Best Beaches in Northumberland
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches in Northumberland are North Sunderland Beach, Alnwick Sugar Sands, Cheswick Sands, Ross Back Sands, Fishermans Haven Beach, Warkworth Beach, Link House Beach and Cocklawburn Beach.
Northumberland's coast is one of the emptiest and most rewarding in England, a long run of pale sand, marram dunes and rocky ledges stretching from Berwick-upon-Tweed down past Bamburgh and Alnmouth. Much of it is quiet and undeveloped, with wide skies, distant castles and offshore islands where seals and seabirds gather.
Some of these beaches sit right beside a harbour village, like North Sunderland Beach at Seahouses, while others, such as Ross Back Sands and Link House Beach, are reached only on foot across the dunes and have no facilities at all. There are small sheltered coves for rock-pooling at Alnwick Sugar Sands, broad open sands at Cheswick Sands and Warkworth Beach, and fossil-strewn ledges at Cocklawburn Beach.
Views reach out to Holy Island, Coquet Island and the Farnes, with their lighthouse and boat trips. Whether you want a bracing walk, a low-key family afternoon or an empty shore to yourself, the choice here is generous.
Here are eight of the best beaches to seek out in Northumberland.
North Sunderland Beach
Photo: Anthony Parkes via Geograph.org.uk
North Sunderland Beach is the long, straight sweep of sand running along the coast at Seahouses, named for the parish the harbour village belongs to. Pale, gently sloping sand backs onto low dunes, with the busy little harbour at one end where boats run out to the Farne Islands.
The beach itself stays quiet and undeveloped, used mainly for walks and dog-walking, while the shops, pubs and parking all sit in Seahouses behind. Wide views open out to the Farnes and their lighthouse.
Come for an easy stroll with the harbour bustle close at hand and a boat trip on the doorstep.
Alnwick Sugar Sands
Photo: Peter McDermott via Geograph.org.uk
Alnwick Sugar Sands is a small cove between Howick and Boulmer, a short way from the village of Longhoughton. It is a pocket of pale golden sand, only around a hundred metres of it, set between low grassy cliffs with rocky outcrops and good rock pools at either end.
No road runs down to the beach, so you reach it on foot, either down from the lane above or along the coast path from Howick or Boulmer. The sand has a slightly coarse, crunchy feel underfoot, and behind it the land is farmland running back from the cliff edge.
Seek it out for a low-key, sheltered afternoon of rock-pooling well away from the crowds.
Cheswick Sands
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Cheswick Sands is a broad, dune-backed sandy beach on the north Northumberland coast, between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Holy Island. A turn off the A1 and a short walk over the dunes brings you onto a wide, open shore that runs on into the neighbouring sands to the north and south.
On a clear day the view south reaches Lindisfarne Castle. It is an undeveloped stretch with no buildings on the beach itself, so there is plenty of room to spread out.
Seek it out when you want a big, quiet sky and space to walk for miles.
Ross Back Sands
Photo: Russel Wills via Geograph.org.uk
Ross Back Sands is a long, remote beach of pale sand backed by unspoilt dunes, facing across to Holy Island. It is reached only on foot, a walk of about a mile from a small car park at the hamlet of Ross, which keeps it quiet and empty.
From the sand there are views to Lindisfarne Castle to the north and Bamburgh Castle to the south, with seals and seabirds along the shore. There are no facilities here, and part of the dunes is fenced off in the nesting season for the birds.
Seek it out for one of the emptiest and most rewarding walks on the coast.
Fishermans Haven Beach
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Fishermans Haven Beach is a small tidal beach just outside Berwick-upon-Tweed, a short way up the coast from the town. A stretch of sand with rock ledges and a couple of small caves sits below low, grass-topped cliffs, with a caravan park behind.
Paths and steps lead down from a clifftop car park. It is a quiet local beach rather than a busy resort shore, best explored when the tide is out.
Seek it out for a peaceful hour of paddling and poking about the rocks close to town.
Warkworth Beach
Photo: Russel Wills via Geograph.org.uk
Warkworth Beach is a wide, gently sloping run of North Sea sand backed by dunes, between Amble and Alnmouth. It has no promenade or resort buildings, so it stays open and quiet, used for walking, dog walking and surfing.
Coquet Island, an RSPB seabird reserve, lies about a mile offshore, and Warkworth village with its castle sits a mile inland in a loop of the River Coquet. There is a car park at the dunes picnic site.
Seek it out for a breezy walk with the seabird island in view and the castle village close behind.
Link House Beach
Photo: DS Pugh via Geograph.org.uk
Link House Beach is a sandy, dune-backed stretch at Newton-by-the-Sea, taking its name from Link House Farm just behind it. It sits on the Newton Links shore, National Trust land, a little north of the small bay called Football Hole.
The sand is pale and clean, with marram-grass dunes at the back and low rocky outcrops and rock pools at the ends of the bays. Seals, seabirds and the odd dolphin can be seen offshore.
There is no road onto the sand: the way in is on foot over the dunes from the car park at Low Newton or from the farm and campsite behind. Seek it out for quiet sand and wildlife watching.
Cocklawburn Beach
Photo: Chris Morgan via Geograph.org.uk
Cocklawburn Beach is a quiet stretch of sand and rocky ledges south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, backed by dunes. The exposed limestone holds fossils of corals and sea lilies from an ancient tropical sea, and old restored limekilns stand beside the road.
A minor coast road runs along the back with informal parking. It is an open, undeveloped beach with wide views along the coast.
Seek it out for a walk that mixes big sea views with a little fossil hunting among the ledges.
FAQs
Which Northumberland beaches are reached only on foot?
Several are. Ross Back Sands, Link House Beach and Alnwick Sugar Sands all have no road down to the sand, so you walk in across the dunes or along the coast path. This keeps them quiet even in summer.
Are there facilities at these Northumberland beaches?
It varies. Beaches like Ross Back Sands, Link House Beach and Alnwick Sugar Sands have no facilities on the sand at all, while the shops, pubs and parking for North Sunderland Beach sit in Seahouses behind. Warkworth Beach and Cocklawburn Beach have car parks nearby.
Can you see castles from the beaches in Northumberland?
Yes, on a clear day. Cheswick Sands looks south to Lindisfarne Castle, and Ross Back Sands has views to both Lindisfarne Castle and Bamburgh Castle. Warkworth village and its castle sit a mile inland from Warkworth Beach.
Conclusion
Northumberland rewards anyone willing to swap the busy resort for a wilder, quieter shore. From the harbour bustle of North Sunderland Beach at Seahouses to the long, empty miles of Ross Back Sands and Cheswick Sands, this is a coast of dunes, castles and offshore islands rather than promenades and amusements.
Several of these beaches, like Alnwick Sugar Sands and Link House Beach, are reached only on foot and have no facilities, so pack what you need and check the tide before you set off. Others, such as Warkworth Beach and Cocklawburn Beach, offer easier parking and room to roam.
For big skies, seals and seabirds, and a real sense of space, these are the best beaches to seek out in Northumberland.
