Best UK seaside town has 200 independent shops and award-winning beach | UK | Travel

A pretty UK seaside town has been named the best for its independent scene, with more than 200 businesses alongside its award-winning beach and famous harbour.

An escape to the seaside is perhaps one of the best ways to spend the summer months. With destinations across the UK offering access to miles of sweeping golden sand beaches, classic coastal attractions and promises of a fresh seafood scene, including the renowned dish of fish and chips.

Yet there are some towns that offer all of this and more, thanks to their high streets packed with independent businesses. And there’s one particular seaside town that should be top of your list to visit this summer.

Falmouth, in Cornwall, has been named the UK seaside town with the best independent scene, thanks to a staggering 294 independent businesses lining its thriving high streets. Research from Simply Sea Views found that 76.9% of shops in Falmouth are independently owned, rising to 95.1% for cafes, 93.2% for restaurants, and 94.7% for pubs, despite the town having only around 22,100 residents.

So it’s no wonder that the Cornish town topped the list, with a score of 88.5 out of 100, after the holiday home provider ranked 50 UK seaside towns on their own independent offerings. Their survey spanned more than 20,000 individual businesses across the UK, examining the proportion of independent businesses, how many were locally owned, their customer ratings, and the number of independent businesses per resident.

Falmouth’s high street is certainly impressive, with a plethora of independent shops, where you’ll be able to find surfing equipment, rare vintage records, antique gems, handmade homeware, a selection of books, cool prints and boutique clothing. That’s alongside its plethora of independent restaurants, pubs, cafés, coffeehouses and ice cream spots.

But that’s just the start of what makes Falmouth so special. It’s also home to the award-winning Gyllyngvase Beach, which is the largest and most popular sandy shore in the town.

It’s known as being one of Cornwall’s best family-friendly beaches and holds the Blue Flag and Seaside Award, thanks to its stretches of soft, white sand and inviting blue waters. It’s just a short walk from the town centre, and is an oasis during the warmer months, with watersports like paddleboarding and kayaking popular in the area.

Elsewhere, Falmouth famously has the third-deepest natural harbour in the world and the deepest in Western Europe, with depths of up to 34 metres. The harbour, known as the ‘UK’s Atlantic Gateway’, is a busy port with sailing and fishing boats, alongside its collection of pubs and restaurants, and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Top 10 seaside towns with the most independent shops

1. Falmouth, Cornwall
2. St Ives, Cornwall
3. Whitby, Yorkshire
4. Whitstable, Kent
5. Margate, Kent
6. Barmouth, Wales
7. Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
8. Cromer, Norfolk
9. Penzance, Cornwall
10. Oban, Scotland

A spokesperson at Simply Sea Views commented: “Everyone has a firm opinion about which seaside towns still feel like proper seaside towns, and which have turned into rows of the same shops you would find in any city centre. This research puts some real data behind that.

“Falmouth’s result is not about being the most famous name on the list. It is about consistency: a genuinely independent shop, cafe, restaurant and pub scene, not just one strong category propping up the rest.”

“Some of the results will surprise people. Blackpool has more independent businesses than almost anywhere else in the country, but its overall score is held back by its shops. Barmouth, a town of just 2,400 people, has 100% independent cafes and pubs. If you are planning a coastal break this summer, it is worth looking beyond the obvious names.”

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com