Holiday apartment in North Tyneside: Coast, culture and nature
Accommodation in North Tyneside
Coast, history and nature on the River Tyne
North Tyneside looks out towards the coast on the River Tyne and combines maritime history with nature and cultural experiences. Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Whitley Bay Beach, Tynemouth Longsands and North Shields Fish Quay each give the area a distinct character. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can focus your trip on beach days, walks, family experiences or historical discoveries.
Whitley Bay Beach is a golden-sand Blue Flag beach that stretches from Whitley Bay North towards St Mary's Lighthouse. Tynemouth Longsands is an approximately one-mile-long Blue Flag beach that is used all year round. Surf lessons and board hire are available at Longsands; national surfing championships have also been held there. These coastal locations give your stay a clear focus if you would like to choose accommodation for the sea, beach and water sports.
Historic places on the coast
Tynemouth Priory and Castle stands on a steeply sloping headland with panoramic views of the sea at the entrance to the River Tyne. Access to the priory is through a 14th-century monastic gatehouse. The site includes the ruins of a medieval priory church and the 15th-century Percy Chantry. Visitors can also explore underground gun batteries associated with the two world wars.
Tynemouth Pier is a Grade II listed Victorian building and extends 900 metres out into the sea. A walk along the pier to the lighthouse offers views of the river mouth as well as Tynemouth Priory and Castle. Tynemouth Station is a Grade II* listed railway station dating from around 1882. Ornamental ironwork characterises the platform canopies and the footbridge, which extend for approximately 200 yards. Markets and performing arts events take place there at weekends.
Cullercoats Bay is a sandy cove bordered by small piers. Information panels along the seafront explain the area's art history. Cullercoats Watch House was built in 1879 as a lookout for the Cullercoats Volunteer Life Brigade, is a Grade II listed building and has close links to Winslow Homer. The Watch House is currently closed due to ongoing interior renovations.
Harbour, food and local stories
North Shields Fish Quay dates back to the 13th century. It is home to traditional fishing businesses as well as a range of places to eat, including fish restaurants and brasseries. A promenade running eastwards from the Fish Quay towards the mouth of the River Tyne offers views of the river mouth, the piers and the Collingwood Monument. Information panels explain the history of notable buildings and the development of the quay. The Old Lowlight presents the history of North Shields Fish Quay through exhibitions and interpretive displays and hosts events, talks, courses and workshops.
Tynemouth also has its own culinary and cultural highlights: the Mouth of the Tyne Festival takes place there every year, as does the Tynemouth Food Festival. Spanish City offers fish and chips, fine dining, a tea room and afternoon tea. This makes it possible to combine a stay by the sea with regional history, events and a variety of dining experiences.
Nature and active days
St Mary's Lighthouse was completed in 1898 and is now operated as a visitor centre. The nature reserve includes rock pools, coastal grassland on the cliffs, a beach and wetlands. Access to the lighthouse depends on the tides; visitors can climb 137 steps to the roof and look out over the coast. Rising Sun Country Park is a 400-acre park with free admission. It includes a lake designated as a Local Nature Reserve, wetlands, woodland, grassland and a bird hide overlooking Swallow Pond. An extensive network of walking and riding paths is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
Choose a holiday apartment in North Tyneside by holiday theme
For culture-focused days, Segedunum offers preserved fort foundations, faithful reconstructions of a bathhouse and a section of Hadrian's Wall, an interactive museum and a 35-metre-high viewing tower. The fort was built to protect the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall and housed 600 Roman soldiers. At the Stephenson Railway Museum, you can see George Stephenson's locomotive “Billy” and learn more about the railway work of George and Robert Stephenson in North Tyneside. Every booking for the Stephenson Steam Railway includes a four-mile round trip on a heritage train, subject to locomotive availability.
The Grade II listed Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels allow visitors to pass under the River Tyne on foot or by bicycle. They form part of National Cycle Network Routes 72 and 14. The North Shields Town Trail is a circular route connecting the town's past, nature within the urban area and the Fish Quay. For further orientation in the area, you can also explore Whitley Bay and Tynemouth.
For the main travel overview: North East England.
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