Berwick Beach Cliffs

The cliffs at Berwick rear up from the North Sea in proper dramatic fashion - rust-red sandstone layered like a geological textbook, dropping straight down to a narrow pebble beach below. It's the kind of coastal walk that reminds you why people bothered building a town here in the first place, borders and all.

What you're doing is straightforward: walking the clifftop path, taking in the views across to Scotland, maybe scrambling down to the beach if the tide's out and you've got a head for heights. The rock formations are genuinely striking - bands of different colours and textures that geologists would bang on about for hours. On a clear day you can see for miles along the coast. On a grey one, which is fairly often up here, it's moody and atmospheric in that very northern way.

This works well for families with older kids - there's nothing too strenuous about the walk itself, though the cliffs demand respect and the path can be muddy. Serious walkers will find it a decent leg of a longer coastal route. History types will appreciate the medieval town walls visible from up here, reminders of Berwick's fractious past.

It's free, obviously - just rock and access. Allow a couple of hours to do it properly without rushing. Spring through to early autumn is best; winter storms can make the path dicey. If you're based at Haven Berwick Holiday Centre or Berwick Seaview just down the road, this is exactly the sort of walk that justifies the trip north.