A UK seaside town known for its stunning coastline, mining heritage, and natural beauty was once named the best place to live.
Once a gem of the English south-west Cornwall may be becoming a victim of its own success amid overcrowding rows and a backlash against second home-owners.
Which? Magazine’s annual poll of the UK’s best seaside towns ranks scenic resorts such as Bamburgh, the studious St Andrews and the surfer town of Portstewart in Northern Ireland as some of the best places to visit by the sea.
But despite its historical reputation as a prime getaway spot for Brits, Cornwall appears to have fallen out of favour – with the top entry for the region, St Mawes, arriving at 23rd in the survey.
Each town was rated on the quality of its beaches, seafronts, piers, food and drink, tourist attractions, scenery, shopping, parking and value for money and whether it offered a true escape in the form of ‘peace and quiet’.
Cornwall accounted for a fifth of all second-home purchases in the last decade, according to estate agent Hamptons.
This comes after a beautiful Cornwall cove found itself in the firing line despite its reputation as one of the most picturesque beaches in the world.
Kynance Cove, a small strip of paradise,usually impresses visitors with vivid turquoise waters, silky white sands and unique geological formations that exude an almost Mediterranean aura.
However, not all remarks are positive, visitors and residents complaining over a number of downsides to the beach.
Kynance Cove has been blasted by disgruntled visitors for its overcrowded conditions and lack of sand.
Mitch Findlay, one of the 16 to give the location a ‘terrible’ rating on Tripadvisor, vented his frustration: “Long drive and when we got there were tons of tourists and nowhere to park. Even the beach cove was too crowded to park. We left without even getting out of the car.”
Last year Madeleine Bunting, an award-winning author and travel writer, said Cornwall has been ruined by its popularity.
Padstow, on the north coast of the county, is widely praised for its beauty and is known for its harbourfront, lined with ice cream shops, pubs and restaurants.Â
But Ms Bunting has said this fame has been a curse to the spot. She told the Sun: “What is happening in Padstow is gross – it’s all the overcrowding.”