Holywell Dene

The steep wooded ravine that cuts through Whitley Bay isn't what you'd expect to find on the northern edge of a seaside town, but there it is - Holywell Dene, a proper slice of wild coastland that feels properly removed from the caravan parks and amusement arcades nearby. The walk down takes you past ancient woodland and over a small burn, ending at a sheltered cove where the North Sea crashes against the rocks. It's dramatic stuff, especially when a north wind's blowing.

Walkers will get the most out of this one. The descent's steep enough to make you concentrate, and the return leg will test your calves, but the reward is genuine - you're standing in a place that's barely changed in centuries. Kids might struggle with the steepness and won't want to linger long unless they're keen rock-poolers, but families staying at Parkdean Resorts Whitley Bay or Old Hartley Campsite could easily fit this in as a morning excursion.

Allow about an hour for the full experience - twenty minutes down, a bit of poking about in the cove itself, then twenty back up. It's free, and there's no visitor infrastructure to speak of, which is rather the point. Go on a clear day if you can; mist rolls in quickly and the appeal drops considerably. Not a lengthy detour if you're already in the area, but worth making time for if you appreciate the North East coast doing what it does best - looking dramatic and slightly forbidding.