Little Tern Sculpture

The Little Tern sculpture is situated at Cotsford Field on the Durham Heritage Coast path near Horden, and overlooks the North Sea.

The sculpture celebrates the return of the Little Tern colony which arrive from Africa in May each year and remain on Crimdon beach until the Autumn. In 2022, there were 87 Little Tern chicks successfully born at Crimdon.

The sculpture was inspired by David Buurma of Mor Imagination and was commissioned by Durham Heritage Coast partnership, which includes amongst other partners: National Trust, Durham Council and Durham Wildlife Trust.

If you want to extend your visit, there are waymarked walks in the area and you can follow the stunning coastal path for miles if you fancy a long walk. The tern sculpture can be found on this section of the England coastal path, which stretches from North Gare at the mouth of the Tees up to South Bents, near South Shields. This is a 55km stretch of path if you're up for a challenge and feeling fit.

Also close to the sculpture is Horden Beach which has a strange, otherworldly feel to it and is worth a look. Not too far away there is also the beautiful Castle Eden Dene which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and is 5.6km long, covering 221 hectares. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.