Meggies Burn Reservoir

The walk to Meggies Burn Reservoir catches you off guard. You expect moorland and you get it, but then the water appears - a proper surprise tucked into the Northumberland hills inland from Whitley Bay. It's a modest reservoir, nothing dramatic, but that's rather the point. This is where locals come to breathe, and there's something refreshing about a place that doesn't announce itself with fanfare.

You'll find decent walking tracks around the water's edge, the sort that work for families with older kids or anyone after a gentle hour or two on foot. The landscape around it rolls enough to feel like genuine countryside without demanding serious fitness. On a clear day you can see properly far. On a grey day - which is most days up here - it's moody and atmospheric in a way that actually suits the Northumberland character.

If you're staying at Parkdean Resorts Sandy Bay or Church Point, both within five or six miles, this makes an easy morning expedition. Don't expect facilities or crowds. There's a car park and that's about it. Free access as far as the locals are concerned. Allow two hours if you want to loop the whole thing without rushing, or thirty minutes if you're just after a quick leg-stretch and a view.

It works best as part of a broader park break rather than a destination in itself. Worth adding to an itinerary, though - the kind of place that sticks with you more than bigger, busier reservoirs ever do.