Withernsea

The lighthouse stands proud at the end of Queen Street, though it's been a fair old while since any ship followed its beam. This Victorian seaside resort on the Holderness coast has kept its working-class charm while other places went upmarket.

Withernsea proper stretches inland from a seafront that's more practical than pretty. The beach is decent enough - sandy when the tide's out, though the North Sea here isn't exactly Mediterranean blue. RAF Holmpton Bunker tells the area's wartime story better than most museums, a proper underground complex that feels genuinely atmospheric rather than sanitised.

Golf enthusiasts will find Withernsea Golf Club offers a challenging links-style course that takes full advantage of the coastal winds. When the weather turns, Pavilion Leisure Centre provides indoor alternatives, though honestly, you're better off embracing the elements here.

The Holderness countryside unfolds westward - flat, agricultural land broken by small plantations like Brick Close and Woods. It's walking country rather than hiking territory, with Welwick Saltmarsh providing excellent birdwatching if you know your waders from your wildfowl. The area feels genuinely remote despite being only 20 miles from Hull.

Getting here means driving - the railway died decades ago. Hull provides the nearest major transport links, about a 40-minute drive through surprisingly empty countryside. Staying at one of the nearby parks like Sand le Mere or Parkdean Resorts Withernsea Sands puts you right on the coast, with easy access to both the town's modest pleasures and the wild, windswept character of this corner of Yorkshire that feels more like Norfolk than the Dales.