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.
- 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.
- Seaburn Beach is also known as Whitburn North beach and is a wide sandy beach within Whitburn bay. Facilities include parking, toilets, promenade, cafe, restaurant, amusements, arcades, deck chair rental.
- Whitley Bay beach is a long strip of sand with rocks. Large park behind the beach. Was the East coasts answer to Blackpool due to its close proximate to industrial north In the 1960’s the resort started to struggle when people discovered foreign holidays. Still much a holiday resort that has a night life that attracts hen and stag parties. Facilities include pay and display parking, toilets, cafes, restaurants and promenade.
- Ryhope South beach is a mix of sand, shingle and rocks and is really just an extension of Rythope beach.
- 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.
- 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 Fire Station is a Wetherspoon pub in Whitley Bay, 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Grangetown beach is a sand and shingle beach backed by a promenade.
- 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.
- Cullercoats sits between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. The Cullercoats beach is a semi-circular sandy beach enclosed by small piers with cliffs and caves. Cullercoats is a popular destination for families and day-trippers. The name is thought to derive from Dove (or Culver) Cotes. The south of the bay has a launching area for local fishing boats and leisure craft.
