I’ve visited Britain’s ‘most disappointing’ beach and there’s one thing that really needs it

On By Vaseline

For more than 150 years, people have been holidaying in a beautiful bay on the North Wales coast, where Victorian terraces overlook a curving crescent-shaped beach. Llandudno has long been one of the best known names in Welsh tourism.

Yet it seems visitors today are unimpressed by this grand old lady of the British holiday world. Instead of a sandy expanse, they find the city’s famous north coast, between the limestone cliff of Great Orme and Little Orme, covered in stones as a result of a decision taken ten years ago to protect the area from sea flooding.

It recently led to the beach being named Britain’s most disappointing beach. A Preply survey analyzing Tripadvisor feedback found that 29 percent of responses to North Shore (65 out of 223) were disappointed.

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While climate change is causing global warming and sea levels are rising, which could explain the stony solution as a flood protection measure, the real question is what visitors think of the lack of sand on North Shore?

Following the findings of the research, I went to the beach to see for myself. Temperatures reached 18.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, and although the Promenade saw a fair number of walkers and dodging seagulls, the beach itself was sparsely populated.

Among the stones I met Andy Dawson, aged 50, who spent his childhood in Llandudno Junction. He remembers a flood 30 years ago but questions whether it was big enough to justify the rocky intervention, North Wales Live reports.

Ady Dawson, 50, who grew up in Llandudno Junction, would prefer a sandy beach on Llandudno’s north coast(Image: David Powell)

“In 1993 the whole area flooded – Llandudno Junction, Deganwy, Llandudno… The water rose to the top of some telephone boxes.”

This local doesn’t believe the current anti-flood rocks on North Shore are necessary, instead expressing his preference for sand from Colwyn Bay beach.


He explained, “I Googled it. The number of annual holidaymakers in Colwyn Bay is 3.7 million. In Llandudno there are ten million. If you go to Colwyn Bay they have spent millions building new sand. It makes more sense for it to be here. .”

Along the coast, some families enjoyed their day in the sun. Dayle Blythin, 37, and Lauren Mills, 35, from Chester, enjoyed a day out with their five-year-old daughter Sophia at Bluey’s Big Play show at Venue Cymru.

Dale Blythin, 37, was grateful that Llandudno’s North Shore beach was less busy than at the weekend during his visit from Chester with daughter Sophia, five, on Thursday.(Image: David Powell)

On a quiet Thursday afternoon, little Sophia was busy playing with her bucket and shovel. Dayle said: “I imagine there wouldn’t have been as much (sandy) beach available if we had come on a Saturday.”

As I headed back, I saw a mother and son happily throwing a frisbee on an uneven mix of rocks and sand near St George’s Hotel. It’s clear they made the best of the situation.

“I think children love the sand, but adults also appreciate the variety you get with the rocks,” said Louise, all the way from Manchester, as she played with her son George.


From where I stood, her point made sense. Pristine sandy beaches remind us of the undisturbed islands of the Pacific Ocean, somewhat similar to the setting of Robinson Crusoe’s novel.

Llandudno’s controversial North Shore beach(Image: David Powell)

Yet there is no denying that rocks add a special charm to the coast. Although it seems a little out of place in spaces like family-oriented Llandudno.

This sentiment is reflected in the mixed reviews on Tripadvisor. After a challenging climb up a stony slope to reach the slippery promenade, my “travel advice” for Llandudno’s pebble beach would be to watch your step.