There is no better way to enjoy a British summer's day than with a traditional trip to the seaside. However, while the nation offers plenty of stunning beaches and coastal spots, consumer experts Which? previously labelled a "traditional bucket-and-spade resort" as among the worst seaside locations in Britain.

As the biggest town on the Essex coast, Clacton-on-Sea is an affordable seaside resort providing all the facilities one might expect from a coastal destination. It boasts a pleasure pier, amusement arcades, and of course, a sandy beach. However, according to research conducted by Which?, those heading to the coastal town were hardly impressed with what awaited them, reports Essex Live.

Clacton-on-Sea achieved just 48% in the rankings, sitting at the bottom of the list of seaside destinations included in the survey alongside Skegnes.

Which? said: "They were rated an average three out of five stars for their beaches, but visitors were less impressed with their run-down seafronts - with Skegness mustering just one star in this category. Both were also rated just one star for peace and quiet."

The report acknowledged that visitors commended the town's "lovely" seafront gardens and its "fantastic" annual airshow.

Meanwhile, on Tripadvisor, Clacton-on-Sea's beach holds an impressive rating of 4.3 out of five stars. Previous visitors have complimented the beach for its cleanliness, with some even describing it as the "jewel" of Essex.

One reviewer, posting in 2022, raved: "Clacton-on-sea has a lovely clean sandy beach with palm trees and is a great place to visit while on holiday or just a day out the kids will love it as there is so much to do."

A second holidaymaker shared similar sentiments, stating: "It's sunny, has a sandy beach, there are patrol on hand in [an] emergency. People are coming [from] all over the place. Lots of attractions and places to eat and buy fish and chips and ice cream. The jewel of Essex."

Another tourist applauded: "Clacton on sea beach is beautiful clean, lovely bars, resturants, people are also friendly, [I] will definitely recommend to my friends and family and will come back soon."

A fourth remarked: "Really great family holiday area. has everything for a great family holiday. Great beaches on each side of a pier filled with amusements and fun rides. Right side of pier the beach is very shallow and great for children. Clacton is full of every kind of shops, countless restaurants and take away meals, delicious ice cream, chips , savoury food, doughnuts and even an old fashioned sea food stall. Very friendly people."

Finally, another said: "Love this seaside town, great beaches, pier and a feeling of yesteryear and all the usual seaside fun of amusements, fish and chips and ice cream! The road train and seeing mods of mopeds is fun too ! Very lovely vibe on a sunny day and lots of things to see and do!"

A disgruntled visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: "Toilets are unbelievably bad. One of the gents closed due to vandalism. And another one saying no toilet paper will be supplied until further notice. Also can not wash hands as soap dispensers have been removed. Do the council just want to drive visitors away!"

Another remarked: "40 years ago we had family in Clacton and enjoyed many visits there, recently we came for a day and couldn't believe what a dump the town had turned into. Everywhere looked deprived, we came for the day in a campervan with no intention of staying overnight, but were banned from parking along the seafront. Went to Jaywick and was pleasantly surprised how much it has changed for the better."

A third posted: "Not much to do, I love the amusements but to be honest there is not much down there to do. The whole area is very shabby, tired, and rough, and will not return."

Nevertheless, not every visitor left with an unfavourable impression of the coastal resort.