Your favourite seaside terminus UK station (and town)

[peterblue]

cant believe nobody has mentioned my favourite seaside town of Paignton yet.

My second favourite would be Cleethorpes.
Although in both cases, this is largely due to the beautiful journey to get there!
Southport and Saltburn are both nice places to visit too

As for stations, it just depends on whether or not you count Wemyss bay....

Forgot about Wemyss Bay. That's a beautiful station, though not a massive town.

 

[MarkyT]

Slightly different but riverside stations near the sea can be lovely such as Gourock and the magnificent Wemyss Bay.
And for a station that’s never had trains what about Dartmouth with Kingswear on the other side.
We’ll leave Stranraer Harbour out!

Kingswear is the actual terminus and it's lovely even without the remote booking office on the other side. The water's certainly tidal and brackish there. I just wish there was some form of later public transport back from there so I could go out for an evening in Dartmouth. Thank goodness the idea years ago (80s?) to move the railway station back up the Dart from the existing site and develop the land next the Marina never happened.

 

[Requeststop]

I'll disqualify myself from St Ives as I'm almost a local and I was born and brought up within the Borough of St Ives.
I could like others nominate Penzance but it's a bit "iffy" at times and really lacks a decent beach within the town, unless you count Marazion which isn't within Penzance.
So I'm going to nominate a strange one that others may have overlooked. West Kirby.
It's a pleasant little terminus station and I found the area around the town to be quite pleasant in a 1930/1940's sort of way with good shopping as well and a decent beach with a good view over to Wales.
I do have to say that's it's so much better than the other seaside terminus village/town on the Wirral, New Brighton which seems to have no seaside atmosphere at all.

 

[Western Sunset]

Swanage is good too; bit like going back to the 50s/60s...

 

[Narrowgauge725]

Whitby and arrive in style behind a North York Moors steam loco

 

[Bletchleyite]

I could like others nominate Penzance but it's a bit "iffy" at times and really lacks a decent beach within the town, unless you count Marazion which isn't within Penzance.

I like Penzance but to me it feels more like a small port town than a seaside town - probably the lack of a beach as you say.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Morecambe's old station was quaint and charming even after years of neglect, unlike the platform-in-car-park it has now...

Then again the town has never been the same since the amusement park was closed, though it's probably a slightly nicer place to live now.

I would also nominate Filey and Bridlington, but they don't qualify as they aren't termini.

 

[D6130]

Aberystwyth is okay

Ah. I won’t suggest Pwllheli then.

(Yes, I know you said English!)

Second choice Llandudno, it's

Slightly different but riverside stations near the sea can be lovely such as Gourock and the magnificent Wemyss Bay.
And for a station that’s never had trains what about Dartmouth with Kingswear on the other side.
We’ll leave Stranraer Harbour out!

Llandudno probably similar to Southport in nature though it's got a lot nicer of late, it did

If we are allowed to include Scotland, then there are some attractive additions to be added to the list. How about Wick and Thurso?

As for stations, it just depends on whether or not you count Wemyss bay....

Forgot about Wemyss Bay. That's a beautiful station, though not a massive town.

All off-topic, as the OP specified English seaside resorts!

However, if Scottish destinations are permitted.... I'll vote for Helensburgh Central.

 

[60159]

All off-topic, as the OP specified English seaside resorts!

However, if Scottish destinations are permitted.... I'll vote for Helensburgh Central.

Apologies, missed the word “English”.

 

[Ken H]

Can I have Portsmouth Harbour? The fact that ferries to Gosport and Ryde go from there, and its a generally busy place. Not far from the beach by where the hovercraft go from. Pity its a bit of a trek to Old Portsmouth and the Spice Island pub.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I would also nominate Filey and Bridlington, but they don't qualify as they aren't termini.

To be fair, most trains from Hull (via Beverley) do actually terminate at Bridlington during the week, rather than continue on to Scarborough.

 

[Ken H]

No nominations for Severn Beach then?

 

[Djgr]

I'd say first choice Brighton (it's just quite cool having what is essentially a full-scale London terminus that feels like a mini replica of Victoria in a far smaller place). Second choice Llandudno, it's smaller, but just nice now they've done it up (though it was grim for years). Then probably third choice Southport (which is a similarly to Brighton big, mainline feeling station). Honourable mention for West Kirby which has quite a nice building though in a typical Merseyrail way it's not in the best state of repair and isn't used to anything like its potential.

A nice cafe called Toast within West Kirby Station, which gets extra brownie points for staying open pretty much every day during COVID debacle.

 

[sh24]

St Ives, though technically its in the Peoples Republic of Kernow The station is nothing special but the view from it certainly is.

To be honest, most English seaside towns are a bit grim. I don't get the love for Brighton at all, and lots of people rave about Whitstable which other than some oysters is totally nondescript.

Surprised no-ones mentioned Barry Island. That is a class day out!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Surprised no-ones mentioned Barry Island. That is a class day out!

Maybe because it's in Wales? Just saying!

 

[urbophile]

Honourable mention for West Kirby which has quite a nice building though in a typical Merseyrail way it's not in the best state of repair and isn't used to anything like its potential.

