Beadnell Bay to Low Newton

Our leader Simon, has recently walked a whopping 42km along the Northumberland Coast, completing the Coastal Challenge Walk, however, if you fancy something a bit shorter, this walk is a great place to start.

On our last visit in June 2023, we saw over 30 different species of birds. At Long Nanny we spotted Little Terns, Arctic Terns and their chicks and Ringed Plover nesting. While at Newton Pool we saw Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew and unusually lots of Avocet. This is still a fab walk without being a twitcher though and I highly recommend it.

The route starts at Beadnell and heads through Beadnell Bay caravan park and onto Newton Links. This is a really lovely wander with stunning views out to sea and of the surrounding countryside. Birds you might spot here include various gulls, Stonechat, Linnets, Meadow Pipit and Twite.

Follow the obvious path along the coast and you'll reach Newton Steads Car Park. Head straight on, over another style and watch out for huge cows that might be in this field. Continue along the path and enjoy more beautiful scenery and you'll eventually see Low Newton in the distance. The views over the coast to Dunstanburgh Castle are pretty nice! Finally you'll reach Low Newton and you can stop here for teas and wees.

Walk through the village and you'll see a sign for Newton Pools. There is a great hide here, and this is where we saw Avocets and Godwits - fairly rare in the area. This was our last stop before heading back to Beadnell.

We followed the path back along the coast rather than go back the way we came, so we had views out to sea on our return journey. Again this was really pretty, and a very quiet stretch of the walk. We arrived back at Newton Steads car park and headed on to the beach. As you continue along the beach, you finally reach a section which is roped off.

Depending on the time of year that you visit, there may be Ringed Plover nesting on the beach, so the National Trust rope this area off to protect the birds. Ringed Plover are distinctive waders and proper little characters. It's always lovely to see them.

Close to the roped off area, you'll spot a signpost to the Tern Site. There are signs everywhere warning about nesting birds here. Head through a gate and follow a clearly marked path and you'll spot a wooden building in the distance. This is the area where Arctic Terns nest and there are hundreds of them flying about. You'll also likely spot their chicks trying to fly and being fed sand eels. A lovely sight.

There are usually National Trust rangers here, who keep an eye on things and can answer any questions you might have. If you're lucky you might even spot the extremely rare Black Tern here, though we never have!

We headed back along Newton Links and back on to the beach. In this area we spotted Little Terns flying around us. After a couple of hours of birdwatching, we finally headed back to the car at Beadnell.

This is a great walk - fairly easy with plenty to see along the way. A must see in the spring if you're a birdwatcher.