Beaches

Seaside Award Beaches in Northumbria

This distinctive yellow and blue flag Seaside Award is only given to beaches that are clean, safe and have good water quality. Wherever the flag is flying you can be sure that you are on one of Britain's best beaches.




Amble Links

An unspoilt beach of sand with rocky outcrops providing natural pools, ideal for children. It is sheltered by a backdrop of sandstone and sand dunes with an abundance of flora and fauna. From the beach you can see the magnificent Coquet Island, once a manned lighthouse, now automatic, and a local reserve.

Access: Amble Town is a short distance away. Local buses run near the beach park - times should be checked at the tourist information centre. From the town you can walk to the beach via the harbour, open green and via the dunes footpath. The beach is signposted from the A1068.

Category: RURAL
Water Quality: meets Guideline standard
Managing Authority: Alnwick District Council. Contact: 01665 712313

Bamburgh

A golden, sandy, horseshoe shaped beach overlooked by Bamburgh Castle. Beach access is through the sand dunes. There are pleasant coastal walks to choose from and some rock pools appear at low tide.

Access: The nearest town is Bamburgh. Access is by road from the Al with a bus running daily from Berwick to Newcastle. There is also a town link from Newcastle to Berwick and then a bus from the station to Bamburgh.

Category: RURAL
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council. Contact. 01665 720884

Beadnell Bay

A golden, sandy, horseshoe shaped beach overlooked by sand dunes and a small harbour. Ideal for walking, picnicking and children. There are segregated boat launching facilities available.

Access: Village of Beadnell close by with town of Seahouses approx. 3 miles away. Access is by road and signposted. The Newcastle-Berwick bus also stops nearby.

Category: RURAL
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council. Contact. 01665 720884

Low Newton

This is a beautiful stretch of beach, which falls within an area of outstanding natural beauty and the Heritage Coastline. This sandy beach is bordered by rocky outcrops and sand dunes and provides a good view of the spectacular Dunstanburgh Castle.

Access: Via the village of Newton by the Sea which forms part of the Northumberland coastal route. Parking is available.

Category: RURAL
Water Quality: meets Guideline standard
Managing Authority: Alnwick District Council. Contact: 01665 576007

St Aidans, Seahouses North

St Aidans, Seahouses North, is an arc shaped, sandy beach with rocky outcrops and rock pools marking its end. There are extensive sand dunes providing pleasant walks. The beach overlooks the offshore islands and there is plenty of bird life.

Access: The nearest town is Seahouses with signposted road access from the Al. There is a daily bus from Berwick to Newcastle, which stops here.

Category: RURAL
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council. Contact: 01661 720884

Warkworth

The miles of soft, golden sands are backed by an extensive range of sand dunes and a golf course and are ideal for children and sand castles. A picnic site nearby and an alternative bridleway for horses to the beach are clearly marked. This beautiful beach is a short drive from the small historical village of Warkworth. An outstanding and spectacular beach.

Access: The nearest town is Amble.

Category: RURAL
Water Quality: meets Guideline standard
Managing Authority: Alnwick District Council. Contact: 01665 71231~

Tees Valley
Seaton Carew, Foreshore

Seaton Carew's golden sands stretch over a mile in each direction from the centre of the resort. It is possible to hire a beach chalet to use as a base and check out nearby tourist attractions. Children are particularly catered for with many beach activities such as National Spring Clean, Beach Watch, Britain in Bloom, volleyball, swing ball and treasure hunts. A children's paddling pool, putting, crazy golf and croquet are available. During the summer months, a number of special events add extra colour, making Seaton Carew the ideal family resort.

Access: Hartlepool is the nearest town with access routes by road, rail and ring and ride.

Category: RESORT
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: Hartlepool Borough Council. Contact: 01429 266522

Tyne and Wear Tynemouth, Cullercoats

Cullercoats is a sandy bay enclosed by small piers and, as such, is an excellent environment for family use. The south of the bay is a launching point for local fishing boats and pleasure craft. The beach is backed by cliffs, which contain interesting geological features, a marine laboratory, a working Victorian lifeboat house and a watch house. All of these features are seen in the work of the famous American artist Winslow Homer.

Access: Cullercoats is sandwiched between Tyneside's twin resorts of Whitley Bay and Tynemouth. It is easily accessible by car from the A19 or by using Tyneside's rapid transport system, the Metro, to Cullercoats Station.

