Named as the ‘worst seaside in the UK’ in a recent Seaside Gentrification Index, I went to see what it’s really like to live in Rhyl, North Wales
For many Brits, there’s nothing quite like a day at the seaside – breathing in the fresh sea air, tucking into fish and chips and enjoying some form of amusement.
However, since the decline in UK tourism due to package holidays abroad, some seaside resorts have taken a hit, and Rhyl is one of them.
The North Wales town in Denbighshire was dubbed the worst seaside in the UK in the Telegraph’s 2023 Seaside Gentrification Index. The index examined 20 classic resorts to see how they’ve adapted, or failed to, over the past three decades, taking into account high streets, renovations, and ‘cultural clout’.
While the paper described the place as currently ‘no fun’, it could be on the rise thanks to £85m worth of investment, including £25m as part of the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative.
I spent a day there to get a real sense of what it’s like and to chat with the locals who call it home, and while some say it’s lost its charm, others insisted it’s still a fantastic place to live.
Stepping off the train in quiet Rhyl, the only hint that we’re by the sea is the squawking seagulls overhead. The town centre is much like any other struggling town, filled with bargain shops, charity shops, and the occasional takeaway and beauty salon.
But once you reach the beach, hidden behind the large concrete car park and concrete turrets shielding the closed fun fair, there lies a stunning coastline with the picturesque Welsh mountains embracing the shore.
Locals adore the two-mile stretch of sandy beach, but it’s what lies beyond that they’re less than pleased with.
Michelle Clarke, a Manchester native who relocated to the area seven years ago, told me she loves capturing the seafront’s beauty in photographs at least once a week. “I just love the calmness of the sea,” she shared.
“It’s beautiful. Pointing towards the hills, she continues: “You can even see the I’m A Celebrity castle. It’s spectacular when it’s all illuminated at night.
The mum-of-one said the community gathers every month for a beach clean-up, and during my visit, it appears immaculate. However, Michelle admits that crime, particularly drug use, is a problem.
“There is a bad reputation with drug users, too many shops are closing, it has deteriorated. But if it had the funding, Rhyl would be back on the map again.
Allan Jones, a dog walker from Hereford, was visiting while he cat sat for a friend in the area. He remarked: “It’s all very pleasant along the front but once you venture further, it’s all rather drab.”
A dog-walking couple, Malcolm and Elizabeth Husband, agreed. Hailing from the nearby market town of Abergele, Elizabeth had been visiting Rhyl since she was six, and praised the “beautiful beach”. But she admitted they seldom ventured into the town as it’s “not a very nice place anymore.
Just by the mini concrete amphitheatre on the promenade, which showcases photographs of the seaside town from 1794-2006, a man, who wished to remain anonymous, strolled with his 93 year old father. He grew up here, while his dad had been a Rhyl resident since he was 22. He lamented that the town has changed over the years, but not for the better.
Pointing towards the mini theatre, which appeared neglected, he grumbled: “It used to be nice and open, you could see through to the seafront, now there are all of these buildings.”
He reminisced about the town’s golden era when bustling hotels and guesthouses had prime sea views, but they have since been converted into multi-occupancy flats.
“When you’ve got adverts in the prisons in Manchester saying ‘go live in Rhyl by the sea’… It’s the same as any other town centre, no worse no better. Every area has got one.
“We’ve had investment before but the council spends money on daft things. They don’t know how to spend money properly. You won’t get the guesthouses back on the front, you can’t turn the clock back. It’s just one of those things.”
The Telegraph gave Rhyl a dismal score of five out of 100, placing it a whopping 93 points below its favourite resort, St Ives in Cornwall.
They summed up the town as having “no past, no arts or entertainment, no fun” and said it was the perfect example of “how not to do things” – after recalling that it was once described as ‘Blackpool after a neutron bomb’.
It highlights its lack of a grand pier, with North Wales’ oldest pier demolished in 1973, and how efforts to attract visitors with the White Rose Shopping Centre in 1984 and a museum and library complex in 1986 both failed.
“The Ocean Beach funfair closed in 2007. A Sky Tower ride was decommissioned. There were plans to make it a light show; it’s now a pay-and-display car park,” the write-up added.
During my visit on a Tuesday lunchtime in March, I struggled to find a traditional fish and chip shop, fairground rides were at a standstill, and shutters remained drawn on ice-cream parlours along the promenade – which apparently only open in the summer months.
But things could be looking up for Rhyl, as in recent years the council has made considerable efforts to transform the area. It secured £25 million as part of the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative and more than £65 million in investment has also delivered projects like the SC2 Waterpark, Pont y Ddraig bridge, and harbour improvements.
At one end there is a massive The Range store and an Aldi, at the opposite end of the beach sits the stylish new restaurant, 1891, which is connected to the refurbished Pavilion Theatre.
Meanwhile in the town centre is the Queen’s Market, which functions as an indoor market hall and events space. The Rhyl Air Show has traditionally attracted visitors each August, and efforts were made to increase footfall with the addition of tourist attraction Zip World’s Skyflyer.
An anonymous NHS worker, aged 56, told me that Rhyl is on the up and disagreed with its unofficial title as the UK’s worst seaside town. He walked his dog along the beach every day and suggested that it would be ‘paradise’ if you could transplant it into a major city.
“You could put Rhyl into any major city, Manchester, London, and it would be paradise,” he said. “It has a bad reputation but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a nice place.
“There is never any trouble in the town, prices are reasonable. There is good and bad in everywhere. Rhyl is turning the corner.”
The manager of the Pro Kitesurfing school Lewis Guerrero also told me he believes that there had been noticeable improvements thanks to recent financial investments.
Lewis, who chooses to spend his free time in Rhyl as well as work there, doesn’t understand why it receives so much criticism, especially when compared to other seaside towns along the North Wales coast.”
“I think Rhyl has its bad parts, but everywhere does. Rhyl gets a bad rap but it does have a lot of hidden gems,” he said.
“People are surprised at how nice it is down here because they’ve only heard bad things. It’s beautiful. We have people that travel from Birmingham, Leeds, just to come here to kitesurf. I think it’s beautiful. I’m here every day and it has some of the best views and especially at sunset.”
“Everyone comes here in the summer to watch the sunset, and have a beer in the cafe. There is plenty of opportunity here, it is a growing town at the minute. Within the last five years, this whole coast has completely changed.”
Councillor Jason McLellan, leader of Denbighshire County Council, pledged to carry on securing fresh investment for Rhyl and launched Rhyl Youth Centre.
“The town centre has been struggling recently, as has been seen up and down the country, however Denbighshire County Council and all the hard-working Rhyl Councillors are committed to long-term development and overall, the aim of this huge regeneration project is to invest in the town for the benefit of our residents.”
