Welsh town dubbed ‘prettiest and most isolated’ where supermarket is 40 minutes away

New Quay in Ceredigion has been dubbed Britain's prettiest town due to its unspoilt coastline, but the remote Welsh seaside location faces challenges with the nearest major supermarket 20 miles away

Matt Jackson Trendswatch Content Editor 08:57, 04 Feb 2026

New Quay has been named the 'prettiest and most isolated town'(Image: WalesOnline/Gayle Marsh)

A Welsh coastal town celebrated as the "prettiest town" owing to its "unspoilt coastline" has simultaneously been branded Britain's most remote. New Quay in Ceredigion attracts throngs of visitors thanks to its seaside position.[1][2]

However, for residents the isolated location presents both advantages and drawbacks.

Whilst the area boasts numerous tourist shops, it lacks a major supermarket.

This resulted in New Quay being named the most isolated town in England and Wales based on its distance from essential amenities. The 1,045 residents of this charming town face a substantial journey to reach a major supermarket.[3][4]

Although it has a Costcutter and a nearby Morrisons, households must undertake a 20-mile journey to visit the nearest large superstore, Tesco or Aldi in Cardigan. The closest railway station is 40 minutes away in Aberystwyth[5].

YouTuber Steven, who creates content on his Beachlife and Beyond channel, travelled to New Quay in September to discover what the town was genuinely like, reports North Wales Live[6].

New Quay was named the prettiest town, but the nearest supermarket is 40 minutes away(Image: Getty Images/VisitBritain RM)

Upon arriving he remarked: "This place has blown my mind already, I am absolutely in love.

It's officially been awarded the title of Britain's prettiest town, I don't think I could have picked a better day [to visit]. It's a weekday, it's busy, the sun is shining, and it's absolutely gorgeous here."

Steven, who explored the town towards the end of the summer holidays, commended the abundance of independent retailers in the town, particularly noting the "beach shops" on offer and ice-cream parlours. He was nevertheless struck by the number of visitors who make the trek to the town, considering its position.

He remarked: "Given how remote this seaside town is, it's jam-packed."

Meanwhile, fellow YouTuber David Burnip, who goes by the Wandering Turnip, ventured to Ceredigion to discover just how cut-off New Quay truly feels.

Dolau Beach in New Quay, Ceredigion(Image: Mirrorpix)

In one of his videos, he commented: "It is absolutely gorgeous isn't it?"

He further noted: "One thing you notice is the colour of the houses are so absolutely beautiful, each one is like individually painted and they clash so beautifully with the one next to it."

Another striking feature that caught David's attention was the limited major road network across Wales. Mainly surrounded by local streets or B-roads, New Quay relies on the A487 for connections to both Aberystwyth and Cardigan.

(Image: (Image: Wandering Turnip/YouTube))

He reflected: "What you notice looking at Wales [on a map of UK motorways] and especially driving through it is there are barely any motorways there. And I noticed it driving from Manchester to Wales.

"I've never done this drive before and it was pretty much entirely done on country roads.

No main motorways connect the very mid section of this country and that must add to the isolation that these towns on the west coast must feel, for good or bad."

One local informed the YouTuber he was waiting for surgery later in the year, confronting a 20-mile trip to Aberystwyth before a 116-mile round journey to Swansea[7] for the procedure itself. He explained: "They've got to pick me up in Aberystwyth and then they will take me and somebody else as well probably, drive us all the way to Swansea, I'll have an operation there and then they'll bring me back to Aberystwyth and I have to make my own way home."

The "cliff perched, toppling town" of New Quay, Ceredigion, was a sanctuary for Welsh poet Dylan Thomas(Image: Getty)

David discovered the town was missing crucial amenities such as a decent bank, supermarket, and railway stations, emphasising the scarcity of cash machines: "There is literally nothing nearby at all, a lot of mid-Wales has no train stations, so unless you drive, you are getting everywhere by bus."

Previously a picturesque fishing settlement renowned for its herring catches, New Quay has undergone an economic shift, with one local telling David that lobsters and prawns now support the handful of fishermen who remain. This was the location where poet Dylan Thomas penned his most celebrated play, Under Milk Wood, and David quickly grasped why he believes the writer chose this delightful village.

He remarked: "You can see why this place would inspire you, there is just something so charming about it, so beautiful, so peaceful, so isolating.

Maybe that isolation is what a lot of people actually want and being far away from stuff doesn't scare people."

References

1. ^ Ceredigion (www.walesonline.co.uk)
2. ^ attracts throngs of visitors thanks to its seaside position. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
3. ^ Wales (www.walesonline.co.uk)
4. ^ to reach a major supermarket. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
5. ^ Aberystwyth (www.walesonline.co.uk)
6. ^ North Wales Live (www.dailypost.co.uk)
7. ^ Swansea (www.walesonline.co.uk)