Saltwater Living

Relocating to the coast is the dream of many of our readers. I often receive letters from people who found their home in our sister publication, coast, and they write to me to tell me how much they are loving their new life by the sea. However, with the boom in property prices around our coastline, it can be harder to seek out the more affordable areas to move to. With that in mind, I have compiled over 30 destinations that you might consider making your new home. Many people who love being by the sea enjoy the atmosphere of a harbour or marina and perhaps sail themselves, so I have included a special section on marina living, looking at some of the best waterside restaurants, some of the new developments…

This colourful scene may look like it took place on the other side of the world, but in fact this is Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. With aerialists, acrobats, musicians, rope walkers, dancers and puppeteers, Circus Raj entertained crowds at the Festival of the Sky in Cleethorpes last September. The popular group, which tours extensively, is made up of elite street performers from Rajasthan. On sandy Cleethorpes Beach, they treated the audience to a blend of Rajasthani drama, music, surprises and feats of daring, brought to life against a vibrant backdrop of traditional fabrics, rugs and costumes.…

KENT COAST, CHANNEL VIEWS Along with the Kent seaside hotspots of Deal and Broadstairs, Ramsgate is becoming increasingly popular with relocators and beachside bolthole-buyers who love its chichi Royal Harbour. If you’re on the property hunt, The Sail – a collection of 22 luxury beachfront apartments within the Royal Sands development at Ramsgate – has just been launched by Blueberry Homes. The two-bedroom apartments and penthouses are just metres from the beach and each has a private terrace with uninterrupted Channel views. The properties also come with private parking and a choice of kitchen and bathroom finishes. Prices are from £400,000 to £775,000, call 07377 266194 or go to royalsandsramsgate.com. GREEN SHOOTS Planning on redecorating this spring? Then browse the rich and subtle colour palette from eco-friendly Earthborn paints, a company that prints…

My favourite seasick spot has to be my home patch, the Jurassic Coast, especially the stretch from Ringstead Bay in Dorset to Branscombe Beach in Devon. My connection to Ringstead goes back to when I was around five years old and my parents took us there on holiday. Afterwards, my friend Charlie’s family holidayed there and, for about a decade, until my late teens, I joined them for a week every summer. We loved to explore the pebbly beach and the rockpools at low tide, looking for prawns, blennies, gobies and crabs. It hooked me, and is the reason why I’ve lived on the South West coast for nearly 20 years. Now, one of my favourite spots is Lyme Bay, especially Axmouth Harbour (pictured), where I used to keep a little…

The British seaside on a good day – there is nowhere better. I was brought up near Canterbury in Kent so we used to go to Kingsdown Beach, where a family member had a beach hut, and we’d go shrimping and cook the shrimps for tea – fantastic fun. We still use that hut today. Beach huts are iconic pieces of British culture – I love that they are an escape from technology and a place to gather and relax. It is kind of back to basics, and I think that’s healthy and good. They’re expensive now – but there are plenty of places where you can rent them. I surf, and I’ve got a long, narrow wooden board. You can’t stand on it, but it’s longer than a boogie board, so…

FOR… GORGEOUS VIEWS Llandudno, Conwy In a fabulous location close to the Snowdonia National Park, ‘the Queen of Welsh resorts’ is an elegant confection of Regency and Victorian Gothic architecture, a necklace of Marine Drive terraces wrapped around a crescent of North Shore beach and the longest pier in Wales. A vintage tramway trundles up to the Great Orme, the mountainous headland which looms over the town, providing a natural playground and views to die for. Llandudno boasts a railway station and Venue Cymru, the biggest theatre in North Wales. Yet property prices are temptingly low: an eight-bed Victorian semi at £269,950; a former miner’s cottage, £235,000. • Average house price: £229,661. FOR… LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Ayr, Ayrshire This pretty resort on the west coast of Scotland comes up as one the cheapest seaside towns in…