Chourdon Point

The walk to Chourdon Point takes you along a stretch of Durham coastline that feels properly wild and underused. You're heading out from Peterlee, skirting past the old colliery landscape that shaped this part of the coast, until you reach a headland that juts into the North Sea with real drama.

What you actually get is a clifftop vantage point where the land drops away sharply and the views sweep across empty water and raw rock face. On a clear day you can see for miles down the coast. It's the sort of place where you understand why shipping lanes run where they do and why this particular stretch of coastline mattered historically. The cliffs themselves are worth studying - reddish sandstone and shale layers, constantly being worked by wind and sea.

This isn't a destination for casual wanderers or families after an afternoon's entertainment. Proper walkers and coastline enthusiasts will get something genuine from it. The walk itself is straightforward enough from Peterlee, though the final approach involves some uneven ground. Allow a couple of hours if you're combining it with other coastal sections.

If you're staying at Parkdean Resorts Crimdon Dene over in Hartlepool, Chourdon Point makes an excellent morning trip before the park fills up with families. It's remote enough that even in summer you won't jostle for space. Bring wind-appropriate kit - the exposure up here is real, and the weather can turn quickly.