Beadnell Bay
White sand, clear water and castles on the skyline — the most beautiful kite beach in England, and one of the coldest.
Loading the week's forecast…
● Spot · shaded: the wind directions that work here. It is not a riding area or a permitted kite zone. Two fingers to move the map.
Location & launch
Know before you go.
- Launch
- White sand in a sheltered south-facing bay, with harbour and dune access at the northern end.
- Wind
- NNE · NE · ENE · E · ESE · SE · SSE · S · SSW winds work here.
The shaded area shows the wind directions recorded as working here. It is not a permitted kite zone or a safe launch boundary. Check local signs.
Local rules, hazards & spot guide
Need to know
The things that catch people out here.
- Beadnell harbour is the only west-facing harbour on the east coast of England — the bay behind it is unusually sheltered as a result.
- Reef at both ends of the bay. Stay in the middle.
- The Long Nanny tern colony at the southern end is roped off through the breeding season. Respect it.
- Cold, clear water and almost nobody on it. Bring a proper wetsuit and everything you might need — facilities are thin out of season.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW
- Best in
- NE, SSE, S
- Offshore (careful)
- N, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW
- Wind quality
- clean
- Water
- Flat to choppy
- Depth
- standing
- Best tide
- Low to mid
- Spring range
- 4.4 m
- Beginner
- Good
- Intermediate
- Ideal
- Advanced
- Good
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
rocks Reef and rock at both ends of the bay, and around Beadnell Point and the harbour.
- medium
wildlife The Farne Islands and Long Nanny tern colony are nearby; parts of the dunes are roped off in the breeding season.
- medium
cold water Genuinely cold water year-round.
- low
remote Limited facilities out of season.
Access & rules
- Launch
- White sand in a sheltered south-facing bay, with harbour and dune access at the northern end.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe, pub
Parking
- Beadnell Bay car park (National Trust)
paid
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Seahouses RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington (~50 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — excellent
The spot
Beadnell Bay is a wide, south-facing crescent of white sand on the Northumberland coast, sheltered by Beadnell Point and its harbour — the only west-facing harbour on England's east coast. The water is genuinely clear, the beaches are close to empty, and Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles are on the skyline.
Reef sits at both ends of the bay, so stay in the middle. The Long Nanny tern colony at the southern end is roped off through the breeding season and the Farne Islands are just offshore. The water is cold year-round and facilities out of season are thin — bring what you need.
Links & local
Clubs, forums & groups
- North East Kitesurfing Club · club
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- North East Kitesurfing Club — locations
Checked 2026-09-07 · community, spots
- North East Kitesurfing Club — Beadnell Bay
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- UK Windsurfing beach guide — Beadnell Bay
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 55.5478, -1.6315. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.