North East England
An Introduction
Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby
It is impossible to dive these waters without a feeling a sense of wonder and amazement as the area stretches along a coastline of very marked contrasts. Moving through the magnificent scenery of Northumberland to the industrial regions of the south, completing its journey in the fishing port of Whitby. The area is serviced by two major roads, the A19 and the A1, with roads linking to all the coastal sites with much of the coastline accessible together with an abundance of uinrestricted launch facilities.
Berwick, the border town n the far north stands on the banks of the river Tweed, steeped in history, and can make an ideal base for exploring the upper parts of this region. However, as a diving location it is greatly ignored due to its proximity to the more popular areas of Eyemouth and St Abbs, just over the border in Scotland.
A little below Berwick is Holy Island, linked to the mainland by a tidal causeway. The island is also known as Lindisfarne and is a well known Northumbrian tourist attraction with its historic castle and priory. There are no dedicated facilities for divers on the island itself but as its position is subject to strong tides and currents the years have taken their toll on shipping so some interesting sites can be found.
Moving further down, Seahouses is probably the most frequented harbour used by divers standing on the edge of the North Sea in mid-Northumberland. This village's prominent feature is its harbour built by Lord Crewe's trustees at a cost of £25,000 and opened June 25th 1889 and to this day it still retains its old charm and has a fishing fleet. The decline in fishing now finds many of the boats plying a trade in tourism, including diving, but also offering sailing trips to the nearby Farne Islands. Seahouses is today a very popular resort for the people of Northumberland and visitors alike. The summer months see a packed village with people enjoying the harbour and boat rides, as well as the many shops and amenities geared to the tourist industry.
Situated some three miles off the coast are the Farne Islands, which are famous for their bird and seal colonies, and this area is probably the mecca of northeast diving. The Outer Farnes offer some of the best diving in Northumberland, however, planning dives here can be most frustrating with their exposed situation and the vagaries of our weather often meaning that plans have to be changed at a moment's notice. Many vessels have met their fate around these islands although none of the wrecks are really recognisable as ships as storms and time have reduced them to piles or scatterings of debris, the boilers and engine blocks often being the biggest bits of surviving wreckage.
The coastline of North Northumberland is well known for it's sandy beaches and superb scenery along with its picturesque villages overlooked by magnificent castles. The historic village of Beadnell lies just a few miles east of the main A1 that links Edinburgh with Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but despite this, it remains off the beaten track and as a result has not been spoilt by over-development. The diving is varied with prolific marine life on reefs with several wrecks, some accessible from the shore and being a popular area it is well serviced with accommodation and amenities for the diver.
In terms of simple underwater beauty, perhaps the finest example on the whole Northumbrian coast is Howick, yet it is a site that is so very easily overlooked because of its off the beaten track location. The seashore is rock and in places it lies at the bottom of small cliffs. A small sandy beach lies at the foot of the cliff near the footpath which is ideal for non-diving family members. Similar diving terrain can be found moving down the north east coast through places such as Amble, Warkworth and Druridge Bay with many interesting shore locations leading to some spectacular underwater scenery.
Throughout the more industrial areas from Newcastle upon Tyne through to Middlesbrough the towns have a tremendous amount to offer in the way of amenities and interest with several nautical museums and marinas and the area certainly has a history of wrecks throughout the ages. This coast features heavily in maritime history, from Roman times to the present, and since it has seen many a perilous journey and inevitable sinking it is not surprising that it rates as one of the most wreck-cluttered in the country ,the most concentrated areas being near to the ports. Ships have been wrecked off the north east coast of England throughout history and one of the earliest records mentions a ship, the Cristamesse, being wrecked off Hartlepool in the 1300s. The weather is often stormy, and along the coast there are many treacherous rocks which can cause ships to sink. Often severe storms would drive ships, especially sailing ships, on to either the beach or the rocks.
No visit to Whitby would be complete without a trip to Whitby's most famous wreck, the hospital ship the "Rohilla". A commissioned liner lost early Friday morning on the 30th October 1914. During wartime blackouts she was caught in a severe southeast gale when she ran onto a reef just a mile south of the harbour. Many heroic rescues were made to save those on board, with quite a few losses. The inshore end of the wreck lies in about 6 metres whilst the seaward end sits in around 15 metres, there are very large boilers to be seen, with lots of wreckage left.
The north east coastline has a wealth and diversity of life together with all the wrecks waiting to be dived and no doubt many more still to be discovered so it is certainly worth a visit to take a trip underneath the cold north sea.
UK DIVE GUIDES
Books and guides to help you plan, and to take with you - buy on-line.
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A weekend on the Farnes by Howard Hope
Sovereign Diving, The Farnes by Jules Kelley
Diving on Sovereign III, The Farnes by Steve Jones
Piglet Dives The Farnes by Andy Fulford
Scarborough on the Jane R by Severnside SAC
No fog on the Tyne by Kay Rainsley
Howick - My Most Excellent Weekend by Helen Rainton
Diving the Northumberland Coast by RIB by Richard Booth
BSAC Mini Expedition, Northumberland, August 26/27, 2006 by Richard Booth
Lindisfarne Castle
Seahouses Harbour
Farne Islands bird colony
Beadnel Bay
Hartlepool Marina
Whitby Piers
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