The seaside resort an hour from Bristol rated the third worst in the UK - and it’s not Weston

A seaside resort an hour from Bristol has been rated the third worst in the UK by consumer guide Which?

Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset was only saved from being bottom of the list by Skegness and Clacton-on-Sea.

Weston-super-Mare, meanwhile, was 12th from bottom in the list of the UK’s best and worst seaside towns. Earlier this year, Weston was itself described as the third worst seaside town in the Telegraph. It was a claim we believed unfair.

The table was based on the views of more than 3,000 visitors who rated things like the beach, attractions, scenery and food and drink options for over 100 UK seaside resorts.

Burnham-on-Sea scored a 49% customer score, with Skegness and Clacton-on-Sea on 48%. Weston-super-Mare scored 57%, while the top scorers were Bamburgh in Northumberland with 88% and Dartmouth in Devon with 85%.

Burnham-on-Sea scored three out five for its beach but only one out of five for its seafront/pier and food and drink.

A former fishing village at the mouth of the River Parrett, Burnham-on-Sea gained popularity as a seaside resort in Victorian times.

The official website for the resort described its ‘sandy’ beach as ‘award-winning’ and ‘great for swimming and paddling’.

It calls the beach ‘great for children for sand castle building, picnics, sand digging, and paddling when the tide is in’ and says the sea wall is great ‘for sitting and eating fish and chips’.

Built between 1911 and 1914, Burnham-On-Sea Pier is Britain’s shortest pier and comprises of just a pavilion on concrete piles. When it was first built, engineers from around Britain came to marvel at the unique structure and it is now home to gaming machines and refreshments.

But Simon Harris of St Aubyn’s Guest House in Burnham-on-Sea said the Which? findings seemed a little unfair on the resort.

He said: “We’re fully booked for the bank holiday weekend and we have good bookings for the summer.

“People like to stay in Burnham because it has a lovely sandy beach and it’s a good base for visiting other places like Weston-super-Mare and Cheddar.

“They also like to visit the town’s pubs and restaurants in the evening, so there’s plenty on offer here.”