A picturesque coastal town has been hailed for its “shimmering sea views” as it was named among Britain’s prettiest for this year.

Fowey, a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, finished in the top 10 of The Telegraph‘s prettiest and ugliest towns – in the pretty camp.

The newspaper tasked a team of experts with picking out “the most beautiful settlements in the land” from the 1,250 towns across England, Scotland and Wales, with areas ranked on the “pleasantness of their shop fronts, historic architecture, low traffic/litter, stunning viewpoints and plentiful greenery, culminating in a score out of 50”.

Fowey ranked as the eighth prettiest with high scores for views (10/10), shop fronts (9/10), greenery (9/10) and historic architecture (8/10), racking up an overall score of 43/50.

Travel writer Mark Stratton wrote: “I’ve been visiting Fowey for years, often to eat at a funky seafood restaurant called Sam’s Diner.

“With elegant Victorian architecture arranged along the wooded coastal estuary, Fowey’s soul remains as a working harbour for fishing trawlers and cargo vessels.”

He also noted that Fowey is a great place for a walk, with “higgledy-piggledy lanes” that “leave you imagining encounters with ghosts from its past, like Sir Francis Drake”.

Fowey also used to be home to comedian Dawn French, who lived in a Grade II-listed building called Point Neptune.

The Vicar of Dibley star resided in the 19th-century mansion for 15 years before deciding to sell it earlier this year.

Stratton said that while the high street gets too crowded in the summer months, it bustles with galleries and harbour-facing cafes.

Cornwall is famous for its wealth of envigorating walks, including a beautiful five-mile seaside trail that ends at a glourious white sand beach.

Fowey doesn’t let the side down in this department either, with “fine coastal hikes, like Gribben Head for shimmering sea views and wild swimmers should take the plunge at Readymoney Cove, where a tea-van waits to counteract post-Atlantic shivers”, Stratton continued.

But the expert said his favourite moment is “crossing the estuary by ferry to lovely Polruan, to the charismatic Lugger Inn for a swift pre-dinner half before returning for Fowey’s vaunted fish restaurant scene”.

Meanwhile, Henry VIII’s St Catherine’s Castle was held up as the best view, where you can “watch the ebb and flow of marine traffic”, though the route it up is pretty steep, so it might not be for everyone.

One TripAdvisor reviewer who last visited in 2022 gave the area a five-star review, writing: “Whenever we visit this part of Cornwall we always try to get to visit Fowey. There are plenty of pubs cafes and restaurants to choose from, and a good selection of shops, including some local independents.

“We always make time to walk out to Readymoney Cove, and sometimes also St Catherines Fort enjoying the views of the estuary along the way.”

As you’d expect there’s plenty of great seafood on offer at the town’s eateries, with classic staples like crab sandwiches, crab bon bons, garlic butter pan seared prawns, and classic fish finger sandwiches, of course.

And if that wasn’t enough, there are number of beaches to explore.

Readymoney Cove is only a short walk from the town centre, while the hidden gem of Polridmouth Cove is just a stroll along the South West Coast Path away.