How it rates

Skegness was voted the “most traditional British town” in a recent survey for its tearooms, cricket club, pubs, Butlins holiday camp, stately home — Gunby Hall — and theatre. But the challenge for this Lincolnshire resort is to continue to lure holidaymakers and the retired. Two seafront fires have led to some redevelopment, but the recession is delaying plans for the southern foreshore.

Architectural gems

Lots of kitsch seaside buildings. The Victorian clock tower is a seafront landmark, and some shops on Lumley Road still have their Edwardian glass canopies. The Model Village, built in 1962, is one of the best in Britain.

What’s new

At Tennyson Gate in Burgh Le Marsh, three and four-bedroom detached family homes with garages cost from £159,950 to £204,950 (01754 810703 www.stamford-homes.co.uk).

Travel

Trains to Nottingham take two hours; the nearest fast rail link to London is via Grantham, 50 miles away. Lincoln is an hour by car, and the A46 between Lincoln and Newark provides links to the Midlands, but everyone complains about the winding roads to the coast.

Quality of life

Good. Plenty of people from the Midlands and South Yorkshire retire here for the sea air, low cost of living, and pleasingly old-fashioned pace of life (away from the main tourist drag, that is). The resident population of about 20,000 rises tenfold in summer; it is believed that there are more caravans here than anywhere else in Europe.

Smartest streets

Drummond Road, at the southern end of town, where three-bed detached houses start at £250,000. Anywhere near a golf course and with sea views, such as St Andrew’s Drive and Seacroft Esplanade, attracts a premium. The small towns of Burgh Le Marsh and Wainfleet are especially popular.

Restaurants

Daily specials at The Hungry Wolf/Wolfies make this restaurant/bar a popular choice in a town centre dominated by takeaways. The Bollywood is good for Indian. The Vine Hotel has a renowned fine-dining restaurant and literary connections: Tennyson wrote Come into the Garden, Maud here.

Nightlife

The Embassy Theatre hosts the comedians and variety shows expected of a traditional seaside theatre, plus exhibitions and local acts. Harveys and the Litten Tree are big seafront pubs; the Marine Boathouse has live music.

Education

Skegness retains its grammar school, a selective co-ed and state boarding establishment with an excellent reputation. St Clement’s College, a comprehensive, is the alternative. Good primary schools include Richmond and Seathorne. Lincoln Minster School is a respected mixed independent school.

Working life

Leisure and tourism dominate, but efforts are under way to expand the economy. Some locals commute to Boston; the Pilgrim Hospital is a big employer.

Upside

The beach, the sea and the big, open vistas are obvious draws. And “Skeggy” is certainly looking outwards. In September it is the only British destination for the international arts festival SEAS, on its way from the Black Sea.

Downside

The smell of burgers, and it is overrun with holidaymakers in summer.

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