We've been enjoying walks on Cresswell beach, Northumberland as part of our once per day exercise and thought we'd share our experience with you to give you a taster of what you may see if you visit Bank Top Cottage for your holiday.
Our strolls during the lockdown have each been very different due to varying factors. The weather conditions can change dramatically even over the course of a single walk meaning you can set off in beating winds and grey sky and walk home in blazing sunshine.
The animal life you can come across is wonderful and varied. Sanderlings or Sandpipers are a common sight, running to and from the wave edge in large groups. They run swiftly to avoid the rush of water potentially washing them away and of course any potential predators. They eat small marine worms, molluscs and small crustaceans.
Seagulls are a must for the UK coast but luckily they're not as invasive as they are at more built-up seaside areas. They most likely won't steal your food but don't take our word as 100%! The gulls you are most likely to see in Cresswell are the Herring gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Great black-backed gull, Common gull, Black-headed gull, Kittiwake, or the Little gull.
On one of our walks, the cows from the farmer's fields behind the sand dunes broke free and went for a paddle in the sea. This is the first time we've seen this in the 13 years we've lived in Cresswell! They even took themselves back to their field once they'd had enough. It was an entertaining twist to our exercise.
There's almost always something interesting that has washed up after the high tide. Driftwood is very common, sometimes full trees of over 5 metres in length wash up on the shore. Pebbles, shells, sea glass, crustaceans, plants and even the odd shoe can all appear along the white sand.
Lobster pots are another common sight on the shoreline of Cresswell beach. These are used by the fishing boats that can frequently be seen in the bay and floating along beside the rock pools in front of Bank Top Cottage at low tide. They use pots to catch lobster and crabs. If you go walking along the rock pools when the tide is out, you can see the old lobster holes cut into the rocks that have been used for over 50 years.
The beauty is you can never predict what you'll come across on a Northumberland coastal walk - you have to experience it for yourself. Find out more information about a holiday in Bank Top Cottage for your chance to experience everything Druridge bay has to offer.