A Day Out in Tynemouth - Part 2
King Edward Bay
This time I visited King Edward Bay. It’s a regular haunt for me as I love Tynemouth. My husband and I even had a photoshoot done here when I was in the very early stages of pregnancy. It’s his favourite beach and I can absolutely see why.
A gorgeous gem of a beach tucked out of the way of the wind but seconds from the cafes, bars and shops, King Edward Bay is the perfect place to visit for families with small children that like to wander. Give them space without worrying that they’ll walk out of sight. I will caveat that with the fact that you have to go down a lot of steps to get there so it’s not the place to take the pushchair.
Getting There
Bus: Number 1 to Whitley Bay, 306 to Whitley Bay
Metro: Tynemouth Station
More public transport info here
By Car: Paid parking all along the front
The Beach
The Walk
Depending on how you catch the tide, you may wish to having a slow meander along the beach and explore or walk along the steps and paths closer to the road. Either way, the views are incredible. You don’t get as much of a leg stretch here as you would at Longsands but you benefit from the protection of the bay so often find it’s less windy (its also not as busy).
My favourite part of King Edward Bay is the rocks. When the tide is in you barely see them but then out it flows and you’re left with an abundance of rock pools to explore.
My daughter likes to keep a good distance from anything that moves so I tend to go exploring while she draws in the sand. I’ve found plenty of crabs before and love watching as the sea swirls between the rocks (it often inspires some sketches).
Entertaining the Kid
Given how much quieter it is than Longsands, it’s a great place to grab a stick and draw in the sand or play noughts and crosses. Often it’s the simple things that work for me and my daughter.
The Sand Seahorse
This is my daughter’s drawing from a few years ago. I think I must have been going through a sea creature in my sketchbooks and we were making a lot of trips to the aquarium at the time. I was quite taken with how well she’d drawn it at such a young age. Give a child a stick and a beach and they’ll create art!
Food & Drink
This area of the coast is a total treasure trove of eateries. You don’t even have to leave the beach to find a renowned restaurant. Riley’s Fish Shack is raved about and cooks fish sourced in the local area. You can book to eat there or grab a meal kit. I haven’t tried their food because I’m an oddball who loves the sea but hates fish, however many of my friends have been a go back regularly.
When I’m in Tynemouth there’s one place I love to eat - Marshalls. They are hands down my favourite chippy and I won’t have anyone convince me otherwise. Their curry sauce is to die for and chicken has the most divine crispy skin. Seagulls better watch out if the try stealing my chips! 😂
Find Marshalls at 33 Front St, Tynemouth, North Shields NE30 4DZ, United Kingdom
If you need some pudding and a hot drink after your beach trip then head to Deep North. Run by Phil and the team, they're a scratch bakery (make everything themselves) and even have their own coffee blend. My husband says they’ve spoiled him for other donuts as these are the best he’s ever had (and believe me - he’s a connoisseur). They are doing so well that they keep expanding to open new stores. There’s one on Grey Street in Newcastle and more coming soon.
If you want to eat indoors then I recommend the fabulous Number 61 Guest House and Tea Room. It’s a proper little tea room with sideboards covered in glass bell jars and cake stands. It’s a classic menu and the welcome is amazing. They were so busy once that the tea room was full so they seated us in the lounge with a drink while we waited.
Family Activities
Tynemouth regularly takes part in sculpture trails. Recently they hosted.a sculpture on The Smiley Trail. It was another great excuse (as if one’s needed) to visit this wonderful place.
Also brilliant is a trip inside Tynemouth Priory. You have to pay entry but the views are amazing, the ruins are fun to explore and the canons are great for a bit of pirate role play with the littles.
Shopping
There are some amazing shops to explore (see my last blog) but I can’t mention Tynemouth again without shouting about this shop. Children of the Revolution is a great shop for kids of any age - me included. Yes it’s great for gifts (we picked up a fab doctor’s kit for our nieces Christmas present) but there’s also some really cool cult TV paraphernalia. Their window displays are always fab too - look how lush it was at Christmas!
Hopefully you’ve now got lots of ideas for your day out. If you’ve got any questions or want to add some of your own recommendations then comment below.