A Day Out in Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay is a glorious part of the world that offers incredible sea views, independent shops and eateries and family entertainment by the bucketload.
You could say I am biased because I have family connections but I didn’t know about them until my teens and didn’t visit Whitley Bay until I was 19. As soon as I got here I knew it was a special place.
The sea air is intoxicating, the family atmosphere is heart warming and the work they have done to reinvigorate the town and promenade area over the last 20 years has transformed it from a dilapidated hen and stag do venue to a celebration of all things local and northern.
Read on for some of my suggestions of fabulous places to visit on a day out in Whitley Bay and see my top picks.
The Book Shops
I love a good book shop but so many of them are big chains these days. They’re nice enough but I love to support independent businesses where I can and came across these two on Instagram.
The Bound
82a Park View, Whitley Bay NE26 2TH
Right on the corner of Park View, this shop is stuffed full of gorgeous books for all ages. It’s a riot of colour and variety but I was particularly drawn to the children’s section. There were some exciting titles and beautifully illustrated non fictions books as well as philosophy and self care for young people. You could really lose a lot of time in here.
Keel Row Books
93-97 Park View, Whitley Bay NE26 3RJ
I’ve been up and down Park View so many times and never gone into Keel Row books until recently and what a treat it was!
The smell of books was wonderfully intoxicating and the bursting shelves were a magnificent sight.
From children’s books that I remember my mum showing me to huge historically significant tomes that are hand bound and look like something from the restricted section in Hogwarts library, this place is a real treasure trove.
My favourite section was the natural history shelf. The covers of these fabulous books were illustrated in the most beautiful colours and reminded me of some of my favourite print artists’ work. Scroll through the gallery to see.
Other Shops to Visit
Just Canny - gifts and art from local craftspeople
For The Love of The North - gifts and art celebrating the local landscape and nature
Meander Gifts - a veritable rabbit warren of gif tables. Don;t miss out of the extra rooms out the back.
Lunch
Other places to eat
The Crab and Waltzer - great hot chocolate and caters for allergies (I’m lactose intolerant)
Spanish City - their gorgeous restaurant boasts a stunning view of the renovated dome
Kith and Kin - this one has recently been recommended to me and looks fab
Valerie’s Tea Room
Every day out needs something yummy and this place is just a stone’s throw from the beach.
Whether you’re after something sweet or savoury, Valerie’s has something for you. I often struggle to find sandwiches that I can eat as I am lactose intolerant but their goats cheese and onion chutney panini really hit the spot. I’ve been in the summer when they’ve has a whipped feta dish on too and it’s delish!
It was a chilly day, so I warmed up with a pot of fruit tea.
The service is really friendly (just order the at the counter and they bring everything to you), the range of food is great (they even have doggy ice creams) and the surroundings of the renovated Spanish City building is second to none.
There’s always a great atmosphere and window side tables get a glimpse of the sea too.
The Beach
A day in Whitley Bay cannot be completed without at least going to look at the sea.
The coast is my absolute favourite place to be. It has power to bring calm to a hectic mind and there’s always a treasure to be found. Shells and pebbles are strewn along the waterline - especially after a blustery tide - but you can also find sea glass if you look carefully.
Not up for searching? Head to the northernmost end of the bay where the rocks are plentiful and stop to build yourself a cairn (a stack of pebbles). There are always some already there to be found and rocks of all shapes, sizes and colours just begging to be stacked.
When the tide is further in (be careful not to get caught in the middle of the bay where you could get stranded), the rock pools fill up and are prime for finding little crabs and jellyfish.
Whatever the weather, the Geordies like a plodge! No that’s not a spelling mistake. A plodge is their term for a paddle but ‘pledge’ just seems to have the right energy about it don’t you think?
If you’ve brought your bike or just fancy a drier walk, the promenade is a great way to see the coast without getting sandy.
More Things To Do in Whitley Bay
The arcades
Eat Fish and Chips
Eat ice cream
Scour the charity shops
Pop into the vintage record store
Walk to St Mary’s Lighthouse and do some rockpooling
Have I missed something? Comment below and maybe I’ll add it to the list. 😁