'I visited a UK seaside town and it's little wonder car parks are packed by 9am'

A once sleepy little UK now has car parks choc-a-bloc by 9am - but one impressed visitor says she can understand why. Saltburn is a seaside town which has seen a recent boom in tourism, though not everyone has been happy by the change.

Gavin Smith, 56, spent his childhood in Saltburn before moving to Newcastle - and then back again. He told : "It is one of those places where you do not realise how good it is until you move away and makes you want to come back home every time."

Mr Smith noted that the town has grown increasingly busy since the Covid pandemic, with people visiting from across the county.

He said: "Since the increase of tourism it has made parking a lot more of an issue as a resident, even though it is great as a business. There was also an issue with accommodation and nowhere to stay but the Spa Hotel has helped with that and other hospitality services as well."

Business owners and locals have said the area has changed dramatically over the years. Works to improve Saltburn's Marine Parade were announced in April 2024, including resurfacing a seaside pathway and renewing a concrete wall.

One bone of contention does appear to be parking, but a visitor from outside the area recently visited the town for the first time - and although she agreed parking was a nightmare, she said she understood exactly why there's a clamour to visit.

Samantha Teasdale from Durham wrote in an opinion piece for Yorkshire Live: "The 45-minute scenic route was perfect and easy to follow on a Sat Nav on the A19 from Durham.

"After passing the 'Welcome to Saltburn-by-the-Sea' sign, my first impressions were that it was potentially an aging community, as I saw a few care homes along with a lot of hotels, cafes and restaurants.

"There was no beach or sea in sight until I reached the end of the town centre and had to slowly manoeuvre my car around the windy bank down to the seafront and then find a place to park."

She eventually found a space and paid £7 for three hours. Ms Teasdale added: "Although this was one of the most expensive places I have parked in Yorkshire - it was the only place with empty spaces even at 9am in the morning - which is crazy."

Ms Teasdale hailed the town's "beautiful" beach and promenade, where children could be heard laughing and dogs seen chasing the balls on the beach.

She added also saw large groups of tourists walking around the town, but they didn't stop her from enjoying the visit.

The Durham local said: "Saltburn is somewhere I would love to visit again and bring back family, friends or even go back by myself. Everyone was very friendly."

But she cautioned: "Things can be expensive as I spent £20.40 on only a few things - one of which, of course, was parking."