05 February 2024 , 15:29
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A seaside town condemned as the second worst in the country has been backed by its defenders.
True to its track record of criticising coastal towns in the North of England, the Telegraph recently named South Shields as one of the worst beach spots in the country. As part of the paper's ‘seaside gentrification index’ last year it rated different beach resorts out of 100 based on factors including housing, high streets, renovation and conservation.
Part of the rankings looked at how different destinations had "adapted – or not – over the past three decades" to various changing characters. South Shields found itself at the bottom - only ahead of Rhyl in north Wales. While it may have found itself with a meagre 11/100 score on the index, there are plenty of people who see something different in South Shields.
Sandhaven beach has a lot of fans (Newcastle Chronicle)Back in 2022 one of its beaches - Sandhaven - was named as one of the UK's best 50 best beaches and it is easy to see why. The beach is a stretch of golden sands and blue sea which runs to the horizon, set against the dramatic natural backdrop of Trow Rocks and the Leas to the south. The historic architecture of Tynemouth to the North gives the beach a cinematic feel, the Express reported.
Earlier in the same year, Sandhaven was handed a Blue Flag award, in recognition of how well looked after and clean it is, as well as the presence of excellent facilities. Fans of Sandhaven Beach have taken to travel review website TripAdvisor to talk about how much they love the beautiful sands.
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One happy visitor from Birmingham said: "It's a nice clean beach, kids facilities with there's an amusements park, boat rides opposites the amusements, and Ocean Road for all your food. Can't fault it the slightest, not even the three-hour drive up north, its well worth it."
Another chimed in: "I had never heard of this beach until talking to locals in a nearby pub. What a pleasant surprise! I believe this is probably the cleanest and most beautiful beach area in the UK. Miles of clean, sandy 'proper' beach. Everything was so well maintained, yet not too busy."
There are a couple likely famous fans of the beach, as two of the four members of Little Mix – Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall – were born in South Shields.
The Telegraph did note some redeeming features of the coastal spot, adding: "That’s not to say South Shields is without options of its own: the likes of Bravi, Italianish, Mambo, and cosy Davinci’s ensure the town is strong on Italian and Mediterranean comfort dining. The Grotto is a quality hotel."