Our seaside town was once a favourite holiday hotspot – now it’s the UK’s ‘WORST’… here’s why you should never visit
RESIDENTS of a seaside town that was once a holiday hotspot say it’s now among the UK’s worst and warned people against visiting.
Locals of Rhyl, Wales said that they were “not surprised” it had ranked bottom of a new table of seaside resorts, adding that it has “gone horribly downhill” in recent times.
Travel experts at The Telegraph gave Rhyl a score of just five out of 100, a full 93 points below top-ranked St Ives, Cornwall, and called the once popular Welsh town and example of “how not to do things.”
William Revatto, 57, who has lived in Rhyl all his life, told The Sun Online: “I’m Rhyl born and bred and I’ve seen the place go horribly downhill in recent years.
“The town planners are trying to make improvements, but i’m not surprised it’s been named the worst seaside town in Britain.
“In the ’70s and ’80s you couldn’t walk along the pavement because there were so many people coming here for a good time.
“Back then you could walk from the town centre and see the sea in front of you, but you can’t even see the sea now because of all the eyesore new buildings they have put up along the sea front.”
Josh Marshall, from Merseyside, was visiting Rhyl for the day and compared it to other seaside towns that have seen their popularity dip over the years.
He said: “I think Blackpool is worse, but Rhyl has also suffered in the same way.
“To be fair, they are trying to improve the place, but they have a long way to go.
“I’ve been coming here for a good few years now and it was a real dump at one time but they do seem to want to clear things up.”
However, Amy Jones, 42, who lives in the town with her family, was less generous in her assessment.
All five members of the family agreed that the town was on the slide, with Amy saying that her daughters have few job prospects and anti-social behaviour is a major issue.
Amy said: “There is just nothing to do here, the place is so run down.
“There are no decent shops. Drunks stagger around on the streets and the place has a dreadful drug problem.
“We live here but we wish we didn’t. Many of the hotels are full of druggies, it is a disaster.”
Rhyl’s fall from grace began in the 1970s with the rise of cheap package holidays to Europe, notably Spain and its islands.
In 1973, its best-known landmark, the pier – the oldest in north Wales – was demolished, as was its celebrated domed Pavilion theatre the following year.
The resort’s subsequent efforts to modernise by building a new shopping centre and a museum and library complex have failed and the proposed site for a planned light show is now a pay-and-display car park.
In the past few years, Rhyl has worked hard to shake off its negative perceptions. As part of the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative, nearly £25million is being spent on the town centre as the resort attempts to redefine itself.
And more than £65million in investment has also been attracted for projects including a waterpark, a new bridge and harbour improvements. The Pavilion Theatre has been renovated and the town now has a Premier Inn and Travelodge.
Rhyl’s redeveloped Queen’s Market is due to be unveiled this summer, providing a new indoor market hall and “event space”.