Seaham Sea Glass, Durham
Seaham Sea Glass, Durham – One of the things I was asked the most questions about was our sea glass search in Durham. It was one of those making memories moments, so here’s a quick guide to this fab family friendly activity.
Why is there Sea Glass in Durham?
Seaham and nearby Sunderland were home to glass and bottle factories during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Seaham boasted the largest glass bottle works in Britain – The Londonderry Bottleworks, which operated from the 1850s to 1921.
It’s said that the factories got rid of waste glass by simply discarding it in the sea. Over the years erosion smoothed the edges of the glass away to create the beautiful sea glass you find today.
Which Durham Beach to Visit to find Seaham Sea Glass
I recommend Seaham Hall Beach (also known as North Beach or Vane Tempest) – part of Durham Heritage Coast. It has free extensive parking, and a few steps take you down to the pebbly beach.
Tips & When to Visit
If you can forward plan then obviously visit when the tide is out. The best time to visit is when the tide has just gone out, as all the pebbles and glass have been washed up and mixed together once more, so you have fresh pickings. Search as close to the waterline as you can. We scanned the ground for sea glass, another approach for any mini moles is digging into the stones to continue the hunt.
How Easy/Difficult is it to Find Seaham Sea Glass
We didn’t want to disappoint our kids so we said we’d be lucky to find even one bit of sea glass. I was really pleasantly shocked when we gathered a handful of treasure between us in 15 minutes. We didn’t have to walk to a remote part of the beach either, we were merely a few feet away from the main staircase down from the car park. We did visit as the tide was going out, so that probably helped.
Colours of Seaham Sea Glass
We found lots of white and green stones. Only one blue, yellow and coke coloured pebble, but no red ones. If you want to hit the jackpot apparently the red ones are among the rarest 🙂
Treasure or Return?
It’s not frowned upon to take the sea glass home with you if you wish, it is glass/waste after all, so display it or leave it in the pebbles for the next person to find.
Local Comfort
We stayed locally at the Inn Collection’s Seaton Lane Inn in Seaham. The family rooms featured a bunk bed for the kids, always popular. The common areas are smart, colourful and trendy, plus v relaxed. The dining is informal, smart pub grub, and the activity pack for mini diners is fantastic, jam-packed with stuff to do. You can dine in the pub area or the restaurant itself. We tried potato wedges and chicken wings for starters, and gammon steak and prawn linguine as mains.
If you want to make a weekend of things, read about more family friendly activities and attractions in Durham here. Have fun!
For more things to do in Durham, click here.
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