The Annual survey conducted by the publishers of ‘WhoWhatWhere?’ magazine has revealed that Smalltown has sink even lower in the ratings for seaside towns.
Last year the town was rated in the Top five of the worst-rated seaside towns in the world, this year it now appears in the bottom three, with only 49% of respondents believing the town offers visitors a good seaside experience.
Nearby Easton-under-Water achieves a marginally higher score of 57%, having achieved scores of either two or three stars in each category.
‘Who What Where?’ asked holidaymakers to rank their destination, with stars awarded for the beach, the sea front, food and drink, accommodation, attractions, scenery, shopping, peace and quiet, and value for money. With a total of 35 stars available, Smalltown scored only 13.
From a maximum of five stars in each category, Smalltown received only three for its 9.4 miles of golden sand and mud, one star each for the seafront, food and drink and attractions.
Accommodation wasn’t ranked at all, but that’s hardly surprising, given that Smalltown has so few places to stay – unusual for a holiday destination.
Previously achieving two stars for peace and quiet, Smalltown has only been awarded one this year, obviously due to Hellhole Holiday Park as recent reviews on DripAdvisor claim that “you can really hear the music booming out of the complex at night so if you like it to be silent at night I’d recommend asking to be away from the facilities”.
Several other reviews highlight the behaviour of other guests, mentioning “noisy teenagers and drunken adults” as well as “Chavs just drinking and smoking weed are rife. Partying til the early hours.”
The town does manage to score two stars for scenery, with respondents singling out the Medieval Castle across the bay at Chernobyl-by-Sea for special mention.
However a review on DripAdvisor makes mention of the fact that “There’s nothing to do in Smalltown. I don’t know why they say there is a beach nearby all I could see was a muddy area with water round it which is no good for anyone let alone kids.”
Years of neglect by Smalltown and Dullbridge (SaD) Town Council, Sadgebore District Council and Somerset Cuonty Council means that the town now looks uncared for, with frequent complaints received about over-flowing rubbish bins on the Promenade, a lack of wheelchair access to the beach after the previous ramp suffered storm damage several years ago and has yet to be replaced, missing light bulbs, and a plethora of signs advising visitors that they can’t do anything, makes for a very unwelcoming experience.
With the influx of new Councillors in control of SaD Town Council, and with the creation of the All-New-Yet-Unimproved Somerset Cuonty Council, it remains to be seen if any effort will be made to improve things for those who would like to holiday in Smalltown or whether the place will top the league of worst seaside holiday destinations in 2024.