UK's 'worst' seaside town with brown sea crowned one of Britain's best beaches

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UK's 'worst' seaside town with brown sea crowned one of Britain's best beaches

UK's 'worst' seaside town with brown sea crowned one of Britain's best beaches
An unexpected seaside town has been featured in The Time's best 50 UK beaches in 2025 list(Image: Getty Images)

A 'rundown' seaside town has surprisingly made the league tables for the best UK beaches in 2025 - despite its crumbling reputation.

Every year, around four million holidaymakers flock to Skegness, lured in by rows of flashing arcades, stomach-churning funfair rides, and a constantly lively beach. It's long been one of the most iconic coastal resorts on the Lincolnshire coast, but has been stung with a barrage of complaints from locals and tourists alike - and was once even ranked alongside North Korea and Syria as one of the worst places in the world to visit.

Skegness recently came 16th-to-last in Which?'s annual league tables of the best UK seaside resorts - scoring a not-so-great 54 per cent overall destination score*. Travellers rated the town a respectable three stars for its beach, seafront/ pier, tourist attractions, parking availability and food and drink offerings - but gave just two stars for its shopping scene and one star for its scenery and peacefulness.

READ MORE: UK's best beach in 2025 named and it could be anywhere in the Mediterranean
People walk past closed amusements on the beach front in Skegness, Lincolnshire, during England's third national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. Picture date: Tuesday March 23, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Skegness attracts millions of tourists every single year, despite its questionable reputation(Image: PA)

It's a slight improvement from years gone by - but prove that Skegness' £20 million plan to transform the area is still urgently needed. In 2023, Skegness came in at the absolute bottom on Which?'s ranking, and scored 5th last in 2024. Back then, one reviewer described the beach as 'horrible', arguing they had to trek 30 miles up the road to Mablethorpe instead. "Overall, it's a terrible place with terrible people," they said. "I will never go there again."

Another agreed, branding the town the 'dirtiest place in England'. "The sea has a brown froth on the top," they fumed. "The streets are dirty [and] the roads are potholed." Despite the heavy criticism, it's clear Skegness boasts an unwavering popularity, and still attracts swathes of positive reviews online.

Easter Bank Holiday Monday in Skegness, Lincolnshire
Skegness has become the marmite of UK seaside towns(Image: Anna Draper/ Lincolnshire Echo)

"It's a nice old-fashioned beach experience that brought back many childhood memories," one person hailed. "The beach itself is clean and well-maintained and there are lots of attractions around to keep kids and adults amused." Another recent traveller said they were 'pleasantly surprised' by how well-maintained the area is. "The beach and town look clean and well looked after," they wrote.

Much of Skegness' hate can sometimes feel unfair. It's not the place to go if you want to sip on iced oat milk matcha while chewing on £5 sourdough with poached eggs. But, if you're looking for that classic UK seaside experience, it has your back. In fact, The Times recently featured Skegness in its best 50 UK beaches in 2025 list - hailing the town for offering 'all round entertainment'.

Children on donkey rides on Skegness Beach Skegness Beach, as the UK could see record-breaking temperatures with forecasters predicting Friday as the hottest day of the year. PA Photo. Picture date: PA Photo. Picture date: Friday August 7, 2020. See PA story WEATHER Hot. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
The beach was ranked one of the best in the UK(Image: PA)

"Having spent 17 years watching the crumbling of our traditional seaside resorts, I'd argue that Skeggy is the new King of seaside tat," the publication wrote. "There are donkeys, rollercoasters, wall-to-wall chippies, arcades, a pier and the Embassy Theatre, offering much more than the tide of tribute acts that flood other seaside playhouses. As for the beach, it's big, soft and golden, with views across the Wash to the Norfolk coast."

Earlier this year, Skegness was selected to receive a whopping £20 million of funding and support over the next ten years as part of the government's Plan for Neighbourhoods. This scheme focuses on three goals: thriving places, stronger communities, and taking back control - and allows local authorities to drive forward their own priorities.

Paul McCooey, Chair, Connected Coast's Skegness Sub-Group said: "We have been awaiting further steer on this funding and now that the details have been announced, we can get to work with our communities, partners, and stakeholders to shape a plan for investment. In Skegness, we have already seen what can be achieved through partnership working through the Town Deal projects, as exemplified by projects such as the Skegness Learning Campus which is set to be an economic game changer for our area. Now, we can bring even more improvements to the town to benefit more people long into the future."

*Which?'s results are based on an online survey of 8,952 experiences from 3,872 Which? Connect panel members conducted between January and March, 2025.

Do you think Skegness deserves the criticism it receives? Let us know in the comments section below

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