Druridge Bay Country Park Visitors Centre

Druridge Bay Country Park sits right on Druridge Bay and is basically a choose-your-own-adventure day out. You've got a large freshwater lake, woodland, grassland and meadows, plus around three miles of beach and sand dunes to stomp, wander and "accidentally" keep walking.

There's a network of paths so you can loop the whole park and spot wildlife as you go. Handy facilities make it easy to stay out longer than planned: a visitor centre with café, toilets, a play area and car parking, with the visitor centre and café by the main car park at the south-eastern edge of Ladyburn Lake.

The park gates are open during daylight hours year-round. The main toilets and information area at the visitor centre are open daily from 9am to 5pm, and there's also a 24/7 toilet by the dog drinking station. In other words, it's very forgiving of long walks, small bladders, and dogs who suddenly "forget" how to leave.