Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland travel guide and Newbiggin information

Visit Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is a fishing town on the coast in southern Northumberland, to the east of Morpeth and within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

In the middle ages Newbiggin was a very important west coast port town, now it is much quieter place (tourists aside) with just a small fleet of the traditional small fishing boats operating from the port. The transition to holiday resort has been long, with the beach attracting visitors for more than 100 years. The illustrious history and changing fortunes of the town are explained in the Heritage Centre at the end of the beach.

Away from the beach, the main focus of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is the 'piazza' area and the High Street immediately behind it.

The town has changed significantly in recent years, above all with the great improvements made to the beach (which involved importing very large quantities of sand) and beachfront areas - and the addition of a large bronze statue of a 'couple' in the middle of the bay looking out to sea, just one of several works of art that form part of the town's 'Art Trail'.

To one end of the beach stands the lifeboat centre - open since 1851 it is the longest serving centre in Britain and guided visits are available. Continue along the headland to visit the Church of Saint Bartholomew, in a lovely location and well known for its large number of medieval gravestones.

Attractions near Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

Just a little way to the west of the town at Woodhorn there are several attractions including the Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, a narrow gauge railway, and the Woodhorn Museum which features an unusual collection of objects relating to the mining history of the region.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Northumberland Coast guide and the Northumberland guide.