Bridlington

A day on the beach at Brid is what generations of Yorkshire children have grown up with – the perfect family day out. Not as full-on as Scarborough or as genteel as Filey, both a little way up the coast in North Yorkshire, Bridlington has its own east-coast character and a history going back a thousand years or more, when it started out life as a simple fishing village. Two fabulous sand beaches do the honours, with a proper fishing harbour set between them, where you can buy a line and reel and go crabbing off the pier. There's a funfair on the prom, donkeys on the beach, boat rides from the harbour, and plenty of places to buy fish and chips and soak up the seaside vibe – Audrey's is our pick. If the town behind the harbour fails to inspire, that's because the true glory of Brid is in its Georgian Old Town, set a mile or so inland – more antique shop and tea-room than rock and candyfloss. The 12th-century Priory Church and nearby Bayle Museum give a flavour of more prosperous times in Brid, or head out of town to the 400-foot-high chalk-cliff promontory of Flamborough Head for thousands of nesting seabirds and dramatic sea views.