Coastal Adventures in Northumberland with Parkdean Resorts

*This is a collaboration with Parkdean Resorts

Some of the fondest memories from my childhood feature the traditional holidays we used to take by the British seaside - eating fish and chips by the sea (they ALWAYS taste better this way), spending hours running away from the waves and long walks along the coast talking about everything and anything with the family as the sun set. Happy days indeed. I love taking these kinds of holidays with my own children and the seaside is definitely one of our happy places and somewhere we head to spend some proper quality time together. There's something about the seaside that just makes you want to put away your phone and live in the moment.  

We were asked by Parkdean Resorts to share some of our favourite Coastal Adventures around Northumberland, I'll be honest when I say it was tricky to narrow it down to just a handful. There is so much to do in Northumberland and our beaches stretch for miles, are unspoilt yet also have lots to do as well. I've focused my activities around the Parkdean Resorts in Northumberland and everything mentioned in this post is within 10-12 miles of Church Point, Cresswell Towers and Sandy Bay holiday parks. Take a peek at our video below to see more: 

Brunch at The Drift Cafe, Cresswell

Nothing sets you up for a Coastal Adventure like a decent brunch and The Drift Cafe in Cresswell is just the ticket. This cafe overlooks the sand dunes and really has an old-fashioned feel which reminds me of what seaside cafes used to be like. The cafe is a real community hub and is dog-friendly too. It's super popular with walkers, cyclists and holidaymakers alike.

Service is always friendly and the food is homecooked and delicious. We were really impressed with the cost and quality of our breakfast (£26 for 5 including drinks).

Cresswell Beach 

Cresswell Beach his a bit of a hidden gem in Northumberland. This sandy beach goes on for as far as the eye can see and is perfect for building sandcastles. There's also a rock-pooling area where my children love to hunt for crabs and wildlife - they once spotted a squid in one of the pools here. Cresswell Beach is just a couple of minutes walk from Cresswell Towers and Sandy Bay Holiday Parks.

Warkworth Castle

Warkworth Castle is managed by English Heritage and free to visit for members (check their website for entrance fees if you're a non-member). This castle is just one mile away from the coast and offers wonderful views across Amble harbour and beyond. 

There are additional activities available here such as medieval storytelling and castle invasions on certain days (check out their website for details) but to be honest we just love exploring. It's one of those castles where you can walk up one set of stairs, down another and then end up in a different room to where you started - great for keen explorers and a game of hide and seek. As you walk amongst the castle walls you can really feel the history of the rooms. I bet they have a story or two to tell.

Druridge Bay Country Park

I always say that Druridge Bay Country Park is like two days out in one. There's a nature reserve and beautiful lake on one side of the car park and one of the most beautiful beaches in Northumberland on the other side. We parked up our car (£3 all day - bring change) and headed straight to the visitor centre to spend a penny and to warm up with a hot chocolate. I highly recommend the hot chocolates here - they're nice and creamy and inexpensive too. 

There's also a fab visitor centre which you can see a little bit of in my video at the top of this post, unfortunately, we were asked to leave before I could take any photos as the room was about to be used to host a private meeting. It's packed with lots of information about local wildlife with displays featuring animal facts alongside details of where to spot various animals including crabs, seabirds and otters.

A walk around Ladyburn Lake at Druridge Bay is ideal for families - it's just over 1.5 miles in total, nice and flat, pushchair-friendly (walk past the stepping stones and around the lake to avoid them) and there's lots of wildlife to spot which will keep little ones interested. The lake is right by the visitor centre and cafe and there's a brand new park which has just opened outside too.

Wild swimming is allowed in the lake and you can take part in various watersports too. We watched some happy kids taking a canoe lesson. Check out Northumberland Council website for details.

We think the stepping stones across the lake are the best part - I am always scared I'm going to fall in and the kids always laugh and say that I'm going to but touch wood it hasn't happened so far. Harry, Heidi and Jack could play on these all day long.

There are lots of birds to spot around the lake including swans, ducks, larks, divers and more. You can also spot lots of different types of trees - I was delighted to spot an apple tree towards the end of our walk.

Druridge Bay Beach

The walk around the lake leads you right to the beach entrance. I swear every time I first lay eyes on Druridge Bay beach I fall even more slightly in love. My pictures just don't do it justice. I've visited in all weathers and it's never busy either - you often feel as if you're on your own private beach. 

As it had been raining on and off on the day of our visit, there were lots of slugs and snails out to see us as we walked over the dunes - we couldn't believe how small some of them were!

Our beach adventure started with stone collecting, practising our stone skimming skills and taking a walk along the beach to count how many jellyfish we could find - I think we ended up spotting 10 in total which is a lot more than usual. Something to do with the weather perhaps?

Then we spent time being chased by the waves and as Harry, Heidi and Jack screamed at how cold the North Sea was, I was transported back to my youth and wondered why we didn't have days like this more often. Sometimes the most simple days out really are the best.

Fish & Chips at Coastline Blyth

Exploring castles, country parks and beaches is hungry work and it wasn't long before our tummies started rumbling. When you're enjoying a Coastal Adventure, it simply has to be Fish and Chips for supper. We decided to visit Coastline Fish and Chips which is one of our favourites. Located on South Beach Blyth, the restaurant offers takeaway or you can dine in. The rain had started again so we opted to sit in - I love the 50s style diner interior. 

After a day out exploring the Northumberland coast, my fish supper tasted like heaven on a plate and we all devoured the lot. 

It was still raining but we'd promised the kids they could scoot along the prom and didn't want to let them down so we just went with it. South Beach Blyth outside of Coastline Fish & Chips is home to lots of fantastic facilities including beach huts, two play parks, an ice cream parlour and a lovely prom to scoot, skate, bike or walk along. 

Darkness was creeping in, the waves were crashing by the shore, the sky was grey and the rain was coming down harder but a little walk along the seafront was surprisingly calming and was a lovely way to end our day together.

The beauty of the Northumberland coast is, it can be as quiet or as busy as you like. I hope I've inspired you to explore more of the Northumberland Coast this year. Why not share your own Coastal Adventures or search for more ideas using the #CoastalAdventures hashtag?

Find out more:

• Discover more Top Coastal Adventures over on the Parkdean Resorts website here
• The Drift Cafe
• Warkworth Castle 
• Druridge Bay Country Park and Beach
• Coastline Fish & Chips
• South Beach Blyth 

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