North Sands

The walk down to North Sands catches most people off guard. You expect a typical County Durham beach - cramped, industrial, grey - and instead you get this proper crescent of sand backed by low cliffs and dunes. It's genuinely one of the better stretches along this stretch of coast, and far less crowded than you'd think for being just outside Hartlepool.

What you're really getting here is a proper seaside experience without the theme park nonsense. Rock pools at low tide, enough sand to actually spread out a towel, and on a decent day the light's lovely across the water. The cliffs behind create a natural windbreak, which matters more than it sounds when you're trying to keep warm in the North East.

Families will find it works well - shallow, manageable access, and enough going on with the rocks and dunes to keep younger kids occupied beyond just paddling. Walkers use it as a waypoint on the coastal path heading towards Hartlepool. It's not a destination in itself, not really, but as part of a park stay at Parkdean Resorts Crimdon Dene just down the road, it's worth the short trip.

Park yourself here for a couple of hours max. The town of Hartlepool's got better facilities and attractions if you need them, but North Sands is the place to actually be by the water. Free access, obviously. Go when the tide's out if you can - the beach nearly doubles in size.