Britain’s ‘worst’ seaside town dubbed a ‘vulgar hellhole’ gets £23m upgrade in desperate bid to turn its fortunes around
A SEASIDE town dubbed the “worst” in Britain is set to undergo a major revamp which may draw tourists to the once popular area.
Skegness has previously been referred to as a “vulgar hellhole” but now a £23 million development is set to upgrade the visitor experiences.
The Lincolnshire town has been described as a “terrible place” with a “brown sea”, even ranking among Britain’s “worst” seaside towns.
Which? Magazine readers voted it bottom of the poll of seaside resorts in 2023.
The following year Skegness placed fifth, with only Bangor ranking lower.
As part of the survey, 120 UK seaside towns were rated on various features such as the seafront, noise levels, food and drink, and shopping.
Skegness scored just one star for its scenery and noise levels in both 2023 and 2024.
It achieved a slightly higher two stars for its food and drink, shopping, and tourist attractions.
And now with a recent rail upgrade announced by East Midlands Railway (EMR), high-end transport is sure to become a draw for the area.
Passengers will be set to travel in comfort after EMR unveiled its first fully refurbished Class 170 train on Tuesday, April 15.
The move marks a significant upgrade in comfort and convenience for regional customers.
Enhancements include brand-new seats and tables, as well as modern power and charging facilities, including 230V, Type-C, and dual USB sockets.
The upgrades will also see refurbished toilets, upgraded flooring, and a newly installed passenger information system on-board.
A dedicated bike storage area will also be added to the new and improved carriages.
The redesigned interiors echo the sleek aesthetic of EMR’s new Aurora trains, which are set to enter service later this year.
These refurbished Class 170 trains were previously operated by West Midlands Railway.
They are now owned by the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company Porterbrook.
I went on holiday to Skeggy - my kids loved it
By Catherine Lofthouse
WHEN I heard that Clacton-on-Sea and Skegness had been voted the worst UK seaside resorts in a Which? survey, I rolled my eyes.
Do these two east-coast towns deserve such stick or do they actually rock?
Sure, there’s nothing fancy about either place, but if you love heading to the beach with a bucket and spade, paddling in the sea or tucking into fish and chips on the prom, you can’t really go wrong.
Plus, if you’re on a budget, you can enjoy a day or two of no-frills fun in the sun without breaking the bank.
And if it happens to rain, there are plenty of arcades and indoor attractions to keep everyone entertained too.
The Upside Down House in the Essex resort of Clacton was a big hit with all the family when I visited last year and a new dinosaur attraction Jurassic Pier opened this year.
Last August, we also had a day trip to Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast — which included a dip in the sea, some pub grub and a few rides at the fair. What more can you want from a visit to the seaside?
Looking at Which? you wouldn’t think much of the seaside resorts. It rated Skeggy and Clacton joint bottom of more than 100 towns and villages on our coastline.
But here’s why I disagree. Firstly, one of Which?’s nine categories for ranking the beaches is “peace and quiet”.
Now, Skegness isn’t nicknamed Skeg Vegas for nothing and it’s never been renowned for offering silence and solitude, and nor has Clacton.
So it’s really no surprise they were both given just one star out of five.
Both these resorts unashamedly thrive on being bright, brash and bustling.
Another category in the survey focuses on accommodation but neither Skegness nor Clacton got a rating in this section, meaning not enough respondents had an opinion.
Either everyone who voted went on a day trip or, like us, stayed just outside of the towns.
The beaches at both resorts were given three stars out of five — and I think more people consider the beach to be a deciding factor when it comes to visiting the seaside than where to stay or how quiet it is.
We all have different ideas of what we want from a day at the coast, but what’s great about the UK is that you can always find what you like, given how varied the seaside communities are.
Viva Skeg Vegas, I say and crack on Clacton!
The Nottingham to Skegness via Grantham is one of the lucky lines to see the new trains.
This route takes approximately one hour and 55 minutes, with trains typically departing every hour.
When booked in advance, tickets can cost you as little as £4.05 with everyday prices averaging around £12.40.
The upgraded fleet is part of a wider £60 million programme, which will also include the refurbishment of EMR’s Class 360 and Class 158 trains, reports Lincolnshire World.
“We’ve focused on creating an environment that is comfortable and functional – and it’s just the beginning,” said Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway.
“Over the next year, customers will start to see real, tangible improvements across our network.”
Skegness peaked in popularity in the 19th century when a new rail line made the seaside area more accessible to British holidaymakers.
However, until recently public transport appeared to be an afterthought for the area, which scored highest in one area: parking.
But this recent upgrade to the local railway line could prove to be exactly what the town needs.
After the town placed last in 2023, editor of Which? travel, Rory Boland spoke about the importance of investment in raising rankings.
“Clacton, Skegness, and Southend all received one star from visitors for the lack of peace and quiet, and some visitors complain that the boisterous atmosphere can tip into feeling unsafe,” he said.
“That’s a shame, because what Clacton, Skegness, and Southend offer is exactly the sort of seaside break many of us want.
“Big beaches, big entertainment, and small prices. More should be done to help them level up and become first-class holiday resorts.”
A £3.3 million redevelopment of Skegness railway station was also set to be completed on May 25.
However, EMR are currently looking for a new partner after confirming Taziker Ltd had stopped work on the scheme, which is funded by the government’s Town Deal programme.
“We remain fully committed to the redevelopment of Skegness station and are very excited about the customer and wider community benefits this project will deliver,” an EMR spokesperson told the BBC.
The project has been undertaken to reconfigure the layout of the station to improve passenger flow.