Although the idea of living at the seaside is usually most attractive in the middle of the summer, a new survey concludes that many coastal addresses missed out entirely on the boom during the past decade.

According to Halifax, house prices at least doubled between 2001 and 2009 in almost half of all seaside towns. The average house price in all seaside towns increased by 92 per cent, outpacing the 81 per cent rise in house prices across England and Wales as a whole.

But property prices are probably affected more by fickle fashion and ideas of trendiness at the seaside than inland.

While Sandbanks, Dorset, and Padstow, Cornwall, have seen house prices surge to 18.9 times local average gross income - ensuring that most buyers come from the South East and other wealthier parts of the country - the ratio slips to only three in Withernsea, Yorkshire, where prices still average just more than £91,000.

Other seaside black spots include Fleetwood, in the North West (£107,400); Seaham in Co Durham (£107,500); Blackpool (£109,500) and Hartlepool (£111,700).

Even Morecambe on the North West coast, a scene of extensive refurbishment in recent years, has an average property price of only £120,800.

By contrast, at the top end of the seaside price league sits Sandbanks (average £545,000), followed by Padstow (£422,000), Fowey on the south Cornwall coast,(£336,000), Milford-on-Sea (£335,000) and St Mawes.

Prices in Rock, a Cornish village popular with public school pupils in long summer holidays, top £314,000 followed by Lyme Regis, Dorset (£308,000); Sidmouth, South Devon, (£292,000) and Poole, Dorset (£268,000).

Since 2001, says Halifax, steepest house prices by the seaside were in Padstow (up 211 per cent; Pwllheli, Wales (up 161 per cent); Seaham, Co Durham (up 159 per cent) and Wadebridge, in the South West (up 150 per cent).

According to Halifax, nine of the 10 least-expensive seaside towns are found in Northern England. The exception is Rhyl, north Wales.

The largest rise on the seafront in 2008-9 occurred in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, where prices jumped 10 per cent to nearly £163,000.

Halifax housing economist Martin Ellis said: "Property in seaside towns is often very popular with housebuyers. While it can be more expensive than elsewhere, exceptional value for money can still be found for those searching to realise their dream of living near the sea."