Sea Glass in East Durham

Durham Heritage Coast has some beautiful beaches, nothing makes them more popular than the beautiful beach found sea glass.

Due to being home to many bottleworks, there were many tons of waste glass dumped into the North Sea. This is where the story of Seaham sea glass begins.

Visitors that are interested in the history of Glass in and it’ impact on the North East can find more information at the Sunderland National Glass Centre

What is sea glass?

The most basic explanation is: Glass that has been washed up by the sea.
This is a slight oversimplification, but still accurate.

Most of the glass is thought to have come from the Londonderry Bottleworks was operated by the Candlish family from 1853 to 1921, the closure during the coal strike of that year.

Why Seaham Sea Glass?

Multi colours of sea glass found on Seaham beach
Multi colours of sea glass found on Seaham beach ©This is Durham

As the above photograph illustrates; the fantastic colours and shapes.

The bottle works made upto 20000 bottles daily in many different colors and designs. This is reflected in the glass that gets washed up on the shore.
The shapes of the glass come from how it tumbles though the san having been washed around in the shifting tides for several decades.
Originally the bottles produced were black creating onyx like beads, I’m not sure on the different rarities of colour, but there are some fantastic colours to be seen.

Where can we find it?

Undoubtedly (according to This is Durham) the best beach to hunt around is Seaham Hall Beach, just under 6 miles from Tithe Barn Cottages or there is Easington Colliery Beach only 2 miles down Seaside Lane.

What about four legged visitors?

At Tithe Barn Cottages we do welcome pets (with well behaved owners), so it is important that locations we recommend visiting; also allow our canine friends.

Dogs are permitted on 11 of 13 East durham beaches.
The only restrictions are: Seaton Carew and Seaton Carew – North
thebeachguide

Having discussed this at length with our resident canines it was decided to be an excellent excuse for a W-A-L-K, we know better than to say that word too loudly, or even at all…

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