Ian Clarke It's done it again! The golden beach at Holkham - a magnet for daytrippers, holidaymakers and dog walkers as well as a Hollywood film location - has proved to be the tops once more in a national competition.

Ian Clarke

It's done it again! The golden beach at Holkham - a magnet for daytrippers, holidaymakers and dog walkers as well as a Hollywood film location - has proved to be the tops once more in a national competition.

It has won the Best British Beach category in the Coast magazine 2010 awards for the second year running.

Editor Clare Gogerty said: “Holkham really is a one-off. The feeling of solitude you get on those endless sands, and in the surrounding pinewoods, makes for a truly uplifting seaside experience.”

The beach is probably best known nationally and beyond as being featured in Gwyneth Paltrow's final scene from Shakespeare in Love in 1998.

Holkham's panoramic coastal views and its having an internationally important National Nature Reserve on the doorstep were factors which helped it scoop the gong.

Mike Daley, general manager of Holkham Enterprises, received the award at a ceremony in London and said: “It is a tremendous thrill to receive this award and we're very grateful to the readers of Coast magazine for their votes. The award is a tribute to the work of Natural England and their wardens.”

Natural England reserve staff manage the beach and work with the Holkham estate.

Southwold was a runner-up in the best family holiday destination category and its pier was also runner-up in the best- loved coastal building section.

The Brudenell Hotel at Aldeburgh was a runner-up in the best shoreline B&B/hotel category, and in the best campside, caravan or holiday park section, the Seaview Caravan Park at East Runton, near Cromer, was a runner-up.

Around 5,000 votes were cast in this year's awards and the top-scoring nominations for the remaining categories were then put to an expert judging panel, including north Norfolk chef Galton Blackiston.