We live in ‘forgotten’ seaside town that’s so cheap homes sell for just £10,000 – but we’ve NEVER gone to the beach
A FORGOTTEN ‘seaside’ town with plenty of tourists has some of the UK’s cheapest homes – but locals have never been to the shingle beach.
Workington in Cumbria sits just a few miles from the Lake District National Park, with a terraced property currently on sale for just £10,000.
Another three-bedroom home is listed at £30,000.
Earlier this summer, it was named in the top 10 seaside towns with the most affordable homes by Rightmove.
The average house price is £141,674, according to the property site’s data.
The busy shopping area boasts high street giants such as Marks and Spencer, and Next.
Workington Beach sits just south of the mouth of the River Derwent and the docks area – although its sand is not exposed until low tide.
The town is the starting point for the Sea-to-Sea Cycle Route (C2C) over the Pennines to Sunderland.
Market stall operator Ian Cale, 63, told The Express he’s “not really ever got down to the beach” and described Workington itself as “a bit rundown” and in need of investment.
Florist Alison Short, 54, said she has never once been to the beach despite living there all her life, adding: “It definitely isn’t a seaside town.”
Shop owner Graeme Cameron, 55, said: “We do get plenty of tourists who come to see the area and a lot of them have got caravans – but a lot of that has to do with the Lakes as it’s cheaper to stay just outside than in the Lakes itself.”
According to Visit Cumbria: “Workington is an ancient market and industrial town at the mouth of the River Derwent, and is the main shopping centre for West Cumbria.
“Some parts of the town north of the River Derwent date back to Roman times.
“It was in the 18th century, with the exploitation of the local iron ore and coal pits, that Workington expanded to become a major industrial town and port.”
Points of interest include Jane Pit on recreational ground off Moss Bay Road.
It is the best surviving example of the ornate castellated style of colliery architecture.
While the ruins of Workington Hall sit on the northeast outskirts of the town, where Mary Queen of Scots once posed as an ordinary woman and wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth I after her forces were defeated at the Battle of Langside.
Do you live in a forgotten town in the UK? Email ryan.merrifield@thesun.co.uk
English seaside village ‘forgotten by the 21st century’ that’s crowd-free
THE tiny village of Cadgwith has been named as a great alternative for tourists looking to avoid the crowds in Cornwall.
St Ives is one of the UK’s most desired holiday destinations, meaning it can get very busy during the summer months.
Luckily, there are plenty of other Cornish towns and villages that are deserving of a visit – including Cadgwith.
Located on the eastern side of the Lizard Peninsula, the tiny fishing village is home to a cluster of thatched cottages that line the sides of its harbour.
It even describes itself as being “forgotten by the 21st century” on its website.
Sykes Holiday Cottages said: “Cadgwith, a quaint village and fishing port in Cornwall, brings all the charm of St Ives with much less people.”
And travel website Cornish Secrets wrote: “Unmissable and un-commercialised, it is the quintessential stuff of picture postcards, where whitewashed ‘chocolate box’ cottages tumble down the narrow windy path to the harbour.”
Cadgwith’s beach is a small shingle beach lined with a fleet of tiny fishing boats, which are still said to be in use.
Meanwhile, The Cadgwith Cove Inn is known for holding singing renditions of Cornish songs on a Friday evening.
Holidaymakers looking to stay in one of the thatched-roof cottages can book an overnight stay at Louvain, a property managed by Sykes Holiday Cottages.
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