This Northumberland fishing town pays tribute to its mining past and seafaring heritage, and will soon be easier to visit
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is a small town 17 miles north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and its crescent-shaped beach is roughly a third of a mile in length. St Bartholomew’s Church, with its octagonal stone spire, gives its name to Church Point: the headland at the northern end of Newbiggin Bay hosts both a golf course and a caravan park.
In winter, the sleepy town – once a grain port and coal-mining community, now a fishing town – attracts surfers, dog-walkers and cyclists to its promenade, and kite enthusiasts to its annual festival in early spring. For more: visitnorthumberland.com.
How to get there
The Northumberland Line, North East England’s newest rail service, will open on Sunday, initially between Newcastle and the redeveloped station in nearby Ashington. Peak-time singles cost £3, off-peak £2.60. From Ashington, bus X21/22 runs to Newbiggin in around 20 minutes. Singles for the 80-minute bus ride to Newbiggin-by-the Sea from Newcastle’s Haymarket bus station on the X21 (arrivabus.co.uk) cost £2.
Alternatively, buy a £2 single and ride for 39 minutes on bus 35 from Morpeth, whose railway station is on the East Coast Main Line.
Phoenix Taxis (phoenixtaxis.net) operates a fleet of electric vehicles and is an option for rides in and around Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
Where to stay
For a night in a pub a minute’s walk from the beach, book into a double room at The Queen’s Head at 7 High Street. Built in 1909, the two-storey building has bedrooms on its upper floor but no lift. A continental breakfast is included and food including burgers and hunter’s chicken are served each evening until 8.30pm. B&B from £89, queensheadporters.com.
The Captain’s Lodge at 2 Haven View, has three bedrooms on a room-only basis. The seafront room costs £95 a night.
Day one
Up with the sun
If you appreciate lengthy walks, tackle the 13-mile coastal route to Amble. Reward yourself with a seafood lunch at The Fish Shack (boathousefood group.co.uk/fish-shack), where you can gaze out at the harbour.
Along the way, peer into rock pools on the beach at Cresswell, the starting point of the Northumberland Coastal Path that continues to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Follow the broad expanse of golden sand as it sweeps around Druridge Bay or cross the dunes to break the walk at Druridge Bay Country Park.
Appreciate local birdlife in the hides of Hauxley Nature Reserve, where a chalkboard lists recent sightings of birds and mammals.
Souvenir hunting
The Seashore Shop in Newbiggin Maritime Centre (nmcentre.org.uk) stocks local handicrafts, toys and books about the area. Original artworks are displayed in the centre’s Breakwater Café, whose floor-to-ceiling windows provide fine views across the bay. Alternatively, pick something up from the shop at Newbiggin Lifeboat Station – established in 1851, it is the UK’s oldest operational lifeboat house.
Don’t miss
The Woodhorn Museum (museums northumberland.org.uk/woodhorn-museum), two miles inland from Newbiggin-by-the Sea, tells the story of coal mining in Northumberland. In its heyday, nearly 2,000 people worked at the colliery, which closed in 1981. Miners descended to the coalface from the winding house, one of the site’s brickwork buildings. The museum displays artworks by the Ashington Group, which inspired Lee Hall’s play The Pitmen Painters.
Couple by Sean Henry is a sculpture depicting a man and woman casually gazing out over the North Sea. They stand on a platform above the breakwater hindering the erosion of Newbiggin Bay. View details of Henry’s artwork by visiting the significantly smaller Land Couple statue on the promenade.
Time for a sundowner
Pause for a pint in the Cresswell Arms, at 19 High Street, whose signage promotes it as the “last pub before Norway”. Sink a couple on a Saturday while participating in karaoke night. For a broader selection of craft ales, head to The Ink Spot at 49 Front Street, a welcoming micropub with a rotating range of regional beers.
Dinner reservation
Several of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea’s dining options close at tea time. Notable exceptions are Due Fratelli at 132A Front Street, a family-run Italian restaurant and pizzeria that’s open seven evenings a week, and Shaj, a tandoori restaurant with a modern interior at 14 High Street (closed Tuesdays).
Day two
Time to relax
Gain an overview of local seafaring heritage in Newbiggin Maritime Centre’s compact museum (£2.50). Exhibits include the Girl Anne, one of the flat-bottomed fishing boats, known as cobles, long used in the region. While in the centre, pick up a Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Heritage Trail or Art Trail leaflet to follow. Alternatively, cross into St Bartholomew’s churchyard and attempt to decipher weather-worn headstones.
Lunch time
Open seven days a week, The Endeavour at 88-90 Front Street is a licensed café that serves roasts on Sundays, plus popular dishes including mince and dumplings, and fish and chips.
Hit the beach
Visit the beach to examine the Hunkleton Stone, a chunky, rectangular erratic rock reputedly deposited as the last Ice Age ended. If you don’t appreciate walking barefoot on the sand, stroll along Newbiggin’s broad promenade.
Bring your swimming kit to take a dip in the bracing North Sea, then warm yourself in the sauna at Café Needle Eye on the promenade (£15 for 90 minutes, cafeneedleseye.co.uk). The licensed café’s terrace is a pleasant spot for a beverage and a bite. The menu includes pulled beef sandwiches and vegetable flatbreads.
A final treat
Enjoy a warming cuppa at the cosy Artisan Tea Room at 51 Front Street. Earl Grey tea originated in Northumberland and is an ideal accompaniment to the cheese scones
Three things you might not know about Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
1) In 1868, the UK and Denmark’s first telegraph connection came ashore at the Cable House station in the town.
2) The authority to toll ships loading or unloading on Newbiggin’s quay was granted by Edward II in 1316.
3) During the Middle Ages, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea was ranked as the third-most important port in England for shipping grain, behind London and Hull.