A rather different experience for our little family team this day, we ventured into a practically modern melee by comparison with our usual historical haunts. We sought an adventure at the beach, but hoped to escape the throngs of excitable sun-seekers at the better known resort locations along the north east coast.
Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery are predominantly recognised for their associations with the coal mining industry. For many years the area was heavily industrial and to our pleasance attuned minds, probably devilish. Black coal strewn beaches and thick smog plumes apparently smothered the once pristine landscape, but this particular industry came upon hard times and eventually ceased altogether, now effort and finance has been put forward to clean up the spoilt seaboard and as such, nature has since reclaimed the land as its own.
The original colliery was built and run by Daniel Hall, known locally under the alias ‘black’ due to his coal mining association, and so, Black-Hall became the town’s official label. It seems to have reached its peak during the 20th century when the railroad and mining masses were in full swing but has since witnessed severe economic decline. The beach itself appeared in the 1971 movie Get Carter, where the sand can be seen strewn with coal and colliery debris. We were delighted to see that tourism and leisure are now assisting with a gradual rekindling of the areas popularity, and it is very easy to see the current appeal.
The most spectacular thing about this remote edge of our little island, is its stunning coastal nature reserve. Wildflowers and grassland meadows blanket the clifftops, birds and insects float and frolic, basking in the sunshine breeze. The walks are plentiful and have a real feel of some heavenly paradise as the wind ripples over the long grass stalks in twirling waves, mimicking the endless ocean beyond.
Apparently, during the mid-19th century a lone hotel used to stand upon the cliff here. The old hotel must have offered quite a reclusive prospect, a single antagonistic figure resolutely squaring up to the might of the North Sea. Sadly it no longer remains, though we had a lot of fun vocally reanimating the colourful and creepy characters that must have passed through its remote halls and slept under its wind and weather beaten roof.
We wandered through the wonderful wild meadows until we reached some suspect looking steps leading down to the beach and the dark blue ocean. We continued with caution down the steep track, careful of our footing but enamoured by the wonderful wildlife surrounding us in every direction as we closed in on the sands below.
The beach is a wonder of its own, littered with coastal Magnesian Limestone rocks and pebbles, it appears like a vision of some alien planet, a distant lunar landscape stretching in a thin band, toe to toe with the ocean to infinity. Millennia of water erosion has left these smooth round rocks with all manner of hollowed patterning, we wanted to fill our pockets for souvenirs, such were the unique enchanting aspects of these gems.
After a good amount of time skimming stones and splashing about in the ocean, enjoyed most especially by our darling Audrey, whose affinity to the waters of the world are already clearly evident, we made our way. We paused for the unexpected drama of a police helicopter chase along the coast, a completely paradoxical experience to our leisurely sojourn but an interesting inclusion none the less. Finally we arrived back on the road. The twisting tarmac accepted us gladly and more adventures await, but this was a perfect little escape and a relaxing chance to while away the hours and not feel at all bad about any of it.
