Blast Beach

The stretch of sand at Blast Beach, just outside Peterlee, is one of those North East coastline spots that catches you off guard. It's proper wild - the kind of place where the wind whips across the dunes and the sea's usually grey and choppy, but somehow that's exactly what makes it work. You get rock pools to rummage through at low tide, enough shale and stones to keep geologists happy for an afternoon, and the sort of unpolished, no-nonsense beach that doesn't require a theme park ticket to enjoy.

It's a solid choice for families who want a bit of adventure without the ice cream queue hassle, though be warned - the wind can be relentless and there's not much shelter once you're out there. Walkers find it useful as part of a longer coastal ramble, and it's exactly the kind of place kids get genuinely interested in finding fossils rather than scrolling through their phones.

Access is free and straightforward from Peterlee town centre. Low tide is when you'll see the best of it - high tide rather narrows your options. Allow a couple of hours if you're properly exploring, less if you're just stretching your legs.

If you're staying at The Barn at Easington or Castledene Holiday Park, you're well positioned for a morning visit before heading elsewhere along the Durham coast. It's honest work, not Instagram-famous, and that's rather the point.