Druridge Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Druridge Bay |
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Druridge Bay
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 Location in Northumberland
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| Location | Northumberland, England, UK |
| OS grid | NZ276984 |
| Coordinates | 55°16′44″N 1°34′01″W / 55.279°N 1.56708°W |
Druridge Bay is a beautiful 7-mile long bay on the North Sea coast in Northumberland, England. It stretches from Amble in the north to Cresswell in the south. This lovely area is home to the Northumberland Coast Country Park. Part of the bay is even owned by the National Trust, a charity that protects special places. Some coastal areas here are also nature reserves, helping to protect local wildlife.
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Protecting Druridge Bay: Wartime Defences
During World War II, special defences were built around Druridge Bay. These were part of Britain's plan to stop any enemy invasion. The defences included tall scaffolding barriers and large concrete blocks to stop tanks. Small concrete shelters called pillboxes were built to watch over these barriers. Behind them, there were areas with landmines and ditches designed to stop tanks.
Between the small villages of Druridge and Cresswell, ditches were dug to prevent enemy gliders from landing. You can still see a brick building that was used to control these decoy defences.
Big Plans for Druridge Bay: Nuclear Power
In the 1980s, there was a big plan to build a Pressurised Water Reactor nuclear power station at Druridge Bay. This idea led to a long campaign by people who were against it. They also fought against plans to dig up large amounts of sand from the area in the 1990s.
The first campaign, along with changes in the UK Government's rules on nuclear power, stopped the power station from being built. The plan was finally cancelled in 1989. The land was later sold to farmers in 1996.
Another Big Plan: A Coal Mine
Druridge Bay became a focus for environmental worries again in 2015. A company called Banks Group wanted to open a large open-cast mine (where coal is dug from the surface) nearby. This mine would cover an area of 360 hectares (about 900 acres) and dig up 3 million tonnes of coal.
Just six weeks after the plan was submitted, the UK government announced that all coal-fired power stations would close by 2025. Many people, over 1800, sent letters to object to the mine. Even though the local council approved the plan in July 2016, the government put it on hold.
In March 2018, the plan was officially rejected by the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid. The company tried to challenge this decision in court, but in September 2020, the plan was rejected again by the government.
Amazing Wildlife at Druridge Bay
The Northumberland Wildlife Trust bought the old sand extraction site in 2006. The shore at Druridge Bay is famous for its many birds. You can often see birds like the golden plover and the purple sandpiper here.
Birdwatchers especially remember Druridge Bay for a special bird sighting in 1998. This bird, known as the "Druridge Bay curlew," was thought to be the first slender-billed curlew ever seen in Britain. However, some people still debate if it was truly that rare bird.
Culture and Music
Music Inspired by the Bay The 1994 album Promenade by the band The Divine Comedy starts with a unique sound. It features a field recording (a recording made outside) of waves breaking on the shore at Druridge Bay. This sound was recorded especially for the album by its producer, Darren Allison.
Images for kids
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Looking north over Druridge Bay from Cresswell
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Druridge Bay
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Druridge Bay
