5 Must-Visit Beaches Near Durham

A day at the beach might not be the first (or even the second) thing that springs to mind when you think about Durham. However, this renowned university city in England’s north-eastern region is less than 15 miles from the coast as the crow flies. 

And what a coast it is, with a mixture of pebble and sandy beaches, towering limestone cliffs with abundant birdlife, and a path running its full length. Throw in scattered relics of its industrial past too, and it’s no surprise a long stretch of shoreline has been awarded heritage status.

Read on for our top five must-see beaches along the Durham Heritage Coast – and if you’d like to stay near the sea, Pitchup has a definitive list of campsites, glamping pods and holiday parks within an easy drive of the North Sea coastline. 

Discover County Durham campsites

Seaton Carew Beach

Family-friendly sandy beach and sea safaris

Although it’s not the closest to Durham, Seaton Carew Beach is arguably the best equipped, with vibrantly coloured beach huts for hire, golf courses for adults and kids, and a grassy beachfront playground with a miniature adventure course. Oh, and a huge sandy beach… 

Relax on the golden sand with some fish and chips or an ice cream while you gaze at the wind turbines offshore. Powerboat sea safaris from nearby Hartlepool Marina take you close to the wind farm en route to seeing grey seals and dolphins – but beware, it’s a bumpy, splashy ride.

For a more chilled experience, stroll or cycle along the promenade all the way to the southern end of the beach. Here, among the sand dunes and marshland of Seal Sands, you can often spot wading birds feeding at low tide and harbour seals basking on the sand banks.  

Seaham Beach

Sea glass and cafés at the marina

Another popular destination along the Durham Coast is the sand-and-pebble stretch at Seaham, also known as Glass Beach because of the colourful glass pebbles that wash up on its shore. Kids and adults alike will be intrigued to hear how sharp glass offcuts from bottleworks dumped into the North Sea over a century ago have been pounded and smoothed by the waves into the glass stones in their hands. Looking for a novel pastime? Set a family challenge to see who can find the widest range of colours. 

When it’s time for lunch, head towards town, stopping at Terrace Green for the sea views and a look at the wooden sculpture of a World War I soldier (affectionately known as ‘Tommy’). Head for the cafés and burger joints at Seaham Harbour Marina, where you can also try your hand at paddleboarding and kayaking from the activity centre.

Easington Beach

Quiet beach and a former colliery turned nature reserve

This secluded sand-and-shingle stretch between two rugged headlands is popular with anglers and dog walkers. Stock up on goodies at the nearby town of Easington Colliery and have a picnic on the beach, before hunting for fossils and sea glass or exploring rockpools for crabs and whelks. 

There are far-reaching views of the coastline from the Durham Heritage Coast Path – it’s a section of the England Coast Path – that runs along the cliffs, where the Pit Cage monument (an original lift cabin) stands as a reminder of this community’s mining past. 

Easington Colliery closed down in 1993, and the land is now home to Easington Local Nature Reserve with grasslands, ponds and colourful wildflowers, including orchids. Keep an eye out for skylarks and rare butterflies too.

Blackhall Rocks Beach

Birdwatching and rockpooling in a nature reserve

Film buffs hoping to recreate the final scene of Get Carter will probably be surprised to see that Blackhall Rocks Beach bears little resemblance to how it looked in 1971’s Michael Caine movie. The area is now a local nature reserve: gone are the slag heaps and the conveyor that used to dump coal waste into the North Sea, and in their place are cliffs now covered with grassland and wildflowers. In the summer, the whole area buzzes with insects, including colourful butterflies like the rare Durham argus.

Head down to the sand-and-rock beach and look for sand martins nesting in the cliffs or oystercatchers feeding on the rugged shore. If you have kids with excess energy to burn, send them off to explore caves and rockpools, searching for starfish, small crabs and anemones.

Crimdon Beach

Sandy beach with nesting birds and industrial ruins

This long sandy beach backed by grassy dunes is a magnet for families, who can let the kids loose to splash around in the shallow waters, build sandcastles or fly kites. 

Dogs will love Crimdon Dene Beach too, but be sure to keep them away from the grassy dunes in the summer, when little terns come to nest on the sand. Behind the dunes, the 18-hole Hartlepool Golf Course welcomes visitors on its windswept fairways, while in the distance, the imposing remains of Steetley Pier are a reminder of this area’s industrial heritage.

 

Durham’s heritage coast has plenty to keep everybody happy, from fossil-hunting families to birdwatchers. If walking the England Coast Path backing these beaches has not quite sated your appetite for rambling, check out Pitchup’s list of the 10 most scenic walks in County Durham.

You can find more comprehensive information about the area around Durham in our guides to North East England. And for all you thinking of holidaying in County Durham, Pitchup has numerous outdoor accommodation options across the region, with overnight prices starting at an unbelievable £8 per person.