Seahouses: Harbour, Coast and Fishing History

Seahouses combines a busy working harbour with wide sandy beaches to the north and south of the town, and a long fishing history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Seahouses, you can first consider whether the harbour, coast or maritime past will shape your stay. Specific options include walks along the piers, paths by the beach, activities on the sea, boat trips and historical points of interest.

Working Harbour and Lifeboat Service

North Sunderland Harbour, also known as Seahouses Harbour, is a lively, busy working harbour. Visitors can walk along the piers; please observe the harbour signs on site. Seahouses Lifeboat Station was established in 1827 and operates both an all-weather lifeboat and one for inshore operations. The two types of boat serve different purposes: one is designed for all weather, while the other is for inshore operations. Seahouses Harbour is also home to lime kilns that probably date from the late 18th century. The harbour thus brings together connections to the lifeboat service and the town’s older history.

Coastal Paths and Beach Activities

The Northumberland Coast Path passes through Seahouses. The beach walk from Seahouses to Bamburgh is about 3 miles long. If you’d like to include an approximate distance in your planning, this provides a specific reference point for the walk to Bamburgh. The route from Seahouses to Bamburgh Castle has its own car parks on the seafront, by the harbour wall and behind the Tourist Information Centre. Wide sandy beaches stretch to the north and south of the town. You can explore rock pools on the beaches, and the sand dunes can also be explored at Seahouses. You can go bodyboarding in the sea off Seahouses. This means the coastal paths, beach and sea offer different ways to spend time outdoors.

Boat Trips and Golf

Boat trips to the Farne Islands are available from Seahouses. You can plan one of these tours as a focus in its own right, alongside activities on land. Golf is another option in the area: tee times at Seahouses Golf Club can be booked online. As availability can change, it’s best to check if golf is part of your travel plans.

Fishing History in Seahouses

Seahouses has a long history as a fishing town. Swallow Fish has been smoking fish locally in Seahouses since 1843. The Fisherman’s Kitchen welcomes visitors and displays historic fishing memorabilia and curiosities alongside the local catch of the day. The two examples have different focuses: Swallow Fish centres on smoking fish locally, while The Fisherman’s Kitchen brings together memorabilia and the catch of the day. Seahouses is also connected with the history of the well-known RNLI figure Grace Darling. Together with the Lifeboat Station, established in 1827, this is another historical point of interest in the town.

Discover more destinations: Kirkwhelpington, Fourstones, Spittal, Ponteland, Duddo, Hexham, Chatton, Alnmouth

For the regional travel overview: Northumberland.