This will probably be known as beach week. (Or at least a beach week of sorts) I’ve been to two sandy destinations within the last few days and I feel myself getting ready for proper summer. (Well, the kind of summer we will get here in the North East anyways.)

I love going to the beach. It calms me and relaxes me, it sounds daft, but the sound of the waves makes me feel safe, like my troubles are drifting away. (Corny I know.) It also makes me feel like I’m in Spain or Greece when it’s a hot day too, not just Tynemouth or South Shields.

The first place I went to was Marsden Bay. I went with my brother Nathan and our lab Poppy. It’s in the South Shields region and it’s a regular ‘beachy’ spot that I like to go to. I call it Marsden Rock due to the massive boulder that is at the centre of its beach. Well one of many really, but that one is the main one.

Marsden Bay is known for its history of smugglers, its caves, its wrecks and there’s even a ghost that haunts the grotto. Marsden Grotto is a pub made into the side of the rocks. It is the only ‘cave pub’ in Europe I’ve read. I’m dying to go in and try the food. Whenever we go we always have Poppy, so it’s not really viable.

There are always lots of rock pools to explore at Marsden and if you don’t fancy braving the sand or the pebbles you can walk along the grassy roots of the cliff edges and look down on the beach below. One thing you will notice is the sheer amount of birds and gulls. Marsden is home to England’s most important seabird colonies. To me, I just hear a lot of squawking, and I mean a lot. You forget after a while though and it’s good trying to spot the birds as they sit on the side of the cliffs.

Normally when I go to Marsden I walk right along the beach dipping my feet in the sea as I watch the dog run about crazily. This time we went into the little caves and crevices and went straight for the rocks so we could explore the rock pools. We came across some little crabs but that was about it. We found a Frisbee for Poppy though, and she was more than happy to play with that for a good five minutes before getting bored. (Anyone else’s dog like that?)

Afterwards we drove along to South Shields beach and went to Minchella and Co. for massive ice creams. I can't stop eating ice cream at the minute and the ones from Minchella's are the best.

Marsden Bay is definitely worth a visit. There's just so many different things to explore. It makes you feel like a little kid again hunting for sea creatures in the pools and monsters in the caves. Plus just attempting the massive staircase to get onto the beach is a challenge in itself. 

There is plenty of parking around and it costs £1 an hour. Just don't do what I did and put £1.50 in hoping to get an hour and a half. It doesn't work like that haha.