SEAGLASS HUNTING AT SEAHAM.

I FIRST WENT TO SEAHAM AS A CHILD BACK IN 1973.

MY FATHER HAD JUST BOUGHT HIS ONE AND ONLY NEW CAR

A GOLD SKODA 100MB

WHEN SKODAS WERE SKODAS AND NOT VW.

WE DROVE THERE ON A SUMMERS EVENING .

MY MEMORY IS FADED BUT I REMEMBER AN ALMOST BURNT OUT BONFIRE ABOVE THE DOCKS FROM WHICH WE PULLED SOME OLD  PAPERS AND POST CARDS RELATING TO SEAHAM FOUNDRY THAT HAD ESCAPED THE FLAMES.
ONE WONDERS WHAT GEMS WERE BURNT!

I STILL HAVE THEM NOW.

WE DIDN'T EVEN GO ON THE BEACH!

YEARS LATER I TOOK MY GRANDSON

LONG BEFORE I KNEW ANY OF THE TALES OF SEAGLASS AND THE LIKE, WE WENT ONTO THE  BEACH JUST NORTH OF THE PIER; RED ACRE BEACH.

WE FOUND LOTS OF SHINEY CLEAR SEAGLASS  WHAT THE LAD CALLED GLOBES.

I HAVE SINCE BEEN MANY TIMES.

HERE FOR WHAT THEY ARE  WORTH ARE SOME TIPS TO MAYBE HELP A NEWCOMER HAVE A GOOD DAY AT SEAHAM AND WITH LUCK, FIND SOME SEAGLASS.

FIRSTLY CHECK THE TIDES AND WEATHER.

IF I AM GOING TO A NEW BEACH TO ME , THEN I ALWAYS TRY TO GO AN HOUR OR TWO AFTER THE TIDE HAS TURNED AND IS HEADING OUT. HOPEFULLY THAT WAY YOU HAVE LESS CHANCE OF GETTING CUT OFF BY THE INCOMING TIDE

IF YOU COME IN FROM THE SOUTH
TO DAWDON

YOU WILL SEE A SIGN FOR NOSE'S POINT 

THIS TAKE YOU TO A STEEP CLIMB DOWN TO THE BLAST BEACH.

I CAN ONLY GO BY MY OWN SUCCESS... I HAVE FOUND VERY LITTLE GLASS HERE.

IF YOU CARRY ON THROUGH TO SEAHAM PAST ASDA AND THE LIKE, YOU WILL COME TO A ROUNDABOUT, A RIGHT TURN HERE TAKES YOU DOWN TO THE MARINA AND PIER WITH RED ACRE BEACH DOWN BELOW TO THE LEFT.

IF YOU PARK DOWN THE BOTTOM NEAR THE PIER, IT WILL BE A CLIMB BACK UP TO GET TO THE RED ACRE BEACH STEPS.

THIS IS WHERE I TOOK THE GRANDSON AND THEN AND SINCE THEN HAVE FOUND ONLY MAINLY CLEAR GLASS HERE; SOMETIMES CALLED MERMAID'S TEARS.

IF YOU GO HERE WATCH THE SEA

THE BEACH WILL USUALLY BE STEPPED AND THE WAVES CAN SCOOP IN AND CATCH YOU OUT.

THERE ARE SOME NICE CAFES ETC DOWN IN THE MARINA AREA NOW.

FOR A FIRST TIME VISITOR YOU MAYBE BETTER GOING TO VANE TEMPEST OR SEAHAM HALL BEACH.

SO.. INSTEAD OF A RIGHT TURN AT THE MINI ROUNDABOUT (AFTER ASDA)

JUST GO STRAIGHT ON PAST THE SHOPS AND CAFES ON YOUR LEFT, WITH THE GREEN AND THE TOMMY STATUE ON YOUR RIGHT.

STRAIGHT ON AT NEXT ROUNDABOUT.

VANE TEMPEST BEACH CAR PARK WILL EVENTUALLY APPEAR ON YOUR RIGHT.

IF YOU PARK HERE THEN THE NORTH END OF CAR PARK IS BEST,  THEN YOU CAN WALK THE BANK DOWN TO THE PROM.

IF ITS SEAHAM HALL BEACH FOR YOU THEN CARRY ON PAST VANE TEMPEST CAR PARK AND YOU WILL COME TO SEAHAM HALL BEACH CAR PARK.

TONIA'S CAFE IS HERE.

IF IT WAS MY FIRST VISIT THEN THIS WOULD BE THE BEACH TO DO.

NORTH EAST CORNER HAS SOME STEPS TO THE BEACH.

YOU CAN GO SOUTH TOWARDS SEAHAM AND TAKE IN VANE TEMPEST BEACH OR NORTH IN THE DIRECTION OF RYHOPE.... BUT CHECK THE TIDE! 

AS FOR LOOKING FOR GLASS

TAKE AN OLD PLASTIC CONTAINER

WITH LID.

I USE THE LID TO SCRAPE WHEN I COME ACROSS ANY LIKELY LOOKING SHINGLE AREAS OR THE BANKS OF SHINGLE FURTHER UP THE BEACH

USUALLY THE SIZE OF THE SHINGLE WILL BE A GUIDE AS TO THE SIZE OF GLASS YOU WILL FIND. 
ANOTHER PLUS ON A VISIT WITH AN OUT GOING TIDE IS YOU MAY BE THE FIRST TO COME ACROSS ANY GLASS LEFT ON THE SAND AS THE SEA GOES OUT.

YOU CAN DRILL  THE GLASS TO TAKE FITTINGS.

I SOMETIMES COMBINE SEAGLASS AND DRIFTWOOD.
TO MAKE KEY RINGS  OR SOMETHING TO HANG IN THE CAR... I GIVE THEM AWAY.

I AM NO EXPERT.

JUST SOMEONE WHO LIKES SEAHAM, SEAGLASS AND BEACH COMBING.

GOOD LUCK

TAKE CARE.

BEACH BUOY.