Seaham

Seaham is County Durham's only seaside town. A lively harbour town on the Heritage Coast, Seaham has a fascinating history. It's also a great place for a coastal walk. There are gentle walks along the promenade or you can join the more adventurous Heritage Coastal Footpath.

The town has one of the oldest churches in the country. The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is close to the cliffs of the North Beach. It pre-dates the Vikings on this coast, and maybe even dates back to Roman times.

The poet Lord Byron married a local landowner's daughter in Seaham Hall in 1815. Byron was fascinated by the sea, calling it the 'glories of surf and foam'. Today, the sea is still an ever present and impressive feature of a visit to Seaham.

Byron's new family eventually sold their land in Seaham. It was bought by the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who built the harbour for exporting local goods. Later, it was used for exporting coal. There are some grand buildings on the seafront from the 19th Century coal-mining period.

This Trail takes you around the best and most interesting features of the seafront. You'll visit St Mary's Church, the promenade and the beach. There's also a short walk through some woodland. You'll also enjoy great views out to sea and along the coast.

The Trail is just under 2.5 miles and will take you around two and a half hours to complete.

There are lots of places to enjoy refreshments. Choose a seaside cafe and enjoy a Great British Seaside Day Out.

This is a great activity to do with children, just be aware that you will be walking along a road for part of the Trail.

Unfortunately it's not suitable for wheelchairs due to the woodland path behind St Mary's Church. You can take a pushchair along the woodland path. The Trail route takes you down and up some steps to the beach, but it is possible to use a ramp a little further down the pavement.