A family visit to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

Today we have another guest post - this time by Amy Smith featuring the Northumberland seaside town of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. Now can you believe I've yet to visit here? I keep meaning to take the kids but then never seem to get around to it. I'm going to make a real effort to visit before the end of the year as it seems lovely and reasonable too. Plus it's just up the road! Over to Amy....

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is a great spot to enjoy the beautiful Northumberland coast, find interesting art and escape the holiday crowds.  Following signs to the caravan site, we parked at the (FREE) Church Point carpark located on the site of St. Bartholomew’s 13th century church and took in the stunning views of the bay, a time capsule and the town’s Maritime Centre.  Here, is the start of the art trail, which you can follow by picking up a map inside the centre. 

First stop was the nearby play park which was ideal for my two boys, aged 3 and 17 months, en route to the Breakwater Café located in the Maritime Centre.  The café has a good selection of cakes and hot food, a large glass front overlooking the beach and walls filled with local artwork for sale.  Me and hubby both opted for cappuccinos and the Fisherman’s (full English) Breakfast which was £5 and generously portioned.  My parents enjoyed fruit scones and coffees, while the little fellas had Fruitshoots and toast.  The bill came to £23.50, which I thought very reasonable to fill all six of us.

The centre has toilets, a shop and a museum.  A small charge applies to enter the maritime museum; £2.50 per adult, £1.50 per child, under 5’s free.  We decided not to go in this time, only because a few free bank holiday activities were on offer including a craft area to invent a fantastic beast which my 3 year old made a beeline for.

Despite it being the last bank holiday of the summer, it didn’t feel crowded even though there were plenty of folk around.  We collected shells on the beach, walked along the promenade, passed old tractors and the life boat station.  ‘The Couple’ is an impressive oversized sculpture standing out at sea, and is one of many interesting artworks we spotted during our stroll.  Along the way there’s also a cafe, pub, and a fish & chip shop.

We had a great day, plenty of things to do and next time we visit we’d love to check out the museum and do the art trail.

Thanks Amy - sounds fab! You can find out more about Newbiggin-by-the-Sea by following the links below: 

• Newbiggin Maritime Centre
• Newbiggin Art Trail (PDF)
• Breakwater Cafe