Penarth named ‘one of the most coveted addresses in all of Wales’ by Telegraph

Penarth has been listed in a Telegraph list of ‘Britain’s most upmarket seaside towns that don’t get depressing in winter.’

Under the heading of one of the ‘best places to grow up’, the town is one of only two non-English resorts chosen in the paper’s run down of attractive locations to which city dwellers are being encouraged to escape.

Citing bargain prices and investment potential, the list includes places around the UK coast, many of which are already out of financial reach of the local people and young people who have grown up there and places that are experiencing issues with holiday- and second homes.

According to the article, data from estate agents Knight Frank found that coastal sales across the country were up 19 per cent in 2021 compared to the five-year average and up 217 per cent in the southeast, presenting the ideal opportunity for urban dwellers to cash in their assets, move outside the city and be able to “do a hard day’s work and sail or surf in an evening every week of the year”.

The article recognises that this pandemic-fuelled exodus has resulted in sky-rocketing house prices, quoting increases over the last two years as much as 62% in St Mawes in Cornwall and with as many as 41% of the houses selling over the asking price.

Penarth, with an average house price of £346,781 after a 19% price growth, is described as “On the outskirts of Cardiff, this Victorian seaside town gives families the bright lights of the big city with an outdoorsy coastal retreat. At the heart of the town is a 19th-century arcade, an art-deco pavilion, and the old pier” with Marine Parade highlighted as “one of the most coveted addresses in all of Wales,” and mentions schools rated by Estyn as “excellent” and “outstanding”.

Chelsea-on-Sea

The list, which is said to be drawn up with “heightened demand and rising property prices” in mind, is aimed at “sporty families, high-end buyers looking for the next Chelsea-on-Sea, and bleak geeks hunting for melancholy solace on a blustery beach”.

The categories list areas which range in price from just under £200,000 to over £1million, and largely concerns itself with English coastal towns, along with Penarth, and St Andrews in Scotland, and come under the headings:

• For bleak geeks – for those who prefer a lonely beach and the seaside on a blustery winter’s day
• Total escapism for people who dream of beautiful far-flung spots that are hard to reach
• The British Hamptons for buyers who want to be the first to discover the next Chelsea-on-Sea (aka Burnham Market in Norfolk)
• The best places to grow up for parents want to see their kids sailing after school and clambering over the rock pools at the weekend
• Seaside towns on the rise for savvy buyers who are looking for formerly grand Victorian resorts in need of some TLC – and with good transport connections
• The commuter blue belt for organised buyers aiming to strike the perfect balance, living by the sea but with easy access to a major city

A further link takes the reader to another article bemoaning a housing “supply and demand” issue around the country and pointing eager buyers to “property hotspots where you can actually buy” in places where the number of homes for sale has jumped by a fifth.