I find it sad that the original station building is not in railway use, although it's the way in to the station. It would be much better if the ticket office were where the (admittedly rather nice) café is, and the ugly brick shack were demolished. The Art Deco platform canopy is attractive but needs refurbishing.

.....Morecambe. With the Eden Project coming, the latter really does need improving, even if they don't take it back to the old site (which would probably be no bad thing as it's much nearer Eden, though the present station is much nearer most of the rest of the town so it's a bit of a tradeoff).

I remember arriving at the old Promenade station on childhood holidays in the 50s and 60s. It was (and maybe still is in its present incarnation) very pleasant, with a holiday feel. I've not used the new station but having caught a glimpse of it turned away in horror.

 

[NickBucks]

Cromer. Magnificent resort and a cracking journey from Norwich.

 

[Busaholic]

I like Penzance but to me it feels more like a small port town than a seaside town - probably the lack of a beach as you say.

We like to call it a 'working town'. Not even a Cornish cream tea on offer. Actually, trying to get any cup of tea after 4.30 p.m.....

 

[Pinus contorta]

Mallaig

 

[Sun Chariot]

Mallaig

The thread title and OP's ask, is

Your favourite seaside terminus English station (and town)​

Mallaig, Kyle and Oban are all wonderful places; sadly they're the wrong side of the border.

 

[MikeWM]

Cromer. Magnificent resort and a cracking journey from Norwich.

I really like Cromer, but the railway station is extremely basic. A little better than Sheringham (also a very nice town) but that's because Sheringham is as basic a railway station as it can get.

Probably the best combination of decent station and decent town is going to have to be Scarborough.

I don't share the love on this thread for Whitby - possibly because the rail service is so rubbish, possibly because it is hard to get around the narrow pavements when almost everyone seems to be in a buggy or have some sort of walking aid or dog (or both), but also the last time I was there the lack of (non-extortionately priced) public toilet facilities irritated me, especially as that leads to bossy signage everywhere about not having public toilets here and also about having alleys being covered by CCTV etc. No proper cinema in the town either.

Or indeed St Ives, which tends to rub me up the wrong way with narrow streets and too much road traffic trying to use them. I've never enjoyed a trip there, and I've tried a few times.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Another vote for Cleethorpes. No other station could be closer to the beach than it is there. Not a posh resort but fine if you like a typical British bucket and spade, fish and chips, bingo and slot machines, day out at the seaside.

 

[MikeWM]

Another vote for Cleethorpes. No other station could be closer to the beach than it is there. Not a posh resort but fine if you like a typical British bucket and spade, fish and chips, bingo and slot machines, day out at the seaside.

Last time I was in Cleethorpes I had a very nice fish and chips, and then saw a helicopter land on the beach, which was very interesting There's not much positive to be said about the station itself though.

 

[yorksrob]

Bexhill has quite an impressive seafront and the remaining Central station is very impressive, but it's not a terminus. However, the old West station was a very impressive terminus and the booking hall is still there (had tea and a scone there last year).

 

[peterblue]

I don't share the love on this thread for Whitby - possibly because the rail service is so rubbish, possibly because it is hard to get around the narrow pavements when almost everyone seems to be in a buggy or have some sort of walking aid or dog (or both), but also the last time I was there the lack of (non-extortionately priced) public toilet facilities irritated me, especially as that leads to bossy signage everywhere about not having public toilets here and also about having alleys being covered by CCTV etc. No proper cinema in the town either.

There's always spoons for a free public toilet!

 

[bramling]

We like to call it a 'working town'. Not even a Cornish cream tea on offer. Actually, trying to get any cup of tea after 4.30 p.m.....

Penzance itself is a slight anti-climax (and to be fair it doesn’t pretend to be anything special), however the station itself is decent, has a working signal box, and the final approach past St Michaels Mount and along Mount’s Bay is spectacular, at least if you’re looking out of the south side.

 

[Iskra]

Last time I was in Cleethorpes I had a very nice fish and chips, and then saw a helicopter land on the beach, which was very interesting There's not much positive to be said about the station itself though.

The pub is decent enough!

I'd have to say St Ives, there's not many English seaside towns where you could be mistaken for thinking you were on the French Riviera with the palm trees, a warm exotic breeze and lovely golden beach. You don't get quite the same feeling at New Clee.

I also like Kingswear, although I'm not sure whether it qualifies for this thread.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

To be fair, most trains from Hull (via Beverley) do actually terminate at Bridlington during the week, rather than continue on to Scarborough.

I'd taken "terminus" in the thread title to mean in terms of the station layout, i.e. trains can only enter from one end.

 

[Ken H]

Cromer. Magnificent resort and a cracking journey from Norwich.

Is it a terminus? Trains go on to Sheringham but need to reverse.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Has no one mentioned Saltburn yet? That would get my vote.

Once past the horrors of post-industrial Teesside, you find a genteel old fashioned resort and from there you can either have a beach walk back to Marske and Redcar or a clifftop ramble to Staithes. Also, once past Middlesbrough you're likely to have a carriage to yourself and arriving at your destination on a half empty 185 is a lot nicer than arriving on a cramped 150 or 156!