TRIVIA: Which UK beach has the largest catchment area?

[PTR 444]

With hoards of people descending on Bournemouth beach at the weekend, it has got me wondering if it has a large catchment area, as in the settlements for which Bournemouth is their nearest beach. In terms of people visiting their nearest beach, you would have thought most Londoners would go to Southend, but Bournemouth always seems busier. Whether that is just because people prefer that location is anyone's guess, but it would be interesting to see which beach covers the largest amount of people for which that is their nearest beach.

With London being by far the most populous city, I wouldn't be surprised if Southend comes out top, although I think Blackpool might be a close contender due to its proximity to Manchester and possibly being the nearest beach to Birmingham and a large part of the midlands as well.

 

[mmh]

Southend was traditionally where the east end of London went. South of the Thames people go to Brighton, or spend extra time going somewhere with less crowding and a better beach like Eastbourne. Chas and Dave confounded this though by going down to Margate, of course.

The big flows from London are based on where the public transport goes and how fast and expensive it is. If you're driving other places inconvenient on the train become attractive, like Camber.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Would have thought that the beach at Weston-super-Mare would be nearer from Birmingham.

 

[mmh]

Yes, Weston-super-Mare is (usually) full of people from Birmingham. Worth mentioning that some tourist flows aren't simply based on distance but local preferences and traditions, for example Merseysiders heading to North Wales rather than Southport. If there's a beach on your doorstep it doesn't have the same attraction for a day trip as it does for people from away, part of it is being away from home.

 

[cactustwirly]

With hoards of people descending on Bournemouth beach at the weekend, it has got me wondering if it has a large catchment area, as in the settlements for which Bournemouth is their nearest beach. In terms of people visiting their nearest beach, you would have thought most Londoners would go to Southend, but Bournemouth always seems busier. Whether that is just because people prefer that location is anyone's guess, but it would be interesting to see which beach covers the largest amount of people for which that is their nearest beach.

With London being by far the most populous city, I wouldn't be surprised if Southend comes out top, although I think Blackpool might be a close contender due to its proximity to Manchester and possibly being the nearest beach to Birmingham and a large part of the midlands as well.

Eh? Blackpool is nowhere near Birmingham!!
Most poeple from Birmingham would go to Llandudno/Rhyl or Weston

 

[NorthOxonian]

Yes, Weston-super-Mare is (usually) full of people from Birmingham. Worth mentioning that some tourist flows aren't simply based on distance but local preferences and traditions, for example Merseysiders heading to North Wales rather than Southport. If there's a beach on your doorstep it doesn't have the same attraction for a day trip as it does for people from away, part of it is being away from home.

Very much so. For people from Tyneside, the likes of Tynemouth or South Shields make for good "local" beaches, but a proper day trip tends to involve travel to the likes of Saltburn, Whitby, or Scarborough. Though Whitby isn't so much a beach destination as a generally coastal one.

 

[Ianno87]

Yes, Weston-super-Mare is (usually) full of people from Birmingham. Worth mentioning that some tourist flows aren't simply based on distance but local preferences and traditions, for example Merseysiders heading to North Wales rather than Southport. If there's a beach on your doorstep it doesn't have the same attraction for a day trip as it does for people from away, part of it is being away from home.

See also: Bradford's "traditional" connection with Morecambe.

 

[Bald Rick]

Also the quality of the beach itself. Bournemouth is sandy, Brighton is pebbles.

In my experience, Bournemouth is much the more popular beach, whereas Brighton is the more popular resort.

 

[Scotty]

South Yorkshire > Cleethorpes
Notts/Derbys/Lincs > Skegness
North Norfolk > Hunstanton/Sheringham/Cromer

 

[ChiefPlanner]

West Midlands had a strong affiliation with the Cambrian Coast - Stoke to the North Wales coast in the days when this market was catered for by rail !

The Valleys of South Wales stormed the likes of Barry and Porthcawl.

The Swansea conurbation (!) went to Swansea Bay or Aberavon - the more discerning went to Tenby. (the latter being a steelworks / heavy industry free resort)

 

[gg1]

Eh? Blackpool is nowhere near Birmingham!!
Most poeple from Birmingham would go to Llandudno/Rhyl or Weston

Blackpool was historically still a very popular destination from Birmingham and the Black Country, in the years immediately prior to World War 2 living in West Bromwich my dad's family holidays as a young child were always to Blackpool by way of LMS excursions. They used to travel from the long closed Spon Lane station, he remembers one year seeing a few fully loaded excursion trains to the same destination passing through the station non stop before their train arrived.

 

[Statto]

New Brighton & Southport were popular resorts back in the day not just for locals either, New Brighton has had a revival last few years with the new developments

 

[Bald Rick]

Blackpool was historically still a very popular destination from Birmingham and the Black Country, in the years immediately prior to World War 2 living in West Bromwich my dad's family holidays as a young child were always to Blackpool by way of LMS excursions. They used to travel from the long closed Spon Lane station, he remembers one year seeing a few fully loaded excursion trains to the same destination passing through the station non stop before their train arrived.

Yep. My Black Country ancestors in the 1950s went variously to Blackpool, Llandudno and Saundersfoot (Pembrokeshire). Always by car though.

 

[eMeS]

Brought up in the Manchester area, our coastal holidays in the 1940s/50s were the North Wales Coast or the Grange-over Sands area. My early memories are of Army and RAF training, with ration books being very important. We went by train from Manchester Exchange, and Dad was always on edge making sure that our trunk wasn't taken off the train before reaching our destination, for a 2 week holiday.
I now live in Milton Keynes which is probably as far from the nearest coast as anywhere in England.

 

[John Griffiths]

Glasgow and the industrial west of Scotland would go in large numbers to Whitley Bay.

 

[Bald Rick]

Glasgow and the industrial west of Scotland would go in large numbers to Whitley Bay.

And St Anne’s near Blackpool. Lots of Scots influence there.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

... it would be interesting to see which beach covers the largest amount of people for which that is their nearest beach.

St Anne’s near Blackpool. Lots of Scots influence there.

Fylde Coast resorts such as Blackpool and Lytham St. Anne's always been popular with Scottish folk.

But going back to the OP's original post, it's scarcely the nearest beach area to Scotland, is it?