Coast Awards 2010: the winners revealed!

At the ceremony

Oh, what a night. At this year\'s Coast Awards ceremony, hosted by Julia Bradbury, we garlanded the seaside people and places you love most. Left, from left to right: awards host Julia Bradbury, Mike Daley of the Holkham Estate and Coast editor Clare Gogerty.

Read on for the prize-winners\' list in full...

Best beach: Holkham, Norfolk

Runners-up: Bamburgh, Northumberland; Rhossili Bay, Gower

It\'s done it again - Holkham, with its four miles of golden sand, immortalised in the closing scenes of \'Shakespeare In Love\', is the Coast readers\' top beach for the second year running. And it\'s not hard to see why, with its panoramic coastal views and an internationally important National Nature Reserve on the doorstep. ‘Holkham really is a one-off,\' says Coast editor Clare Gogerty. ‘The feeling of solitude you get on those endless sands, and in the surrounding pinewoods, makes for a truly uplifting seaside experience.\'

Click here to see last year\'s awards

Joules Award: Best Coastal Path - Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail

Runners-up: Fife Coastal Path; South West Coast Path

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path passes through 186 miles of breathtaking coastal scenery, from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south. Judges awarded the route top marks for the way it is maintained to suit a variety of walkers, and for its efforts with regard to the environment - for
example, the biodiesel bus service, which operates all along the coast. Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Ramblers, admires ‘how they mix wildness with accessibility\'. He adds: ‘They also work with accommodation providers, which is important for the local economy.\' Photo: Britain on View

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Best All-round Seaside Attraction: Living Coasts, Torquay, Devon

Runners-up: Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, Lancs; Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex

Living Coasts is the first and only coastal zoo in the UK. On the harbourside at Torquay, it has one of the largest netted aviaries in Europe, while underground it features underwater windows for watching seals and penguins. The registered charity is involved in education, research and conservation - all of which gained praise from our judges. ‘They\'ve got so much going on and a lot of uniqueness,\' says Spencer Gammond of the RNLI. The zoo\'s community involvement was a winning factor, too - on one day last year, 2,500 mainly local people were let in for free.

Best coastal café, pub or restaurant: Porthminster Café, St Ives, Cornwall

Runners-up: Castle Cottage Tea Rooms, Pevensey, East Sussex; Joe\'s Beach Bar, Ingoldmells, Skegness, Lincs

The Porthminster Café is a firm favourite with Coast readers - it was joint winner in this category in 2008 and a runner-up in 2009. Our judges are equally enamoured with its high standard of service and culinary excellence. But what clinched this year\'s Award is the Café\'s concern for sustainability (for example, including unmarketable bycatch on the menu) and affordability. In the past year, it has opened a fish and chip shop beneath the restaurant. ‘This is a great way to cater to people who can\'t afford to eat there,\' says coastal entrepreneur and beauty writer Jo Fairley.

Best shoreline B&B/hotel: St Brides Spa Hotel, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

Runners-up: The Brudenell Hotel, Aldeburgh, Suffolk; The Saunton Sands Hotel, near Braunton, Devon

Opened in 2006, following a refurbishment, the St Brides Spa Hotel overlooks Carmarthen Bay and Saundersfoot Harbour. With 34 individually designed rooms and a marine spa, it won plaudits for offering both on- and off-season appeal. ‘I like that St Brides is a spa - it\'s not your traditional seaside hotel,\' says Julia Bradbury. ‘It caters to a wider audience.\' Our panel was also taken with the figures: more than 67 per cent of guests return and the hotel enjoys a 75 per cent occupancy rate,
which, in the current climate, deserves a round of applause.

Best family holiday destination - Coast readers\' vote: St Ives, Cornwall

Runners-up: Southwold, Suffolk; Newquay, Cornwall

Since the opening of Tate St Ives in 1993, this seaside town has become the ultimate year-round destination. Grown-ups enjoy the arts scene, the walks, the shops and great places to eat, while children play on the four
sandy beaches, which are ideal for swimming, surfing and seal spotting. ‘We\'re not surprised that St Ives is a hit with readers,\' says deputy editor and Coast Awards organiser Alex Reece. ‘For a small town, it offers such variety - from bucket-and-spade beaches to high culture.\'

Best marine green project: Surfers Against Sewage

Runners-up: Living Coasts, Torquay, Devon; The National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow, Cornwall

Another past winner (2008), SAS pipped the competition with its effective Mermaid\'s Tears campaign. This focused on the plastic pellets (or nurdles) used by plastic factories to make their products, which SAS had identified on beaches all over the UK, in some cases in their hundreds of thousands. Following a covert investigation, SAS showed how they were reaching beaches from the storm drains of plastic factories. The group has since worked with the British Plastics Federation to help prevent the pellets escaping. ‘As a grass-roots campaign, it\'s brilliant,\' says Joules Clothing MD Tom Joule.

Best loved coastal building: Blackpool Tower, Blackpool, Lancs

Runners-up: Southwold Pier, Southwold, Suffolk; Tate St Ives, St Ives, Cornwall

This Grade I-listed building, open since 1894, has come to symbolise the British seaside, and continues to attract 500,000 visitors annually. Along with the view, the Tower\'s attractions include a ballroom, aquarium and circus, plus modern additions, such as a children\'s play area. All judges viewed the building with affection, and lauded the beauty of its original features. ‘The Tower is immersed in the spirit of the Victorian seaside pleasure palace,\' says Professor John K Walton, a historian of tourism. ‘It\'s utterly iconic and very well loved - especially by ballroom dancers.\'

Photo: Britain on View

Best Campsite, Caravan or Holiday Park Yellowcraig, Dirleton, East Lothian

Runners-up: Butlins, Minehead, Somerset; Seaview Caravan Park, Cromer, Norfolk

This Caravan Club site is located on the edge of the historic village of Dirleton in an area known as Yellowcraig - a mix of seashore, sand dunes, grassland and woodlands. It is just five minutes from the beach, which has views out to the Firth of Forth. The site won over our panel with the range of activities on offer and its sensitive approach to both landscaping and green issues. ‘They\'ve got a lot going on and are making the most of the site,\' says Julia Bradbury. Other judges appreciated the genuine countryside feel of the campsite.

Unsung coastal hero: Mike Stentiford, National Park for Jersey

Naturalist Mike Stentiford (top left) helped to instigate the National Trust for Jersey\'s coastline campaign, raising awareness of the island\'s shoreline in terms of ecology, education, recreation and tranquillity. And, last October, he inspired 7,000 people to attend a peaceful demonstration at St Ouen\'s Bay. Jersey\'s politicians have since agreed to review planning policy with regard to the coast and a national park is being mooted. ‘I want this award to go to Mike,\' says Tom Franklin. ‘He\'s really changed something.\'

Highly commended: Constance Brown, Browns Café, Pembroke

So hotly contested was this category, the panel agreed to award two prizes to our readers\' chosen heroes. The ‘highly commended\' honour goes to Constance Brown (bottom left), of Browns Café in Pembroke, a pillar of the community who, at the time of judging, was still working in the family-owned fish and chip shop aged 102. Sadly, in January this year, Mrs Brown passed away after a short illness. Therefore we are presenting the award to her family in her memory.

Runner-up: Maggie Sheddan, Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick.