Our Time at Druridge Bay Country Park
An Easy Morning Walk
We arrived on an unexpectedly warm early-autumn morning and set off around the lake with Meg.
It's an easy, pleasantly varied walk rather than a hike — water on one side, woodland and grass around you, and plenty of swans, geese, ducks and other waterfowl providing entertainment along the way.
More Than Just a Walk
What impressed us most was how much there is in one place.
There's room for picnics and ball games, a children's play area, activity on the lake and, just beyond the dunes, one of Northumberland's great beaches.
It would be remarkably easy to arrive with friends and children in the morning and stay for most of the day.
The Coffee We Never Had
We were heading towards the café when we discovered Lucy had dropped Meg's lead somewhere during the walk while uploading a photograph to BBC Weather Watchers.
One hurried retracing of our steps later, we still hadn't found it.
Thankfully there was a spare in the car.
The coffee therefore remains unreviewed. The usefulness of carrying two dog leads does not.
Heather & Sand verdict: Druridge Bay Country Park isn't somewhere you need an itinerary for. Bring the dog, children, a picnic and perhaps a paddleboard and see where the day takes you. The combination of lake, woodland, open space and enormous beach makes it one of the easiest family days out we've found on this part of the coast.
Read the full story from our visit: South for the Day