Yorkshire resort the cheapest in England for seaside living

House prices in the resort cost an average of 91,360 – just three times local earnings – while Hornsea and Bridlington are also among the 10 most affordable, with property costing 4.2 and 4.3 times average earnings respectively.

At the other end of the scale the least affordable seaside town is Sandbanks in Dorset, where house prices are 18.9 times higher than average local earnings.

According to research released by high street bank Halifax today, all of the 10 most affordable seaside towns are in northern England, while the 10 most expensive ones are in the south west.

Lifelong Withernsea resident Coun Richard Stead, East Riding Council member for South East Holderness, said he would not live anywhere else.

"Withernsea is a lovely little town," he said.

"It's got all the facilities you need and a good school. Living at the coast has a lot going for it with the sea and the beach, and with modern communications and transport you are never far away from anywhere.

"I wouldn't like to live anywhere else."

Cleethorpes, in Lincolnshire, saw the second biggest house price increases between 2008 and 2009, up to an average of 123,903 from 116,628, a rise of six per cent.

Cleethorpes and Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire both saw some of the biggest price increases between 2001 and 2009.

Whitehaven and Maryport, both in Cumbria, are the second most affordable places to buy a coastal property, with prices in both towns averaging 3.7 times local earnings.

Padstow in Cornwall is the second least affordable seaside town with an average house price to local earnings ratio of 18.9, followed by Fowey and Rock, both also in Cornwall, at 14.4 and 14 respectively.

The Mumbles in Wales is the least affordable seaside town outside the South East and South West, but buying a home there is significantly more affordable than in Sandbanks, with prices averaging 9.5 times local earnings.

Sandbanks is also the most expensive seaside town in terms of house prices, with the average property costing 544,951 in 2009, followed by Padstow at 421,954 and Fowey at 335,817.

Rhyl in Wales was the least expensive place to buy a coastal property outside northern England, at 116,571.

Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said: "Living on the coast offers many attractions, including a typically high quality of life and attractive surroundings. As a result, property in seaside towns is

often very popular with homebuyers.

"Whilst property in seaside towns can be more expensive than elsewhere, exceptional value for many can still be found for those searching to realise their dream of living near the sea."

Padstow saw the biggest house price increases between 2001 and 2009, with the cost of property in the town jumping by 211 per cent during the period.

The next biggest increases were in Pwllheli in Wales, at 161 per cent, and Seaham in the North at 159 per cent.

House prices at least doubled during the period in nearly half of all the seaside towns surveyed, with the cost of property rising by an average of 98 per cent, outpacing the typical increase of 81 per cent seen across England and Wales as a whole.

Four seaside towns also managed to buck major falls in the housing market and record price rises between 2007 and 2009, with Robin Hood's Bay, Padstow and St Mawes in Cornwall and Lyme Regis in Dorset all showing increases.

Cheap but very cheerful places

THE 10 most affordable seaside towns in England and Wales, based on the ratio between house prices and local wages, are:

1. Withernsea (3 times local earnings);

2. Whitehaven (3.7);

3. Maryport (3.7);

4. Hartlepool (3.8);

5. Morecambe (4.1);

6. Hornsea (4.2);

7. Blyth (4.3);

8. Fleetwood (4.3);

9. Bridlington (4.3);

10. South Shields (4.5).