Newbiggin - North Beach

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is a small seaside town, just up the coast from Newcastle.  It has a long association with mining and fishing and today the town still has its own fleet of traditional small fishing vessels.  The town is also home to a newly developed promenade to which birdwatchers flock in spring and autumn to watch swarms of migratory birds.

After suffering extensive beach erosion, Newbiggin Bay was subject to a major regeneration of the sea defences in 2007.  500,000 tonnes of sand were transported here from Skegness.  On one of the rocky breakwaters, out in the bay, is an installation by the artist Sean Henry.  The painted bronze figures of a couple looking out to sea stand atop a steel platform.  The sculpture can be seen from any point along the promenade and is best viewed through binoculars. 

The North Beach stretches down from Hully Rocks and curves around the bay in a south-westerly direction for about 500 metres.  To the east of the bay is a rocky outcrop which can be a good place to go rockpooling at low tide. There is a lifeboat station near the beach, and a Maritime Centre nearby.  The nearest car park is ark at the eastern end of the High Street.