Gallery: blowing the cobwebs away at Druridge Bay
Just a few miles north of built-up post-industrial Tyneside lies the wide expanse of Druridge Bay. Its seven miles of sands are lined with sand dunes and are just perfect for a winter walk. The landscape is an interesting mix, with wind turbines visible in the distance but otherwise feeling rather remote.
This has become our number one choice for an outing on New Year’s Day, to blow away the cobwebs after the previous evening’s eating and drinking. If the weather permits, and this year it did, we grab our cameras and make the 30 minute drive up here to stretch our legs, feel the sea breezes and listen to the crash of the waves on the shore.
Of course we are never alone, and it appears that each time we come a few more people have discovered the delights of Druridge. But including others in our photos seems only to emphasise the wild nature of the waves and shore. Dog walkers, stone skimmers, sea coal gatherers, ball game players, wellington boot paddlers – even a few hardy picnickers!
For this week’s Monday Walk with Jo I am sharing some of the photos I took just those few days ago, as we walked part of this beach. I love the coast like this at least as much as I do in warmer weather, if not more so. I hope you will too.
Stranded seaweed
Silver sands
Splashing around in the shallows
A bucket for sea coal perhaps?
Doggy paddles
Waves breaking
A hint of sun
The weather was best described as ‘changeable’, with spots of rain but also very brief glimpses of the sun. As a result we had the special New Year treat of a partial rainbow. The pot of gold must have been deep beneath the waters of the North Sea, but the bright colours were treasure enough.
Rainbow over the bay
And over the North Sea
I visit Druridge often; these photos were all taken in January 2023
29 Comments
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bluebrightly
What a delight this is, Sarah. Your photos are beautifully made. The stranded seaweed looks very familiar – it must be a relative of one that’s common here. The drama of your hint of sun image and that lovely rainbow top it off!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much 😊😊 I think (but I’m no expert!) that seaweed is actually kelp, which I believe is pretty common around the world. The rainbow did indeed top off our visit!
Marie
A great place for a New Year’s walk – to blow away the cobwebs and plan for the year ahead!!
Sarah Wilkie
Exactly, it’s the perfect place for that. It also used to be a Boxing Day favourite back when we often spent Christmas with Chris’s parents, but we’re always down south these days.
Emmaleela
I love these, because I absolutely love the coast and spend many hours walking it too, waves and water and tides, some of my favourite things 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual walk 🙂
Emmaleela
{thanks}
thehungrytravellers.blog
Hey Sarah even by your very high standards some of these are really magical shots. Love the waves & turbines shot particularly – but then they’re all so good.
Sarah Wilkie
Aw, thank you Phil 😊 The light was really magical that day, we both took loads of photos!
Anne Sandler
A rainbow to start 2023! Wonderful. And great images too. I hope your year continues this way.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, we were very happy to see the rainbow Anne 🙂 I hope you have a great year too!
ThingsHelenLoves
Another gem from the North East! It’s a beautiful stretch of coastline and I love the wild feel of Druridge bay.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Helen – yes, Druridge feels properly wild despite being so close to ‘civilisation’!
Aletta - nowathome
Beautiful scene!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Aletta 🙂
the eternal traveller
I love seeing wind turbines and I always wonder what Don Quixote would have made of them.
Sarah Wilkie
I love them too – and yes, interesting thought!
Stephanie
Good weather to start the year is a plus for 2023! Hope the good continues on.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Stephanie – looking good so far!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Such a lovely way to ring in the new year! I love the shots, but what is sea coal?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Kellye. Sea coal (or sometimes sea-coal) is coal that’s washed up on the beaches. People collect it to use, as it’s free fuel. In the past it was also collected by poorer people to sell as a means of income. Have a look at this: https://www.nwt.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-07/Rock_festival_Lynemouth_Sea_Coal.pdf. Or this from one of my favourite north east photographers: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/killip-critch-and-sean-surveying-the-landscape-seacoal-camp-lynemouth-northumberland-p81063
Mike and Kellye Hefner
How very interesting, Sarah. Now it appears the coal mines have been replaced by wind turbines. The wind turbines are all around us. We have lots of flat land and lots of wind here in West Texas. I think they’re an eyesore, but I suppose they’ve become necessary as cellular towers.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, coal mining in this region pretty much stopped in the 1980s and it hit the region hard – lots of unemployment, whole communities thrown into poverty. In the last couple of decades there has been lots of regeneration, investment (much of it coming from the EU until recently 😞 ) and new industries, including wind-farming. Personally I like the turbines – there’s something mesmerising about watching them turn.
margaret21
Back in the early ’70s I lived in Southsea. The winter was so much better than the summer. Those lowering skies! The crashing waves and winds! And not a tourist in sight. So you reminded me of those happy days, even though Southsea is innocent of sand.
Sarah Wilkie
We’re clearly of a mind when it comes to beaches 😀
margaret21
Definitely!
restlessjo
Love that first one of the silvery sand, Sarah. Though I have very often walked in similar conditions I have to say I do prefer a bit of warmth. They look jolly cold to me. I bet they did the Boxing Day dip too! Thanks, hon!
Sarah Wilkie
I confess it was a bit colder than I like too Jo, but worth it for this light. We didn’t see any swimmers here but we saw a few brave souls taking a dip the following day in Tynemouth when it was even colder (although much brighter and sunnier)