Annstead Dunes Nature Reserve

The dunes here roll on for what feels like miles, proper wild and wind-scoured. Annstead is one of those places where you can actually feel the North Sea doing its work - the sand's constantly shifting, the marram grass fighting to hold it all together. It's a nature reserve, so you're walking through an actual working ecosystem rather than a manicured seaside spot.

You get decent views across to the coast and inland toward the farmland around Chathill. The walking's straightforward enough, though the sand can be heavy if the weather's been dry. Birdwatchers come here regularly - various terns and plovers nest in the reserve depending on season. If you're staying at Annstead Farm Holiday Cottages or Beadnell Bay just down the road, it's a fifteen-minute stroll to clear your head.

Truth is, it's not spectacular in the way Bamburgh or the dramatic Northumberland coast might be. There's no cafe, no facilities that I could find, and you won't spend more than an hour or so here unless you're seriously into spotting birds or photographing dunes at different light. But that's rather the point - it's unglamorous and genuine. Families with young kids might find it a bit samey; teenagers would almost certainly get bored. For walkers wanting something low-key between caravan sites or as part of a coastal wander, though, it works well. Go when it's not howling a gale, bring a camera if you're into landscape work, and don't expect crowds.