cheap and cheerful entertainment of South Cliff Gardens right on our doorstep.
Established over the Regency and Victoria eras, it's a maze of paths, landscaped gardens, a seasonal putting green and the biggest Star Map in the UK.
There's also a hillside adventure playground immediately behind the chalets – totally free to enjoy.
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Scarborough's South Bay has plenty to entertain families and visitors
Credit: Getty
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The Funicular Railway is fun for families
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
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The cliff-side railway was the first of its kind in the UK
Credit: Alamy
One attraction we did fork out for was the South Cliff Lift that connects the Cleveland Way beside the beach to the Esplanade at the top of the cliffs. Opened in 1875, it was Britain's first funicular railway.
We paid £2.50 each for a return ticket, but could easily have paid half and weaved our way back down through the gardens.
When the tide came in towards teatime, we stashed our belongings inside the hut to take a look at the glitzier end of town, a ten to 15-minute walk away.
The boys spent a few coins on the dazzling array of arcades at Olympia Leisure, while we also peeked into Scarborough Joke Shop and marvelled at the seasonal big wheel.
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If you want to splash out, Luna Park has fairground rides, or you can take a boat trip from the harbour. Entry to the castle costs from £16.70 for a family with one adult and up to three kids, but is free for English Heritage members.
But free thrills for all can be found crossing the Spa Bridge, visiting the lighthouse on the pier or following the Scarborough Sea Wall Heritage Trail.
You can't leave the seaside without partaking of some chips, so we headed to The Fishpan, serving the town since 1960.
A takeaway kids' portion was only £2.25, which my two shared happily, while we grabbed massive chip butties for £3.45 each.
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A chippie tea for the Lloyd boys
Credit: ALEX LLOYD
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A beach hut meant we got we got shade, electricity, deck chairs and free tea all day for just £25 per family.
Credit: Alamy
We'd planned to enjoy them on the soft yellow sand opposite, but the seagulls were out in force and eyeing up our dinner.
Not only did the beach hut prove to be an affordable day out, it was the perfect place to eat in peace – not a scavenging gull in sight.
It was the perfect day, especially with the sun out, and we only spent £50, including the chalet, which was worth every penny.
Splitting the cost with another family is a genius idea. Our day on the beach was an absolute bargain.
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Find out more about how to hire Scarborough beach huts at northyorks.gov.uk
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