Twenty minutes or so up the coast from Newcastle upon Tyne, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is having a quiet moment. This former fishing port and coal town on the Northumberland coast — about 17 miles from the city — blends beaches, medieval history and public art without the crowds you'd find further south.
The town's story is older than it looks. Monk fishermen were recorded here as far back as the 12th century, and by the early 1800s wealthy Newcastle families were building summer homes on the coast. Coal arrived in the early 20th century; the colliery produced nearly half a million tons before closing for good in 1967. What's left is a compact seaside village that trades on its maritime past.
Three beaches line Newbiggin Bay. East Beach is the quietest, a narrow sand spit near Church Point good for spotting otters, dolphins and wading birds — with the 13th-century Church of St Bartholomew standing on the headland above. North Beach sits closest to town, next to the Newbiggin Maritime Centre (museum, three galleries, cafe) and the RNLI lifeboat station founded in 1851, the oldest still-active station in the UK. South Beach, at the bay's southern end, is the pick at low tide, when rock pools appear.
A flat promenade runs along the bay, good for a sunset stroll and for views of "The Couple" — a roughly 40-foot offshore sculpture of two figures, installed in 2007 and billed as the first of its kind in the UK. At high tide they appear to stand on the water. It anchors the Newbiggin Art Trail, which links more than 50 sites and takes about two hours end to end. If that isn't enough coastline, the award-winning beach at Cresswell is under six miles away.
Then there's the fish and chips. Locals are split between two family favourites: Ladhar's Fish Bar, serving the town since 1999 and praised for generous, fresh haddock in light batter, and The Front Fish and Chips, named Northumberland's best at the English Business Awards in both 2023 and 2025. For something slower, Cafe Needles Eye does coastal dishes with a sea view — and has a sauna if you've overdone the beach walk.
Who's it for? Anyone who wants an easy coastal escape from the North East without paying tourist-town prices, plus walkers, birders and anyone who rates a seaside town by its chippy. Pair it with a wider Northumberland run — Bamburgh, Holy Island and the castle-studded coast are all within reach — or just come for a slow weekend of art trail, tidepools and chips.
