WITH its historic Victorian pier, towering lighthouse and colourful beach huts it's easy to see why Southwold is such a jewel in the crown of the Suffolk coast.

WITH its historic Victorian pier, towering lighthouse and colourful beach huts it's easy to see why Southwold is such a jewel in the crown of the Suffolk coast.

The Blue Flag beach, concrete prom, traditional shops on the Georgian high street and a number of well-known hotels, restaurants and pubs, have all helped it gain notoriety as one of the best places to spend your summer.

Every year the idyllic town seems to receive accolade upon accolade and is continually recognised as one of the premier resorts in the country.

Now Coast magazine has decided to join the bandwagon - naming the popular holiday hotspot as one of the UK's best seaside destinations.

Southwold is 9th in the publication's top ten - ranked on a range of statistics from Ofsted scores and regional police figures to data on life expectancy, employment and beach quality.

Teresa Baggott, the town's mayor, said: “It doesn't surprise me in the least - in fact I'm a bit shocked that we're not number one!

“Southwold is very special. We work hard here to keep the town unspoilt. I think the place is popular because we have an array of shops, restaurants and pubs with some great open spaces and a fantastic beach for walking and recreation.

“We are a superb holiday destination for all age groups. I haven't met anyone who hasn't enjoyed their time here.

“Everyone in Southwold should be proud and honoured to live here and I'm absolutely delighted that the town has once again been recognised in this way.”

Last month the resort - along with nearby Aldeburgh - was named as one of the 50 most expensive places to live in the country.

Both are popular with second home owners and the destinations made it onto a “Rich Towns” list compiled by estate agent Savills.

Average property prices in Southwold (number 41 in the table) are £321,813 and in Aldeburgh (number 44) the average is £318,954.

Christchurch in Dorset was top of Coast magazine's list, followed by Falmouth in Cornwall and Brighton in East Sussex

Editor Clare Gogerty said: “Many of us dream of moving to the coast but don't know where to look. Seaside towns, whether they are Regency resorts or small fishing villages have an irresistible pull.

“But which offer the best standard of living? We trawled banks of official data to come up with the top ten best coastal towns, rating them in terms of best schools, quality of coastline and employment.”

TOP 10 SEASIDE TOWNS ACCORDING TO COAST MAGAZINE

1. Christchurch, Dorset

2. Falmouth, Cornwall

3. Brighton, East Sussex

4. St Andrews, Fife

5. Grange-Over-Sands, Cumbria

6. Salcombe, South Devon

7. Ventnor, Isle of Wight

8. Whitby, Yorkshire

9. Southwold

10. Tenby, Wales