Revealed: The UK’s best and worst seaside markets

With the summer holidays finally here, the UK is the perfect destination for long coastal walks; relaxing to the sound of the sea and sharing some amazing memories with friends and family. 
Although, with the UK climate fluctuating by the hour, it’s always best to plan activities that are both appropriate for both the sunny and rainy days!

The UK is home to some of the most wonderful seaside markets that would be a perfect addition to add to your day trips with the kids or holiday. Whatever the weather, going for a mooch around the market stalls, indulging in some tasty local food and collecting souvenirs will be a day to remember.

In the last 3 months alone, compared to the 3 months before, there’s been an increase in Google searches for ‘seaside markets near me’ by 168.29%. It’s clear that as the days get warmer, there’s a growing interest in visiting seaside markets that won’t require too much travelling.

With Gazeboshop being one of the leading suppliers for market stalls and pop up gazebos in the UK, we know a thing or two about this topic as many of our customers are market traders! So, we have taken an in-depth look at some of the best seaside markets to visit this summer. 

Having analysed 34 locations, ranking them on factors such as Tripadvisor reviews, Instagram hashtags, TikTok hashtags and Google searches to reveal the UK’s best and worst coastal markets. Who knows, the best market could be just around the corner from you…

Top 5 seaside markets in the UK

1. Tynemouth Market, Tynemouth – Score 38.2/40

Coming in first place by a long shot as the best seaside market in the UK is Tynemouth market, located in the town’s breathtaking Victorian station. With over 150 stalls that vary from clothes to jewellery and street food, the dog friendly market caters to the whole family and is the perfect place to pick up a special gift.

Said to be full of individual creativity, there’s always something new and unique to find at these stalls, so don’t miss out on a chance to give this one a visit.

For the horrible rainy days that will inevitably occur during the summer, the majestic glazed roofs will shelter you from whatever the British weather brings. It’s no wonder that it’s ranked almost 40/40!

2. Swansea Market, Swansea – Score 17.1/40

Never disappointing with their amazing Welsh cakes, Swansea market ranked second across the UK for its seaside market. The award-winning, largest indoor market in Wales not only has an amazing collection of stalls but also has a special market garden, which acts as another space to eat, work and take a break from all that walking. 

Located at the heart of the city centre, you can try some of the local produce for yourself or dress to impress with beautifully crafted jewellery and affordable, great quality clothing. Customers enjoy the fresh fruit and veg, described as being “particularly good”, and the fresh local cockles, which are “perfectly cleaned with no trace of sand”.

Whilst you’re there, why not read about the history of the market town, which has been established since the 12th century.

3. Fleetwood Market, Fleetwood – Score 17.0/40

Photo Credit: Steve Daniels

In third place comes the traditional coastal market, Fleetwood Market in Blackpool. With its indoor and outdoor stalls, the building has stayed true to its Victorian heritage and little has changed since it was built in 1840. Since being extended in 1990, it is now one of the largest markets in the North West of England, whilst holding up its historical value.

Customers enjoy the market cafe for sitting down while shopping in the centre of the main hall. Staff are described as “friendly”, serving hot tea and bacon sandwiches.
With regular buses and tram stops close to the market, it’s easy to get to – and entry is free.

4. Brighton Open Market, Brighton – Score 16.3/40

Brighton, one of Britain’s most popular seaside resorts, celebrated for its quirky shopping areas and diverse cultural, musical and arts scene, also came fourth for its coastal market, otherwise known as Brighton Open Market. 

Situated at a historic site in the heart of Brighton, the market focuses on selling fresh and nutritious food, as well as ethical and handmade products.

As mentioned in one of the reviews on Tripadvisor, a happy customer bought some eggs and a brilliant range of cheeses from their dairy shop. So, if you’re a big fan of dairy, why not test it for yourself?

5. Clevedon Market, Clevedon – Score 15.6/40

The small English town, located in North Somerset used to be a farming village, but has since turned into a popular seaside town which now proudly scores in the top 10 for its coastal market. 

Clevedon Market opens on the first Sunday of every month with a gorgeous artisan outdoor market that offers a range of food, antiques and some great individualistic finds. Located on the hill and by the sea in Clevedon, it’s the perfect place to go after a walk along the beach. 

Best to worst: The UK’s seaside markets ranked

Commenting on the results, Luigi Pannozzo, Managing Director at Gazeboshop, said:

“The study comes at a perfect time for families who are looking ahead to plan some fun activities as the weather warms up – especially with the long summer holidays to fill! If you can, it’s well worth supporting the local businesses at these markets as they bring a lot to each community, on top of providing a vast array of unique and beautiful gifts. 

“With more people searching for seaside markets that are not too far away, this is only going to increase in the next few weeks so make time to visit the stalls before they get too busy! Hopefully this list helps families to prioritise the best spots to make memories together, especially in time for August where Google searches for ‘seaside markets near me’ peak.”

The worst seaside markets in the UK revealed 

While it’s useful to have a list of the seaside markets to prioritise visiting, it’s also handy for adults – especially with little ones to entertain – to have an idea of the market stalls which are not so popular. 

1. Boscombe Market, Bournemouth- Score: 4.2/40

Coming in last as the worst seaside market in the UK is Boscombe Market in Bournemouth, with a score of just 4.2 out of 40. Reviews on Tripadvisor slate the market for having only 6 stalls open and poor quality products, while others complain of how dirty and poorly maintained the area is, for this reason it’s not surprising to find the rating was so low.

Despite the reviews, due to being located in the heart of Boscombe’s shopping centre, the market is situated in a very convenient place to shop, which could encourage more people to check out the stalls to see if their experience will be any better compared to others.

2. Pwllheli Market, Lleyn Peninsula – Score: 4.3/40

First established in the 14th century, Pwllheli weekly market on Y Maes sadly ranks as the second worst coastal market in the UK. With the website claiming to have over 50 stalls, a lot of people would be disappointed to hear that on arrival, there were actually very few stalls to visit! Multiple reviews on Tripadvisor have mentioned that the few that were open, were not of interest or value to them. 

3. Aberystwyth Farmers Market, Aberystwyth – Score 4.3/40

Launched in May 2000, The Aberystwyth Farmers Market hosts up to 30 stalls ranging from bakery stands to handmade crafts and garments. However, coming in with a low 4.3/40, it’s clear that these stalls may not have the appeal that they are supposed to.

If you plan on heading to the seaside this summer, why not check out some of the most popular markets from our study?

Methodology 

• We chose the locations based off a study by Which? revealing the best seaside locations and removed any locations without a market or where we were unable to find all of the ranking factors for
• 32 locations from the UK were ranked by the following factors, giving each location an overall score out of 40
• The number of Google searches per month for ‘market name’ using Google Keyword Tool
  
• The number of TikTok Hashtags when searching for ‘#marketname’ for each market
• We analysed the number of posts using the Instagram hashtags of each market to see which ones were the most popular among social media users
• Each market was searched on Tripadvisor to gather reviews which were ranked out of five