EVEN though some Brits only head to the beach in the summer, there are some seaside spots that have the perfect wintertime activity.
Madeleine Bunting is an award-winning author and travel writer who has spent the last two years visiting 40 seaside towns in England.
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She documented her coastal adventures in her new book, The Seaside: England’s Love Affair.
While Brits visiting the seaside during the summer may not be on the lookout for a warm brew in a beach cafe, they make for an ideal haven away from the bitter cold in the colder months.
Madeleine told Sun Online Travel: “There’s nothing quite like it being the middle of winter and heading to the beach when the waves are crashing – the sound is wonderful.”
“While trips to the sea in the winter are always fun, they’re definitely better when there’s somewhere to retreat to for a cup of coffee.”
Madeleine revealed the top three beaches in the UK to visit in the winter thanks to their cosy coffee shops.
She added: “There’s a wonderful cafe in Mablethorpe. It’s on the coast, just north of Skegness, and it’s right on the beach. It’s called the North Sea Observatory.
“You can sit in there and listen to the waves crashing. Because it has these glass windows, it really feels like the waves will roll right over the cafe.
“I can’t think of another cafe that gives you a better experience of the beach in the winter.”
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The North Sea Observatory is set on the outskirts of the seaside resort town of Chapel St Leonards in Skegness.
In addition to the coffee shop, there’s also an art gallery inside the observatory.
Madeleine added: “You can sit in an armchair and just watch the beach and the waves.”
And Chapel St Leonards isn’t the only seaside town in the UK with a beach cafe that has Madeleine’s seal of approval either.
She added: “The Gibraltar Point Cafe is on the Lincolnshire Coast.
“The cafe is right on the beach and from there, you can look out to the sea.”
The Gibraltar Point Cafe can be found inside the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve.
Covering more than 1,000 acres of coasting, the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve is one of the 19 official bird observatories in the UK.
The cafe serves a range of hot and cold drinks and snacks as well as additional extras like High Tide Breakfasts and Sunset Dinners.
But beachside cafes aren’t just limited to seaside spots in the north of the country, Madeleine also praised one in the south too.
She added: “I always love East Devon in the winter because it’s simply beautiful.
“Beer in Devon has a lovely little cove and there’s this shack called the Sea Shanty Beach cafe”.
“It’s the most stunning beach cafe in Devon. It’s right on the beach but I think it’s only open on the weekends.”
The cafe is set in the heart of the Jurassic Coast on the Southwest Coast Path.
During the winter months, the Sea Shanty Beach Cafe is open from Thursday through to Sunday.
The cafe serves up a variety of fry-ups, plenty of which cater to vegans and vegetarians, as well as seaside classics like fish finger sandwiches and wholetail scampi.
Earlier this month, Madeleine also revealed the three seaside towns that are better to visit in the winter than in the summer.
One of those places is Robin Hood’s Bay, an old fishing village, set on the North York Moors.
She said: “Robin Hood’s Bay gets very crowded in the summer, but in the winter there’s more space in the village.”
Meanwhile, one northern seaside town has been nicknamed the Las Vegas of the UK thanks to its arcades, cabaret, and sandy beaches.
The traditional seaside town of Skegness has been likened to the American city for several years.
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