Category: RESORT
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: North Tyneside Council. Contact: 0191 200 5178

Tynemouth, Longsands South

There is a half mile stretch of fine, golden sands of Longsands backed by sand dunes, illustrating all the characteristics of a rural beach in a very urban location. Due to its size the beach at Tynemouth is very popular for those wanting to bathe, surf, play beach sports or simply relax. The beach is a real jewel, which is greatly enhanced by the adjacent park, Sealife Centre, Toy Museum and shops.

Access: Located to the north of the River Tyne's mouth and neighbouring twin resort of Whitley Bay. Accessible from the A19 by car or by Tyneside's rapid transport system, the Metro (alight at either Tynemouth or Cullercoats).

Category: RESORT
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: North Tyneside Council. Contact: 0191 200 5178

Whitburn North, Seaburn

This is a sandy beach with numerous amenities. The whole extent of the beach is backed by a traffic free promenade. The rocky shore to the north is considered to be of geological interest noted for its foreshore plant and animal communities. Nearby attractions and amenities include a fun fair, children's outdoor play parks, Seaburn leisure centre, restaurants and catering outlets.

Access: Seaburn is the nearest access point, the nearest town is Sunderland.

Category: RESORT
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: City of Sunderland. Contact: 0191 553 2828

Whitburn South, Roker

This is a wide, sandy beach with numerous amenities. The rocky shore to the north is considered to be of great geological interest with its magnesium limestone cliffs and 'cannonball' limestone. Nearby attractions and amenities include the Victorian themed Roker Park with bandstand, boating lake, bowling green and multi-use games area, the newly developed Marina, the new National Glass Centre, restaurants and catering outlets.

Access: The nearest town is Sunderland. Roker is the nearest access point.

Category: RESORT
Water Quality: meets Mandatory standard
Managing Authority: City of Sunderland. Contact: 0191 553 2828

Seaside Award Information
To earn a Seaside Award, a beach has to prove it has met high standards of water quality and beach management. Because beaches are very different in character the Seaside Awards are split into two types, resort and rural.

Resort: A Seaside Award Resort beach attracts many visitors with its facilities and activities. Usually found near towns, resort beaches are often easy to reach by public transport. At an award-winning resort beach you can expect to find a cafe or restaurant, toilets and a variety of things to do, although the type of facilities depends on where the beach is found. All Seaside Award beaches have to pass 29 different checks.

Rural: A Seaside Award Rural beach, however, is quieter and usually enjoyed for its scenery rather than its facilities. Because of their rural nature, these beaches are often remote and may be more difficult to reach by bus or train. They have to pass 13 different checks as they cannot be expected to have the same facilities as the bigger resort beaches. Dogs may be allowed on some of these beaches.

Award-winning beaches can only fly their flag for one year and are reviewed annually They are also checked during the summer to make sure that they are still meeting the high standards. If a beach fails in any area then it has to take the flag down until it can prove that the problem has been solved. There are five main areas which are considered before a Seaside Award beach can fly a flag: water quality, safety, management, cleanliness and information provision.

Water Complies with European legislation
Dogs Banned from the main section of all resort and some rural beaches: dogs must be kept on leads*; dog refuse bins must be provided*
Telephones Available within five minutes walk*
Toilets Clean and adequate facilities including those for disabled visitors at resort beaches*
Bathing Safety Lifesaving equipment must be provided with lifeguards recommended at resort beaches
Supervision Every day with times of cover
Cleansing Every day
First Aid Provided and attended with times of cover displayed
Information Displayed results of latest water quality sampling as well as previous four years' overall results; Seaside Award criteria; contact addresses; attendance times*; local environmental initiatives*; local bye laws, including dog restrictions; map of award area showing car parks, water sampling points and facilities

*these criteria are not compulsory at rural beaches

Good water quality

The Environment Agency (or Department of Environment) check the bathing water 20 times during the summer season. All Seaside Awards have reached the Mandatory standard of the Bathing Water Directive (EEC/76/160) the previous year. Some beaches have reached the higher Guideline standard.

European Blue Flag Campaign

The Tidy Britain Group also runs the European Blue Flag Campaign in the UK on behalf of FEEE (Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe). The Blue Flag Campaign looks at resort beaches and compares them to beaches all over Europe. The Blue Flag beaches are announced in June. For more information about the Blue Flag Campaign send a large stamped addressed envelope to the Tidy Britain Group address on the back of this leaflet.

For further information about Seaside Awards and European Blue Flags you can contact the Seaside Awards Office at:

Tidy Britain Group
Seymour House
Muspole Street
Norwich NR3 1DJ

Telephone (01603) 766076
Fax (01603) 760580