Discover Spittal: Beach, Promenade and History

Spittal combines a mostly sandy beach with a Victorian promenade and a history as a holiday and spa resort. Beach features, named routes and historic buildings offer different points of reference when you want to assess the character of the destination.

Sandy Beach and Coastal Setting

Spittal Beach is mostly sandy; the water is shallow at high tide. The beach is considered family-friendly, and the sand is suitable for building sandcastles. For 2026, Spittal is listed as designated bathing water in England’s bathing water list. If you are planning for a later travel period, check the current classification again at that time. The beach is within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These are different details for your planning: the sand and water features describe the beach, while the list gives its designated bathing water status.

Promenade and Routes

The Victorian promenade provides opportunities for walks by the sea. It is flat and is also suitable for cycling and scootering. The Northumberland Coastal Path connects at the beach and runs south towards Holy Island. The Sandstone Way, a long-distance mountain bike route, also passes by the beach. Spittal Beach is also a landmark on the circular route from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Cocklawburn Beach.

The routes differ in their focus: the Coastal Path is described as heading south, the Sandstone Way is a long-distance mountain bike route, and Spittal Beach serves as a landmark on the circular route. This allows you to distinguish the named routes by their type and their stated connection to the beach. When walking along the promenade and beach, dogs can also run off-leash on the sandy beach.

Spittal Play Park is located between S Greenwich Road and Spittal Promenade. If you plan to visit the park, check its current facilities in advance, as amenities can change.

Holiday Resort, Spa History and Herring Processing

Spittal has been known as a holiday resort since the 18th century. The former Spa Well was a significant factor in the development of Spittal as a spa town in the early 19th century. During the 19th century, the town became the most important centre for herring processing. The development of the spa and herring processing offer two different historical perspectives on Spittal.

A specific testament to its processing history is the pair of smokehouses on Sandstell Road. Shortly after 1843, they were converted into smokehouses for kippered herring and are listed as Grade II buildings. The “Venetian” pavilion was built in 1928. These buildings therefore point to different chapters in the town’s history: the smokehouses’ use for kippered herring and the pavilion’s later-dated architecture. Together with the history of the former Spa Well, they give a picture that extends beyond Spittal’s development as a holiday and spa resort to also encompass herring processing.

Discover more destinations: Longframlington, Ilderton, Blyth, Rothbury, Greenhead, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Widdrington, Carham

For the main travel overview: Northumberland.