Rock in Cornwall, a favourite holiday destination of Princes William and Harry, has topped the Seaside Property Hotspot League, despite its recent poor water report.
The average home values in Rock are currently £548,621, at least £370,000 more than the average coastal values in the UK, according to a report by Zoopla.
Rock has suffered a 12.9% drop in property values over the past year, but still pulled clear of its nearest rivals, Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire and North Berwick in East Lothian.
Jen Roberts, from North Cornwall estate agents Jackie Stanley, says: ‘The property market is still strong in Rock, because the area attracts such a range of people, from families who have been coming here for generations to Londoners keen to escape the City—there’s now easy access with flights to Newquay.
‘Rock benefits from being close to the wonderful restaurants and beaches of Padstow, but it’s less touristy and busy, so people like coming here for a quiet break.
‘We’re getting lots of enquiries in all price ranges, with good deals compared to prices a year ago, but there isn’t enough on the market to meet the demand. If more properties become available, we expect another strong year.’
Other areas that fared well in the report, which examines property-price changes for coastal resorts from June 1, 2008 to June 1, 2009, included two entries for Devon, Woolacombe and Sidmouth, Porthgain in Pembrokeshire, Southwold in Suffolk, Abersoch in Gwynedd, and two Dorset resorts, Lyme Regis and Swanage.
Several Welsh coastal resorts have resisted the general market downturn, with property values falling by just 4.33% in Llandudno in Gwynedd and 4.86% in Llangrannog in Ceredigion.
The most expensive seaside area to buy in is North Berwick, where the average detached home is valued at £504,261 and the average flat at £245,530.
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