I went to the beach named the UK's 'most disappointing' to see if visitors agreed

A recent survey placed Llandudno's North Shore in the unenviable position at the top of a list of the UK's "most disappointing" beaches. National and international visitors - not unreasonably perhaps - expect sand and lots of it between the limestone outcrops of the Great Orme and Little Orme.

But many are left scratching their heads at the decision of the powers-that-be to lay stones on the beach a decade or so ago. According to a survey by researchers Preply, based on feedback on Tripadvisor, 29 per cent of comments about North Shore (65 out of 223) were disappointing reviews.

Climate change is undoubtedly causing global warming and a rise in sea levels which could justify the rocky route as a flood defence. But what do visitors really think of the sand shortage on North Shore?

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In the wake of the survey I headed down there to find out. The thermometer was registering 18.5C on Thursday and there were many strollers and seagull-avoiders on the Promenade but only a scant few on the beach.

On the rocky shore I stumbled across Ady Dawson, 50, who grew up in Llandudno Junction. He remembers flooding 30 years ago but felt it was too rare to justify the rocks. "In 1993 the whole area flooded - Llandudno Junction, Deganwy, Llandudno... The water went up to the top of some telephone kiosks."

But he doesn't think the anti-flooding rocks currently on North Shore are merited. Indeed he would like to have seen the sand on Colwyn Bay beach put on North Shore instead.

He said: "I Googled it. The number of annual holidaymakers in Colwyn Bay is 3.7 million. In Llandudno it's ten million. If you go to Colwyn Bay they have spent millions putting new sand down. It makes more sense for it to be here."

Further along the seafront one or two families were enjoying the sunshine. Dayle Blythin, 37, and Lauren Mills, 35, of Chester, were on a daytrip to take their daughter Sophia, five, to Bluey's Big Play show at Venue Cymru.

She played with a bucket and spade on a quiet Thursday lunchtime. Dayle said: "I should imagine there would not have been as much (sandy) beach free if we'd come on a Saturday."

On the way back to the car, I came across a mother and son playing frisbee on a mixed swathe of rock and sand near St George's Hotel. They seemed to be making the best of it.

"I think children like the sand but adults like the variety you get with the rocks too, said Louise, from Manchester, as she threw the frisbee to son George, ten.

I could see her point. I like the sand and it feels like a beach should be pristine, like a Pacific Island which the man who inspired the Robinson Crusoe novel might have recognised.

But rocks do give a shore some character. I'm just not sure that daytripper and family-orientated Llandudno is the place for it.

This is reflected in those mixed reviews on Tripadvisor. After picking my way up a stony slope with some difficulty to the smooth Prom I thought my "trip advice" would be: Watch your step on Llandudno's pebbly beach.

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