Druridge Bay Country Park is adjacent to

Druridge Bay Druridge Bay is a long bay on the North Sea in Northumberland, England, stretching from Amble in the north to Cresswell in the south. Druridge Bay Country Park is situated on the bay, and part of the bay (the section near the farmstead of D ...

between

Amble Amble is a town on the North Sea coast of Northumberland, England, at the mouth of the River Coquet; Coquet Island is visible from its beaches and harbour. In 2021, the parish of Amble by the Sea had a population of 5,860. Etymology There ...

and Cresswell, on the coastline of

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, England. The

country park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a specific meaning. There are around 250 designated c ...

was opened officially in 1989, but works had been ongoing since the 1970s to remediate the site after opencast coaling operations. The park is accessible by vehicle from the

A1068 road The A1068 is a road in northern England that runs from Seaton Burn in North Tyneside to Alnwick in Northumberland. The section between Ellington and Alnmouth is signposted as part of the ''Northumberland Coastal Route''. Route The A1068 beg ...

, and is located on the

England Coast Path The King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP), originally and still commonly known as the England Coast Path, is a long-distance National Trail that will follow the coastline of England. When complete, it will be long. Various parts of t ...

. Public transport can be taken near to the park's closest village, which involves a 15-minute walk to get to the park.

History

The eastern edge of the park, where it meets the coastline, was used in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as an aerial gunnery and target practice range. This was administered by the nearby

RAF Acklington Royal Air Force Acklington, simply known as RAF Acklington, is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located southwest of Amble, Northumberland and north of Newcastle upon Tyne. The a ...

station. Opencasting and quarrying were the previous industries in the area, and when these ceased, the site was redeveloped into a country park. Coal has been worked in the area progressively since the 1940s, which has left several large ponds and pools as an after effect of the coaling operations. Druridge Country Park is situated mostly on the former Coldrife surface mine, which was granted permission in 1965 and worked progressively over eight years. The lake is fed by Lady Burn, and was created in the early 1970s, starting to fill with water from 1971. However, the water leaked out through old mine workings and had emptied by 1974. In 1983, clay from nearby coal workings was used to re-line the bottom of the lake and it was allowed to refill. The park is south east of

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, inland from the North Sea ...

, south of

, and north of Widdrington. It has a junction off the A1068 road, and is also accessible by bus from the nearby villages of Hadston and Red Row (No. 518, which includes a 15-minute walk to the country park). Whilst access was available for some time before official opening, the park was deemed to have been opened in July 1989 when the visitor centre was unveiled. In 1992, the Northumberland Shore SSSI was established, with the easternmost part of the park falling within the zone of the SSSI. In 2000, the park attracted 100,000 visitors Further investment in 2020 included a refurbishment of the visitor centre and the creation of an area for caravans and campers. Management of the park is undertaken by Northumberland County Council.

Activities

The park covers an area of with the centrepiece being the , deep Ladyburn Lake. The lake is used for variety of watersports such as kayaking, sailing, paddleboarding, windsurfing, canoeing, and wild swimming. The park has a visitor centre, cafe, toilets, a play park and is wheelchair accessible. Walking is another popular activity and the eastern edge of the site has the England Coastal Path running through it. The park was the setting of time trials for the 1995 World Cross Country running championships, and the national triathlon championships in 2009.

Wildlife

Birds are particularly prevalent in the park as it is near the coast and has standing water. Those spotted at the park are bullfinch, crossbill, kingfisher, redpoll, siskin, willow tit, gadwall, red-breasted mergansers, and long-tailed duck. During the winter, the coast and park are host to divers, grebes, geese, whooper and bewick swans.

References

External links

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Live weather data for Druridge Bay
Country parks in Northumberland