British Beaches

Visitor information for every beach in the UK

"The tide is full, the moon lies fair"

Seaham Central Beach

County Durham, England


Rate this beach!
Approximate Location Map

Use two fingers to pan or zoom the map

Seaham Central Beach, located in County Durham, is a picturesque sandy beach that stretches north from Seaham town and harbour, offering a popular destination for both locals and visitors.

To the north of Seaham town, Seaham Beach is a gently sloping resort beach with the designated area measuring approximately 800 metres in length. The beach is mainly sand above the high water mark and a mixture of sand and rock in the inter tidal area. The designated area is at the southern end of a two kilometres long bay and it is backed by a promenade. Until 2013, it was officially called Seaham Hall Beach but the name has been changed to reflect local custom.

The beach offers a range of facilities, including parking in Seaham, close to the beach. Water sports such as paddle-boarding and kayaking are popular here, with relatively easy access to the water at the harbour end of the beach. The historic Lifeboat House and Heritage Centre commemorates the George Elmy Lifeboat Disaster in 1962, in which 9 members of the lifeboat team lost their lives when the lifeboat capsized. The original lifeboat is housed here, having been spotted for sale on the internet in 2009.

In addition to Seaham Central Beach, there are other smaller beaches in the area. The small shingle beach of Dalton Burn lies just north of Seaham Harbour Marina, about 7 miles south of Sunderland. At low tide a fair-size area of sand is exposed. Slope beach is a small sheltered sandy beach in Seaham Harbour on the Durham coast, popular with both visitors and locals. The Seaham Harbour walls provide a sheltered swimming area, and attracts swimmers all year round! There is plenty of parking near the seafront.

Sand

Weather and tides for Thursday 17 July

Today
Chance of rain 10%
Max temp. 21°C
(feels like 19°C)
Wind 11mph
Max UV Index
Tonight
Chance of rain 7%
Min temp. 18°C
(feels like 18°C)
Wind 4mph

The tide at Seaham Central Beach is currently rising. High tide will be at approximately 8:28 AM, and the next low tide will be at approximately 3:06 PM.

Today's air pollution levels are forecast to be Low

Approximate sea surface temperature:   15.6°C  

Detailed weather and tides »
  • Facilities

    Food available Toilets Shops
  • Popular Activities

    Rockpooling Sunbathing
  • Parking

    There is a car park off the B1287.

  • Lifeguard

    No lifeguard cover at this beach

  • Awards

    Marine Conservation Society Recommended

  • Water Quality

    Water quality not measured here

    Water quality not measured here

Recommended holiday cottages near Seaham Central Beach

Things to do and see in the area

World War One Soldier Sculpture (0.1 miles)
East Durham Heritage & Lifeboat Centre (0.1 miles)
East Durham Coast (0.2 miles)
The Serenity Spa (0.9 miles)
Rosebud Ceramics (1.7 miles)
Dalton Park Outlet (2.4 miles)
Cineworld Dalton Park (2.5 miles)
Karting North East (3.7 miles)
Clue HQ Sunderland (4.9 miles)

All distances are approximate

Other beaches nearby

Location: Seaham

Location type: Urban

OS Grid: NZ431495

Country: England

Local Authority: County Durham

Parish: Seaham

Nearest postcode: SR7 7EA

(for sat-nav purposes only, a beach does not have a postal address!)

Important! Beach information is compiled from a variety of different sources and is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of compilation. However, information may be incorrectly supplied by our sources or go out of date after publication. BritishBeaches.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any information on this page.

Stuff you might want for the beach!

(Or après-beach. Or pre-beach. Or, just because you might want stuff)

Visitor information for Seaham Central Beach, County Durham, England. Weather, tides, visitor comments, beach facilities, photos, nearest postcode, beach information and nearby accommodation.

British Beaches is a Good Stuff website.

18.97.14.84 Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:05:02 +0100