The best locations, close to home, to top out on vitamin D
"The sun is abundant. With pleasure pays. In the sunlit hours, the bright days, and the long green weeks. That is never over. The school has ended. We may use the time as we like.
In his poem "June," John Updike stated as much. However, it's unlikely that the late American author and poet ever had to engage in phone fights with gastropubs to reserve an outdoor table ahead of time or stare in dismay at the skincare section of every chemist where come the first ray of sunshine, it seems to sell out of all but the cheapest and most adhesive-like brands of sun block.
The 10 sunniest places in the UK - good to see Bournemouth in Dorset on the list https://t.co/8zDaj7P9kx
— Sarah Amani (@S_Amani) March 25, 2023
Finding the UK hot places where you're most likely to be able to spend the day with the refulgence of a British summer as a steady, sun-smeared companion requires a certain amount of forensic accuracy. These are the top ten UK locations for warmth and comfort based on weather data from the previous year, along with recommendations on where to stay when the sun goes down and heat rash sets in.
The UK's sunniest locations
Bognor Regis
Bognor has welcomed several famous visitors even though the beach is shingle rather than sandy, including King George V, Queen Elizabeth's grandfather, who came here to recover from lung operations in 1929. Later, in his honor, the prefix Regis, which in Latin means "of the King," was added. There are only three remaining Butlins resorts in the UK, and a certain Billy Butlin constructed an amusement park here just a few years later. The park eventually transformed into a resort. James Joyce is said to have "borrowed" the name Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker from a tombstone in the town's cemetery to give his main character in Finnegan's Wake that name. Finnegan's Wake is not a good light holiday read. Storm damage has drastically shortened the town's pier, although it is still worthwhile for a little stroll. Goodwood Racetrack and the enormous cathedral in Arundel are two local sights that are well preserved.
Where to stay: If you're looking for a chic, locally-focused hotel, The Pig in the South Downs is only a 20-minute drive away.
Bournemouth
On this length of what were heathland and seashore only 200 years ago, there was only one freshly constructed summerhouse, built by an army commander named Louis Tregonwell. He also planted the first of the town's astonishing number of present-day green areas, which are dominated by pine trees. The pier has gotten a new lease on life since a zip-line ride was added, making the three old cliff-top funiculars look a little bit old. Nevertheless, one of England's most significant private art collections, the Rusell-Cotes Museum, offers even stranger delights. The galleries, which are housed in the opulent former home of the eponymous Victorian-era hoteliers' family, feature Stanley Spencer artwork and marble sculptures of certain (mainly very grumpy-looking) historical figures, like Nelson and Disraeli.
Where to stay: This Victorian beachfront flat on Airbnb looks amazing and has room for three beachcombers.
Brighton
Opinions on the grand dame of English beach resorts are still divided. There's no escaping the fact that this is a town that does things its way, even to the point of leaving one of its most entertaining sites a derelict structure; the long-abandoned West Pier, whose skeletal remains are slowly falling into the spume, but whether you think of it as the ideal retro-getaway or merely an adjunct of London with a stretch of pebbles. This summer, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix will be playing at the much-loved Brighton Dome. Stewart Lee and Arlo Parks will also be playing there, and there's no denying that the Royal Pavilion's painted chinoiserie and crazy minarets continue to represent Brighton at its loudest, most defiant, and hedonistic best.
Where to stay: The Drake, located in the heart of Brighton, is probably not the best place for a peaceful night's rest, but its lively vibe exudes charisma, from its stunning Georgian townhouse frontage to its Art Deco-inspired interior and superior rooms' floor-to-ceiling windows and freestanding baths.
Sands of Camber
The grassy dunes and huge bay of Camber, one of the biggest sandy beaches in southeast Britain, are most frequently seen by tourists making day trips from neighboring Rye. Although it takes around two hours to walk from Camber to Rye, you can also walk back out and onto Winchelsea Beach after exploring the town's maze of cobblestone streets and half-timbered homes. The Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is located at this shingle beach, which is less popular than Camber's creamy, sandy dunes. Sit inside one of the bird hides with a view of the salt flats and reed beds, and you might be able to see kingfishers, tufted ducks, and herons against the backdrop of the setting sun in the late afternoon.
The Gallivant feels like the kind of seaside-chic retreat you'd be more likely to stumble into in Cape Cod with modish prints on the walls, elegantly chipped clapboard walls, and reading rooms with comfy sofas where the sun floods in the late morning. It is located right by those revered dunes of Camber. With a focus on English wines from neighboring vineyards and creative breakfast dishes such as spiced Turkish poached hen's eggs with lemon and dill yogurt, paprika butter, and chili, the restaurant is also a knockout.
