You will find Tyne and Wear, with its rich industrial heritage, in the north-eastern corner of England. Bounded to the east by the North Sea, and by Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, it encompasses the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland.
Once the heartland of the British ship-building industry, this part of England's coastline is often unexplored but offers its visitors an amazing wealth of beaches, both big and small, rocky and sandy.
With a low tide, you can walk for several miles along one of Tyne and Wear's beaches, or enjoy stunning views along the many cliff-top paths. Holiday favourites Tynemouth and Whitley Bay lie to the north of the mouth of the River Tyne with the area's stunning sandy beaches the main attraction.
For walkers, there is much to see and do here. Enjoy the coastal walk from St Mary's Island to the pier at Roker in Sunderland, taking in Tynemouth Priory and Marsden Bay along the way. Roker is also popular for being able to stroll along the beach from Whitburn towards South Shields.
Why not check beaches nearby as we have 13 beaches in Tyne and Wear, or have a look at our list of Tyne and Wear dog friendly beaches, or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.
Tyne and Wear Coast Search Bar
Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:
Want some ideas on where to visit?
Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:
- 1st June 2019, 10:00 am-7th September 2019, 6:00 pmThe South Tyneside Festival has activities and events taking place throughout the summer months of June, July and August, and admission is free.A annual three-month celebration of music and culture and includes:Open-air concerts every Sunday in July at Bents Park A summer parade on Sat 6th July, which heads through the streets of South Shields proms in the park Fun, games and activities for children much much more…There is something for everyone and a full programme can be found on the website.
- Seaton Sluice beach is a sandy beach and dunes stretching to Blyth. Facilities include toilets, picnic site, parking available and further facilities available in town.
- Marsden beach is sand, renowned by its sea bird colonies and the 139ft Marsden rock that overlooks the beach. Facilities include toilets, pub and car parking is available (free to National Trust members).
- The world’s first electric lighthouse (victorian) lighthouse above 2½ miles of beach, cliff and grasslands with spectacular views over Marsden Bay and the notorious currents of ‘Whitburn Steel’. More details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- The Wouldhave is a Wetherspoon pub in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Our pub offers a range of real ales, craft beers and freshly ground Lavazza coffee. Breakfast is served until noon, with our full food menu available until 11 pm.
- Long Sands beach in Tynemouth is a stretch of golden sand suitable for bathing, surfing, kayaking or why not just sit back and relax. As the tide goes out a number of rock pools provide excellent family fun. Facilities include Parking, toilets, cafe, restaurant and shops.
- Hendon South beach is a sandy and shingle city beach located to the south of the docks and city centre. Facilities at the beach include car parking and promenade.
- Roker beach is also known as Whitburn South beach and is the closest northern beach to Sunderland. A wide sandy beach with all the usual seaside attractions including marine activities centre, boating lake, gardens/park and model railway. Facilities include parking, toilets, cafe/restaurants, deck chair hire.
- Sandhaven beach is a large sandy beach in South Shields. The beach is located south of the pier and is backed by dunes and some grass areas. Facilities include parking, restaurant/cafe, slipway, toilets, seasonal lifeguards and pier.
- King Edwards Bay beach is a sheltered sandy beach backed by cliffs and grassy spaces ideal for families. The beach sits under Tynemouth Priory and Tynemouth Castle. The beach is also known as Tynemouth Short Sands after its longer “Long Sands” neighbour. Facilities include car parking, toilets, shops, food outlets, lifeguards and zoned areas for watersports.
- Grangetown beach is a sand and shingle beach backed by a promenade.
- Castle Garth consists of the Castle Keep and it 13th-century gatehouse the Black Gate, both of which were once part of a much larger fortress.
- Ryhope Beach is a mix of sand, shingle and rocks. Tide times are posted at the beach access steps along with standard warnings of waves, submerged rocks and 999 emergency number. Access can be gained through Ryhope itself, there is a public footpath near the Albion pub which leads to the beach (5 minute walk), no access for vehicles but there is a small approach road which may be used for parking – please park responsibly. There are 2 other access points to Ryhope Beach in addition to the main one above. Additional access to Ryhope beach near the Toll Bar traffic interchange next to the former Salterfern industrial estate beyond Grangetown Autos, no vehicle access but again a small approach road which may be used for responsible parking. Beach is not patrolled by lifeguards and there are no facilities of any kind. However it is perfect to get away from the hustle and bustle of more popular beaches in the city so excellent for peace & quiet, only the occasional family and dog walkers. Second additional access is along the A1018 through Ryhope, then onto the B1287 heading to Seaham, along the route comes a sharp bend directly under a railway bridge, the access is immediately after you exit under the bridge, parking is very limited to only 2 or 3 cars. This beach access is through Ryhope Dene and is sign posted, a short walk through the dene down access steps and you are on the larger part of the beach, at low tide you can walk all the way from the top of Toll Bar to Seaham beach, please take note of the tide times which are posted at every beach access. No facilities, no lifeguard patrol, tide times are posted at beach access steps along with standard emergency warnings.
