Explore Noses Point and Blast Beach: A Dog-Friendly Coastal History Adventure

For a North East, dog friendly, coastal adventure, steeped in history and interesting facts, look no further than Noses Point and the Blast Beach. Very close to the town of Seaham in County Durham you’ll find this extraordinary hidden gem. Once one of the most polluted beaches in Europe, this stretch of the Durham Heritage Coastline is now a place of scientific interest and a haven for wildlife.

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The History of Noses Point.

Noses Point was once home to Dawdon Colliery. Opening in 1907, it was one of the last pits to close in the North East in 1991. For decades waste from the Colliery was dumped over the cliff and directly into the sea where it would be washed up onto the beach. In the late 90’s/early 2000’s a huge clean up began to restore the area to it’s natural beauty. Now under the control of The National Trust this beautiful coastline is a place to discover wildlife, wild flowers, rare insects and butterflies. Families can come and get an insight to the history of Seaham’s mining industry and spend time exploring the beach and cliff tops.

The Blast Beach which got it’s name from the blast furnaces built on Noses Point in 1862 is like nothing you’ve seen before. Walking along the shore is like stepping onto another planet, making it no surprise that the once coal covered, black beach was chosen as a location in the 1992 film, Alien 3. Industrial remains are still very much evident as you walk along the shore with its rusty coloured sand, rocks and pools.

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Visiting for the first time….

There is a spacious carpark at Noses Point and its free.

There’ll often be a little mobile coffee shop there too but no toilets. Once parked you can wander around the point admiring the views of the coastline and reading some information about its mining history and wildlife on the interesting plaques. Dotted here and there, you’ll find picnic tables and benches where you can relax and take in the views or even enjoy a picnic.

You can access Blast Beach two ways. Next to the Point there is a very steep walk down the cliff to the beach (this will definitely get your heart rate up) or follow the coastal path along the cliff top where you’ll find some steps which will also lead you down to beach.

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The North East coast is the perfect place to watch the sunrise and if you get the right day you won’t be disappointed watching it from Noses Point. We tend to do this in the winter months when you don’t have to get up as early to see it. Usually it’s very quiet and peaceful and a great way to start the day. After spending time exploring you can always take the short drive into Seaham Town where you’ll find a variety of dog friendly cafes to grab a bite to eat.