Burnham-on-Sea

The lighthouse stands on stilts. That's your first clue that Burnham-on-Sea isn't your typical Somerset seaside town. At low tide, the famous nine-legged wooden lighthouse sits marooned on mudflats that stretch for miles - a proper sight that's been guiding ships since 1832.

This working beach town has grit under its fingernails. The seven-mile stretch of sand is vast and wild, backed by sand dunes that feel more like a frontier than a resort. When the tide's out, you can walk for what feels like hours across the firm sand, with curlews calling overhead and the distant Mendip Hills rising to the east.

Brean Down looms just south - that dramatic limestone headland jutting into the Bristol Channel. It's a proper climb to the Iron Age fort at the summit, but the views across to Wales are cracking. St Bridget's Church back in town is worth a look too, a solid Norman building that's weathered centuries of coastal storms.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the M5 runs close by, and Burnham's about 20 miles south of Weston-super-Mare. The town itself can feel a bit quiet midweek, especially out of season, but that's part of its appeal. No kiss-me-quick hats or arcade noise here.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're close enough to walk into town for fish and chips, but far enough from the main road to hear the sea at night. The mudflats might not be everyone's cup of tea, but there's something haunting about this stretch of coast that gets under your skin.