Eastbourne
Over the years, Claude Debussy, George Orwell, and, surprisingly, Marx and Engels have all stayed in Eastbourne. They may have picked it over a two-week package deal to Tsarist Russia because of the chalky, crumbly cliffs and grand pier, which was destroyed in a fire in 2014 and has since been fixed. Although this Kent seaside bastion has a well-deserved reputation as a refuge for retirees, there is more than enough to attract non-octogenarians to the area around the town hall, which is now known—perhaps not disparagingly—as "Little Chelsea." The Congress Theatre, Devonshire Park Theatre, and Winter Garden are three of the town's fashionable brasseries, along with Nelson's and The Art House.
Where to stay: Located directly on the beachfront, the Port Hotel has a modern, black exterior that appears to be a townhouse that has wandered off one of the Upper East Side's more opulent boulevards. The 19 rooms, which include dried flowers and Hypnos beds, exude an air of chicness that is yet innately cozy. An example of how to update a seafront Victorian hotel for the twenty-first century.
The Island of Wight
Although the Island of Wight is just around 20 miles long at its widest point and has a respectable music festival nowadays, Queen Victoria, who moved here nearly permanently following the death of Prince Albert in 1841, would still recognize the area. Her Italianate mansion, complete with its enormous terraces, is still accessible today and has hardly altered since she passed away there in 1901. Sandown, the sole dock on the island, is an excellent place to start if you want a less somber experience. From there, you may stroll up the 100-foot-high cliffs to the thatched cottages of Shanklin hamlet. The "Shanklin Chine" is a lovely place to stroll in the evening during the summer down a winding walk decorated with fairy lights that drops into a little, mossy ravine.
Where to stay: The 10-minute "flight" by hovercraft is the most entertaining way to go to the Island of Wight, and the service from Portsmouth to Ryde is the last one still in operation on earth. The Royal Esplanade is an antique from the Victorian era, located just by the harbor where you enter. Visit Cowes' lovely boutique hangout Foresters Hall for something a little more upscale.
Margate
Nobody anticipated it, but when the Turner Contemporary opened in this formerly run-down Kent beach town in 2011, it was like a cultural thunderbolt. A boutique hotel is now owned by Carl Barat, a former member of The Libertines, and there are hipster-accented tacos and margaritas to savor at the Dive bar and seafood delights as turbot head brawn and rock oysters at Angela's. Yet, traditional seaside entertainment (i.e., indoor activities) stays up with Bugsy's, a tremendously entertaining traditional 10-pin bowling alley that has hosted strikes and gutter throws since 1964. There is no longer any truth to Oscar Wilde's mocking comment that Margate is "the non de plume for Ramsgate."
The Reading Rooms isn't exactly beachside, but its setting on the elegant Georgian Hawley Square more than makes up for it. With chandeliers, wildflowers, and bare flooring, the three bedrooms all have a deliciously louche, Parisian artists garret air. Also, there is no breakfast room, leaving you with no alternative except to recline in bed while receiving a Full English brought to your state of sleep. The way it ought to be.
St. David's
The sole non-English item on our UK sunshine list is nominally a city but is a lovely town overshadowed by a massive, purple, and gold 13th-century cathedral erected in honor of Saint. David was born at the sea-facing Chapel of St. Non. David was born at the sea-facing Chapel of St. Non. The city is a great starting point for coastal excursions around Pembrokeshire, where caving, kayaking, and hiking can keep the adventurous busy for days. The Bug Kitchen, a restaurant that uses insect proteins to make surprisingly delicious pakoras and even Bolognese, is a significant diversion from seaside fish and chips.
Where to stay: The entire family may stay at this four-bedroom, a 19th-century home listed on Airbnb.
Salcombe
The yachtie haven of Salcombe, located in Devon's South Hams, is tucked away at the edge of an estuary and has long since undergone gentrification from its previous life as a modest fishing community. If the crowds of people during peak season get too overwhelming, you may stroll up Salcombe Hill. The Salcombe Maritime Museum (open from April to October) is a fun small facility highlighting the seafaring history of the region. On clear days, Portland Bill may be seen in this area from the Norman Lockyer observatory and its spectacular vistas.
Where to stay: The Salcombe Harbour Hotel and Spa feel more like a tiny resort hotel in one of the chicer Caribbean islands. It sits just back from the ocean and directly on the South West Coastal Path. On the roof, there are DJ sets and yoga classes, and the suites, which all come with decanters of gin, have a cruise ship suite atmosphere with sleek, wooden writing tables, blankets with blue stripes, and great views of the ships and frigates floating in the turquoise seas.
Torquay
The mini-corniche, promenades, and much-lauded palm trees do give Torquay an exotic, Cote d'Azur-like air, but Torre Abbey, which dates back to 1196 and has art galleries with window designs by Edward Burne-Jones and illustrations by William Blake, decisively favors Anglophone aesthetics over Villefranche. The best sections of sand are at Meadfoot Beach, although a short walk will take you to Babbacombe and Watcombe for less crowded areas of the golden, silky sand.
Where to stay: In the adjacent Paington area at this charming Airbnb property.
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