Northumberland
Simple, well-run site a short walk from one of Northumberland's best beaches
Beadnell Bay is run by the Camping and Caravanning Club on flat ground just inland from the dunes, a few minutes' walk from the beach and from Beadnell village. It is a straightforward site rather than a holiday park, and that is the appeal: no bar, no pool, no entertainment, just tidy pitches close to a mile and a half of pale sand curving south towards Newton Point.
The site takes tents, touring caravans and motorhomes on a mix of grass and hardstanding pitches, with electric hook-ups available on many of them. Facilities cover heated toilets and showers, laundry, washing-up sinks, a motorhome service point and a small shop selling basics and gas. Dogs are welcome and there is a designated dog walk. Non-members can book, though members pay noticeably less. There is no children's playground on site, but the beach a few minutes away does the job.
Beadnell Bay is the only west-facing harbour on the east coast of England, and it is the county's centre for watersports — windsurfing, kayaking, paddleboarding and diving all operate from the bay, and the sheltered northern end suits beginners. The eighteenth-century lime kilns by the harbour are worth a look. Seahouses is two miles north for chip shops and the Farne Islands boats, Bamburgh five miles further, and Dunstanburgh Castle is a short drive south to Craster followed by a level cliff-top walk. The site sits close enough to the sea that wind is a constant factor, so pitch with that in mind. Prices start from roughly £18 a night for a pitch, rising in peak summer, and July and August need booking well in advance.