A new list of booming coastal locations, with the fastest-rising house prices, published by Rightmove, is dominated by places in the North West and Wales.
Topping the pile is Bootle, in Merseyside, where the average house price now stands at £141,680, having risen by 11% in the last year.
Nearby Crosby also features in the top 10, as do Wallasey, in Merseyside, and Barrow-In-Furness, in Cumbria.
Bootle is just three miles outside Liverpool city centre, with trains taking you there in 12 minutes.
It may not be the most desirable area in Merseyside, but its fortunes appear to be on the up.
Lyons Estates describes it as a ‘great place for families to settle’, thanks to its good schools, excellent transport links, rich culture and ‘strong’ community spirit.
Whitegates Estate Agency, meanwhile, says the mix of ‘affordable’ homes and ‘buoyant’ community atmosphere makes it one of Merseyside’s ‘most popular areas for buyers and renters’.
Bootle has a proud industrial heritage, as a major shipping centre. But is perhaps better known today for the football stars it has produced, including Liverpool legends Jamie Carragher, Steve McManaman and Roy Evans.
The Liveable website rates Bootle as a ‘passable’ area in which to live, with an overall grade of C+ but a score of A+ for outdoor spaces and transport, A for amenities, and B for schools.
Bootle’s annual crime rate is above average for Merseyside and the UK as a whole, according to crimerate.co.uk, with 104 crimes recorded there per 1,000 people.
It is also one of the most deprived areas of the UK, with lower than average life expectancy.
But, while recognising its problems, people living in and around Bootle say there are plenty of positives, including the abundance of charming Victorian period properties.
It is also one of the areas benefiting from the investment brought by Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, just two-and-a-half miles to the south.
One person, who moved to Bootle in 2020, said: “I moved to Bootle in 2020. I genuinely really like it here. There’s a great community feel, some nice pubs and event spaces.”
Another local said: “Bootle is fine. Been here 15 years, love my neighbours and community.”
Bootle is home to some excellent restaurants and popular pubs.
The L20 restaurant boasts an impressive 4.8-star rating on Google, with one diner praising the stunning’ food and another calling it an ‘absolute gem’.
Its best-loved watering holes include the Lock & Quay, described as an ‘amazing community pub’ with a huge beer garden, and the Jawbone Tavern, which claims to be Bootle’s oldest boozer and is known for its live music.
Below are the four places in the North West among Britain’s top 10 seaside property hotspots, according to Rightmove, and four more areas in the region that are among the cheapest places to buy a home by the sea.
5. Blackpool
Blackpool is the fifth cheapest seaside town in Great Britain, according to Rightmove, and the second cheapest in the North West. The average house price there is £142,277, having increased by 1% in the last year. | Getty Images Photo: Ryan Jenkinson
6. Fleetwood
Fleetwood, Lancashire, is the sixth cheapest seaside town in Great Britain, according to Rightmove, and the third cheapest in the North West. The average house price there is £147,910, having increased by 2% in the last year. | Heritage Images via Getty Images Photo: Historic England Archive
7. Birkenhead
Birkenhead, in Merseyside, is the seventh cheapest seaside town in Great Britain, according to Rightmove, and the fourth cheapest in the North West. The average house price there is £148,942, having increased by 4% in the last year. | Getty Images Photo: Christopher Furlong
8. Workington
Workington, in Cumbria, is the eighth cheapest seaside town in Great Britain, according to Rightmove, and the fifth cheapest in the North West. The average house price there is £155,013, having increased by 2% in the last year. | Getty Images Photo: Christopher Furlong