Newbiggin-By-The-Sea: Bay, Art and Coastal Heritage

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea’s character is best discovered through three themes: the bay, activities on the water, and art and coastal heritage. This lets you tailor your stay to your interests – a walk along the coast, insights into maritime history or works of art around the town.

Bay, Promenade and Views

Newbiggin Bay is a sandy coastal area in a 1.5-kilometre-long bay. The promenade offers a sheltered walk with views across the bay. If you like to combine your stay with time by the water, this offers a different focus from a visit centred mainly on historic buildings and artworks.

Church Point is a viewpoint for bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea. Sightings naturally vary and cannot be guaranteed. Newbiggin Bay’s main car park is also at Church Point. Parking arrangements may change temporarily, for example during works or events; take this into account when planning.

Walks and Activities on the Water

The sheltered southern end of Newbiggin Bay is suitable for beginners in sea kayaking and lies outside the channel for motorised boats. This information applies to this area of the bay; water conditions and local restrictions may change. Check them before planning an activity on the water.

From the promenade, you can watch the Newbiggin Lifeboat Station’s lifeboat set out on training exercises. Whether a boat goes out depends on operational and training requirements. Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is also part of the England Coastal Path. If you plan to walk the coastal path, check its route and local access conditions.

Art Around the Town and Coast

The Newbiggin Art Trail runs through the town and showcases community, historic and contemporary artworks. These include stone carvings, ceramic panels, stained glass and community sculptures. The full trail is estimated to take around two hours; you can also walk it in shorter sections. This makes it a way to include art in your stay without having to plan the entire route in one go.

A striking work on the coast is “Couple”: the five-metre-high figures of a man and a woman stand on a platform on the breakwater. The artwork and the Art Trail show different sides of local art – a sculpture on the coast and several types of work along the trail.

Maritime Heritage and Church Architecture

The museum at Newbiggin Maritime Centre displays the fishing boat “Girl Anne” and Newbiggin’s last all-weather lifeboat. The history of the lifeboat station is also part of the town’s character: Newbiggin’s original boathouse, dating from 1851, is the oldest RNLI building still in operation.

The Church of St Bartholomew stands right by the sea at the end of the long bay and is a striking landmark. It is listed as a Grade I listed building. Its history of construction can be traced through different parts of the building: the arcades date from the early 13th century, the tower from the late 13th century and the spire from the 14th century.

The church also has an important collection of grave slabs carved with crosses from the 12th and 13th centuries. Eight complete examples are set into the walls of the north aisle. The different periods represented – from the grave slabs and arcades to the spire – give the church a distinctive historical dimension beyond its location on the bay.

Planning for Events

The coastal bandstand can be booked for events and performances, giving local bands and choirs a place to perform. Availability and booking requirements may change. Newbiggin Maritime Centre’s events programme also includes an annual Kite Festival. Check event dates before travelling if you’d like to plan your stay around one.

Discover more destinations: Wandylaw, Bamburgh, Greenhead, Ellington, Alwinton, Newton-on-the-Moor, Hexham, Callaly.

Return to the main travel overview: Northumberland.