Despite becoming one of Wales’s first seaside resorts, Rhyl, on the country’s north coast, started to decline after a series of closures in the 1970s.

In 1973, the town’s pier was destroyed after ship crashes, storms, and fires caused significant damage. Just a year later, the beautiful Pavilion Theatre was knocked down, with residents saying that losing the building was like “losing a dear friend.”

Another beloved spot that is no longer is Rhyl’s Ocean Beach funfair. It was once so popular that it had to relocate to a bigger space, but closed its doors for good in September 2007. Just three years later, the landmark Sky Tower, similar to Brighton’s i360, closed in 2011 amid safety concerns. It has now been decommissioned.

Rhyl hit rock bottom when The Telegraph ranked it last on the list of the UK’s seaside towns in 2023, giving the resort a measly score of 5 out of 100 and describing it as “Costa del Dole” and “Blackpool after a neutron bomb”.

But efforts have been underway to breathe new life into Rhyl. Residents and those who loved the town in its past are once more hopeful for its future, and for good reason—plenty of investment is being made to improve the area. There is hope that the town will be restored to its former glory.

One person who is hopeful for the town’s future is resident and local business owner, Tim Roberts, 28.

His cafe is bustling with people and there’s barely a free seat. Between making hot drinks, he says: “There are great people here with great community spirit. It’s coming up now.

“We’ve been here for over seven years now.”

Tim says there’s plenty to do in Rhyl for visitors. “People can come for a walk around town, they can pop for a coffee,” he says.

“There’s the beach and if you’ve got children, there’s play areas, skate parks and arcades. A lot of work has been done on the promenade, which looks stunning, especially at sunset.

“I just think it’s a shame to see shops close in the town, again with online shopping being easily accessible to people. I think Rhyl is a town that has great infrastructure, which can further help maximise the great potential that it has. I still believe Rhyl is a great place to live in”.

Along the seafront, a brand new promenade has been built, making the beach accessible and tidy-looking. Arcades line the road with brightly coloured signs, and despite it being a chilly and dull day, there are a decent number of people inside.

While some browse sticks of rock and others head towards the coffee shops, Sharon Wallingdon, a shop assistant at Cramers, awaits her next customer.

Sharon, 67, says: “Rhyl itself – it’s just had it. I was born here, and over the years, it’s just gone downhill.

“You go to Prestatyn instead of coming here. We get some great people come into the shop – they’re normally quite cheerful which is nice.

“A lot of the shops have closed which is a shame. When I was young, you couldn’t walk along the seafront because there were so many people.”

Sharon tells us she thinks the seafront in Rhyl has improved and that there’s been some new housing which has also been good for the area. But she says the high street leaves something to be desired.

There’s a range of tourist beach shops at the start of the high street, but not too many customers around on a dreary day. Hiding from the rain under a bright yellow umbrella, Fiona Keane, browses jewellery through a shop window.

The 54-year-old optical manager doesn’t think Rhyl deserves to be known as the UK’s worst seaside town.

“It’s like every town centre,” she says. “You see boarded-up buildings wherever you go – that’s not specific to here.

“Working here, there’s some pretty nice people and that’s definitely something it’s got going for it. The beach is lovely but there’s not enough to entice people into the town – the footfall has dropped.”

Brits first started to holiday in Rhyl during the 19th century when it became a popular seaside destination. The town was home to the first pier in North Wales, and it was a thriving holiday hotspot by the end of the century. In the 80s and 90s, it saw its peak in tourism.

Recalling her holiday memories from the town, posting on Tripadvisor, Kelly G writes: “I used to come to Rhyl as a youngster in the 80s and 90s, I can honestly say it was my favourite place ever. There was always something magical about the place when walking down the seafront!

“Seeing the fun fair lights glowing, lots of people happy, children playing, hearing the music, hearing the fisherman opposite the fair singing ‘have a boat ride by the seaside’, seeing the big sun centre at the end of the promenade, grandmas playing bingo… the list goes on!”

Back then, Rhyl was a vibrant and lively seaside resort bustling with people, amusement parks and a huge range of shops. The town had plenty of restaurants to offer and an exciting funfair. It’s clear that more investment is on the way for Rhyl to restore it to what it once was.

Tony Ward, corporate director of environment and economy at Denbighshire County Council, said: “Rhyl is not, and never has been, the UK’s worst seaside town. Anyone who has visited Rhyl recently will tell you that it is a town in transition.

“Like all seaside towns in the UK, Rhyl struggled for several decades to adapt to the decline of the domestic holiday industry and the increase in foreign package holidays.”

He says that Rhyl Town Centre has struggled in recent years with a change of consumer behaviour, with more people shopping online. But, he says this is not unique to Rhyl, with many other high streets in the UK facing problems.

Tony says the council, along with other public sector organisations has invested more than £200 million into Rhyl over the past decade.

For those visiting Rhyl, there’s a stunning coastline, a brand-new promenade, the new Queen’s market, a refurbished theatre and there’s also the SC2, an indoor waterpark.

He adds: “Investment in Rhyl is far from complete. The council has been awarded £20m by the UK Government from the Pride of Place and Natural Environment Fund.

“Around £12 million of this will be invested in Rhyl to deliver further public realm improvement projects in the town centre and promenade.”

“One of the greatest challenges facing Rhyl is the persistent and unfair narrative (which is mainly created by people who don’t really know the town) that Rhyl is in continual decline and is not a good place to live and visit. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Rhyl is a place of natural beauty, with a proud history and strong community spirit. It boasts excellent transport links to many major cities in the Northwest of England such as Chester, Manchester and Liverpool, and has a direct rail link to two capital cities, London and Cardiff.

“Rhyl is a town on the rise, rather than in decline. The future for Rhyl is exciting, and we remain confident that the building blocks put in place by the Council and public sector partners will lead to long-term benefits as the private sector recognises the opportunities presented by this wonderful town.”