Coleridge is a comfortable and well presented first floor apartmentflat with spacious rooms. There are 2 bedrooms - each with a double, sleeping up to 4 people (or 5 if the single guest bed is utilised in bedroom 1.) The property has a private yard with secure storage cupboard for cycles or golf equipment etc. It is only a 5 minute walk to the sea front, or a 5 minute walk to Westoe Village - a historic peaceful oasis in the heart of South Shields which has links with several famous people. It was well known to Catherine Cookson during her youth and the setting for several of the books.
It is a 15 minute walk to South Shields town centre and a 10 minute walk to the nearest Metro station, taking you quickly to other areas of the North East including Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, and beyond (including Newcastle International Airport.) Towels and bed linen are provided along with a complimentary welcome supply of tea, coffee, milk, sugar, biscuits, etc. Free on street parking. Tourist information can be found in the apartment. There is a good choice of local bars and restaurants including popular beach bars. You will soon discover that South Tyneside really has something for everyone - the glorious North Eastern coast will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed. The coastal getaway of South Shields is ideally located between the cities of Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland.
You can experience the natural beauty of South Tyneside's magnificent Natural Trust's twisting cliff tops and gorgeous award winning sandy beaches, visit a multitude of popular local attractions or take in all the fun of the fair in a traditional seaside resort. The great news is many of the north easts premier attractions are all just a short metro ride away from the apartment. Here you'll find an abundance of wildlife, hidden coves, cycleways and a pioneering lighthouse. Also home to a Roman Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage site,) and near to Bede's World museum. Breathtaking scenery for walkers, cyclists, great for birdwatchers, ideal for various water sports and pers, outdoor sports including golf and bowls, horse riding, and of course South Shields is the setting for the finish line of the famous Great North Run.
Beautiful beaches, twisting cliff top paths, exhilarating amusements and miles of natural beauty make the South Tyneside coastline a delight to explore all year round. South Tyneside is blessed with gorgeous, award winning sandy beaches in UK locations free from hustle and bustle, like hidden treasures. They stretch from the mouth of the Tyne at South Shields beach for miles. Here you'll find an abundance of wildlife, hidden coves, cycleways and a pioneering lighthouse. The long sandy sweep of Sandhaven, with its backdrop of dunes, is one of the finest beaches in the UK while Littlehaven South Shields beach has panoramic views of the harbour and the ruins of Tynemouth Priory across the mouth of the Tyne.
It is an ideal spot for sailing, windsurfing and angling. All the fun of the fair can be enjoyed at nearby Ocean Beach Pleasure Park where there is an exciting choice of white-knuckle thrillers, colourful and imaginative rides for younger children plus amusements and video games galore. Friends and family can battle it out at the newest attraction on the seafront - Smugglers Cove, a pirate themed pitch and putt. Away from the hustle and bustle of the funfair, the seafront parks are the perfect spot for a gentle walk. The recently regenerated Victorian South Marine Park with its boating lake, miniature steam railway, play area, paddling pool and amazing gathering of swans and ducks is great for families. Nearby North Marine Park is the perfect setting for pitch and putt, watching a game of bowls or enjoying a stroll and taking in the great views. Over time, the mighty waves of the great North Sea have carved out caves, cliffs and stacks, leaving one of the main tourist attractions in the area - the breathtaking Marsden Bay, dominated by one of the most magnificent rock formations in Britain.
The l00-foot high rock is a bird sanctuary and home to dozens of sea birds (kittiwakes, gulls and cormorants) - second only to the Farne Islands. The nearby Marsden Grotto which nestles at the foot of the cliffs opposite the rock is worth a visit. Its first occupant was 'Jack the Blaster', a homeless miner who set up house in a cave in l782 and made a a living providing food and drink for smugglers. His old home is now a pub, The Grotto, which has a reasonably priced restaurant and a lift to whisk you back up to the cliff.
The Leas, a two mile grassy sweep, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The South Tyneside coast is popular for cycling and walking, with a number of trails along the scenic cliff tops and the surrounding areas. If Dame Catherine Cookson is more your thing, visit the excellent South Shields Museum and Art Gallery which chronicles and houses the life, awards and personal effects of Britain's best selling author, who was born in South Tyneside and used the area as an inspiration for her many novels (indeed this setting has become a place of pilgrimage for thousands of devotees every year. Bents Park provides a lovely open air setting for the Cookson Festival concerts and is packed with revellers enjoying the free music and entertainment (often headlined with popular well known names.) There is also a Catherine Cookson Trail, taking in the author's birthplace, former home and many locations used in filming the many adaptations of her novels.) Other tours are also available, which take in Bede, Books and Romans, Roman Heritage, Maritime Trail and an Art Trail (during the summer the South Tyneside Tourism Bus operates on a daily basis linking all of South Tyneside's attractions together, making it even easier to get around.) Catherine Cookson country is a region of beautiful beaches and ancient sites, as well as being the setting for scores of books, television programmes and movies. 2009 marks the eleventh anniversary of the death of Catherine Cookson but people still come from around the world to South Tyneside, a small region in the North East of England, to follow in the footsteps of the characters in her books, films and television programmes. She wrote close to 100 books which were translated into at least twenty languages.