Lowther House, Whitehaven, Cumbria

If you fancy a change from the honeypot parts of Cumbria, here's a chance to discover the west Cumbria coastline. There is something of a frontier-town atmosphere and faded majesty to Whitehaven. Georgian Lowther House is a good base from which to explore both the coast and the western lakes. Owner Trevor Lloyd is a local man whose former career in motorsport took him around the world, before he returned to create a townhouse B&B with antiques, maritime drawings and White Company linens in three bedrooms. Ask about special Cumbrian or local history evenings.
• 01946 63169, lowtherhouse-whitehaven.com. Doubles £90 B&B

Royal Harbour Hotel, Ramsgate, Kent

This 19-bedroom hotel on the Kent coast occupies two Grade II-listed Georgian townhouses on Nelson Crescent, right on the seafront, so yes, you can actually wake up and watch the waves. Hotelier James Thomas moved here from London in the 90s to create a family-friendly holiday destination (it also has disabled access and disabled parking), which is boutique-y without being pretentious. There are family rooms, as well as singles and balcony suites, with eight new rooms and a restaurant in the pipeline for this autumn.
• 01843 591 514, royalharbourhotel.co.uk. Doubles from £80 B&B

Heacham House, King's Lynn, Norfolk

With its shimmering sand flats at low tide and 100 traditional beach huts, Heacham's beach is a gem. It forms part of Norfolk's west-facing shoreline known as Norfolk's "Sunset" coast, for its magnificent skies at sundown. Three-storey, Victorian Heacham House, which opened in 2011, is a 10-minute stroll from the promenade, and overlooks the village duck pond. There are three pretty bedrooms, and one converts to a twin. Expect home-made preserves and tasty Norfolk sausages at breakfast, which will set you up for a bracing six-mile walk along the sea wall to Hunstanton.
• 01485 579529, heachamhouse.com. Doubles from £85, twin £75, B&B

Boscastle House, Boscastle, Cornwall

A stone's throw from the cosy Napoleon Inn (napoleoninn.co.uk)and a short walk from the South West Coast Path and Boscastle harbour, is Boscastle House. Six bedrooms in this rambling house have each been given a modern lick, with en suite bath and shower rooms. Several rooms can be configured to accommodate families, and guests also have the use of a large garden and croquet lawn – perfect if you arrive in time to enjoy a Cornish cream tea and equally handy if you still need to tire the kids out after a day on the beach at Crackington Haven.
• 01840 250654, boscastlehouse.com. Doubles £120 B&B, discount for longer stays

Vinegar Hill, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

Not many B&Bs come with a pottery attached but this is the creation of Lucy and David Rogers, who works in his studio beside the B&B that his wife runs. The Garden Room at ground-floor level can accommodate extra beds for children, while the Hayloft, accessed up an exterior spiral staircase, is a private retreat for two. In summer months there is now also a restored Victorian showman's wagon for two. All this is a few minutes' walk from a postcard-perfect strand. And the Lymington ferry is within easy reach for Isle of Wight trips.
• 01590 642979, vinegarhillpottery.co.uk. Rooms from £80 B&B

Umi Hotel, Brighton, East Sussex

Until about a decade ago, staying in Brighton pretty much meant a grand Victorian five-star or a sorry B&B. Now it is boutique-central. Hardly surprising, since the seaside city is one hour by rail from London, with a cool cultural scene. Umi offers simple, straightforward doubles, interconnecting twins and family rooms. Real bargains fall out of peak season but expect to pay at least £100 a night right in summer.
• 01273 806081, umihotelbrighton.co.uk. Doubles from around £57, room-only

White Lion Hotel, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

There are 38 chintz-free rooms at this small Suffolk hotel on a beachfront that stretches for miles. Fish, it's no surprise, is the order of the day at the White Lion's smart, modern brasserie – most likely bought that morning from the local fish shack, or, in the case of breakfast kippers, from Pinney's of Orford. There is no better year to visit Aldeburgh, 2013 is the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth. His home, The Red House, is open for the first time and Aldeburgh Music's centenary events (brittenaldeburgh.co.uk) are running right through to late November.
• 01728 452720, whitelion.co.uk. Doubles from £121 B&B

The Midland Hotel, Morecambe, Lancashire

This is not a B&B, obviously, but it's the best place I know on the Lancashire coast, and despite its imposing appearance, this arc-shaped, art deco gem looking out over the glory that is Morecambe Bay has only 44 rooms. The hotel was designed by Eric Ravilious and Eric Gill and first opened its doors 80 years ago to the likes of Coco Chanel, Noel Coward, Laurence Olivier and Wallis Simpson, before it fell into decline. To mark its 80th anniversary (as wells as its rescue, restoration and re-opening in 2008), on 14 September Wayne Hemingway's Vintage Festival will be laying on music, fashion, film, art, dance, food and design at the Midland to celebrate those halcyon days. Out of peak season, rooms can set you back less than a Cornish B&B will.
• 08458 501240, englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/midland. Doubles from £94 B&B

Crug-Glas, near St Davids, Pembrokeshire

This small Welsh seaside hotel is in Solva, a picturesque harbour village which has arranged itself around the mouth of the river Solva. The stretch of coast is great walking territory but not over-burdened with good accommodation, so it's worth bookmarking this. Crug-Glas has only five bedrooms, a restaurant and a couple of cottage suites. There are good opportunities to get out on the water, either to discover sea caves by kayak or, aboard a RIB from St Justinian, to see the seals and seabirds of Ramsey Island.
• 01348 831302, crug-glas.co.uk. Doubles from £100 B&B

The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool, Highland

Its website says: "At the end of the A835 and the centre of the universe". The Ceilidh Place is an institution on Scotland's western coast, one street back from the harbour of this fishing port on Loch Broom, Wester Ross. Faithful regulars return for its Northern Exposure vibe and bohemian simplicity. Thirteen rooms are straightforward and television-free, with books and radios instead. Most, but not all, have a bathroom en suite. Downstairs is a cafe-bar, bookshop and honesty bar for residents. There are also cheaper bunk rooms in the clubhouse across the road.
• 01854 612103, theceilidhplace.com. Doubles from £69pp B&B. Two-night winter stay is £200 per couple, including breakfast and two-course dinner

Greystones, Oban, Argyll

This is the first summer season for this new B&B, which occupies a fairytale Scottish baronial mansion, formerly the town's maternity hospital. The USP is fantastic views across Oban Bay to the Isle of Mull. The architect owners have, perhaps unsurprisingly, gone for a pared down, contemporary interior for the five bedrooms, which allows the drama beyond the windows to take centre stage. Start your day with a tempting breakfast which includes options such as porridge with whisky or raspberry cranachan, smoked haddock with poached egg, and kedgeree, served in the turret dining room.
• 01631 358653, greystonesoban.co.uk. Doubles from £110 B&B

Whitepark House, Ballintoy, County Antrim

This is the place if you want to stroll on a deserted beach before breakfast. Whitepark House is moments from the Antrim shoreline, which unfolds magnificently just a few minutes' walk from the B&B. A perfect base from which to visit the Giant's Causeway, and only five miles from Bushmills, so you can add a distillery visit or dinner at the Bushmills Inn. There are just three rooms, and homemade cake before a peat fire in the guest sitting room to look forward to after a day out in the elements.
• 028 207 31482, whiteparkhouse.com. Doubles £120 B&B