Straight in at number 7

There are many surveys initiated these days, and it seems on every subject imaginable, so we are often stopped in the street to give our views “and a few minutes of our time” on a variety of topics, or on whatever is the flavour of the month.

Some are very useful, many are a front for something else, but one organisation which I think most people trust and recognise as being bona fide is the Which? reporting service.

So it appears that nearly 4,000 people were asked to rate their favourite seaside towns in terms of beaches, attractions, scenery and value for money, and visitors told Which? about their recent UK trips to seaside towns, villages and resorts.

Of the 100 seaside destinations considered, Which? said 30 were awarded four or five stars for peace and quiet and Rye appeared 7th in the national “pop chart” and was awarded five stars for attractions and four stars for scenery, peace and quiet and value for money and – with an overall customer score of 81% – not bad eh?

By comparison, Hastings came in at 76th on the list and in number one position was Bamburgh in Northumberland, voted the UK’s best loved coastal destination. Interestingly, Rye was one of the only entries which doesn’t have a seafront.

No doubt the visitors interviewed were seduced by Rye’s unique charm, stunning architecture, diverse range of interesting shops, cultural heritage and general ambience. But I assume those interviewed who made reference to the peace and quiet were not interviewed on a Sunday morning when their replies could have been drowned out by the sound of “boy racers” and motorbikes – still you cant have everything.

Image Credits: Nick Forman .