A HISTORIC village in the North-East with a population of 400 has been ranked Britain’s best coastal destination.

A poll of nearly 3,000 holidaymakers commissioned by consumer group Which? indicated that Bamburgh in Northumberland is the country’s most highly rated resort.

Postcard views from the beach nearby include Bamburgh Castle, the seat of the former Kings of Northumbria, and it is also the burial place of Victorian era heroine Grace Darling.

It triumphed over better known and pricier locations, earning a customer score of 89 per cent due to the quality of its beach, seafront, food and value for money.

Italian Riviera-inspired Portmeirion, North Wales was in second place on 88 per cent.

Languishing at the bottom of the table were Bognor Regis, West Sussex and Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, which both earned a score of just 47 per cent.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel magazine, said: “These ratings won’t make happy reading for some of those destinations many of us remember from childhood breaks of times gone by, which may have failed to keep pace with trendier destinations or those offering a better overall experience for our hard-earned cash.

“But whether you fancy blowing out the cobwebs in Bamburgh, pottering around in Portmeirion or taking your bucket and spade to St Mawes, it’s clear that the great British seaside has something for everyone.”