Seaham Hall in County Durham is perfect place to unwind Seaham Hall is a beautiful Georgian house set into the cliff tops of County Durham It offers the perfect escape for couples looking to get away from it all or those seeking a little rest and to relax on their own I could hardly believe I was about to spend the night in a room named after Lord Byron who married Annabella Milbanke in this very building in 1815 the beautiful plum and gold-coloured decor and the luxurious bathroom with its large free-standing Victoria & Albert bath and walk-in shower The view over the gardens was similarly breathtaking smell simply divine and they leave you with that feeling of having just enjoyed a spa treatment you will feel as if you have escaped into a world of your own Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter The Ada Lovelace suite – named after Lord Byron’s daughter – is particularly lovely It is a mezzanine split-level room with views over the property’s beautiful grounds If you are visiting Seaham Hall with friends you will want to consider staying in one of the hotel’s coastal lodges You could be forgiven for never wanting to leave the comfort of your room. But you also won’t want to miss the experience of visiting the award-winning Serenity Spa It has treatments and facilities that will make you want to extend your stay I opted for the “top to toe” ritual treatment which left me feeling completely relaxed and rejuvenated the spa is well-equipped to cater to larger groups of friends as well a hydrotherapy pool and a 20-metre swimming pool The water bed in the Elephant Shanti lounge area which is also part of Serenity Spa and has just opened And there is a fully equipped gym and fitness studio where scheduled yoga and pilates classes take place I tried a yoga class before dinner and found it to be the perfect activity before exploring the hotel’s dining options Whether you are in the mood for a culinary treat after your spa treatment, or you are simply look forward to a relaxing evening, Ozone is the place to come It is Seaham Hall’s pan-Asian restaurant in a beautiful setting and you can even dine in your dressing gown if you so wish It really is a moment to relax and enjoy good food The Dining Room is Seaham Hall’s more upmarket restaurant It has recently been refurbished to provide the perfect with 14-carat gold-plated chandeliers and the large Georgian windows afford mesmerising views as you dine there’s also afternoon tea with sandwiches and sweet treats I found I had plenty of options at each of the restaurants You will undoubtedly want to take a walk along the coast where you can’t help but notice how many people are on the beach crouched down hunting for “sea glass” – waste glass that was dumped into the sea by factories in Victorian and Edwardian times the glass makes little treasures you will want to collect and use to make jewellery I decided to get involved and found some beautiful bits of glass that had spent decades in the sea and now lay glowing among the pebbles Kalpana was a guest of Seaham Hall. Nightly rates start from £299 in a junior suite on a B&B basis. For more information or to book, visit seaham-hall.co.uk insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances Her work includes writing for a number of media outlets She has written for national papers and well-known women’s lifestyle and luxury titles She started her career at the Financial Times group Kalpana is a regular guest on TV and radio – appearances include BBC One’s Morning Live She was also the resident money expert for the BBC Money 101 podcast Kalpana writes a monthly money column for Ideal Home and a weekly one for Woman magazine alongside a monthly 'Ask Kalpana' column for Woman magazine She is passionate about helping people be better with their money; her particular passion is to educate more people about getting started with investing the right way and promoting financial education Our website uses cookies to provide additional functionality You currently have cookies blocked so will have limited access to some features on the website We have confirmed that Seaham Food Festival will return for 2025 The festival welcomes thousands of visitors each year for two days of sun It features more than 120 traders selling everything from street food to local beverages and applications are now open for traders interested in taking a stall next year Traders are asked to include as much information as possible about their business in their application They have until Friday 14 February to submit their application Find more information about Seaham Food Festival, including application forms for traders. Cllr Elizabeth Scott, our Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: "Our summer festivals are a key part of County Durham's events calendar, welcoming thousands of people to the county and bringing a boost to our local businesses as well as the wider visitor economy. To make sure our events are enjoyed by as many people as possible, we start our preparations now. "Seaham Food Festival is a fantastic opportunity for independent traders. Not only do they benefit from the influx of people that come along to discover new dishes and produce, but it also gives the business an opportunity to get their name out there and build their client base. Seaham Food Festival is always a brilliant weekend, so I would encourage anyone who is interested in having a stall to get their application in, so we can welcome you in 2025." Another highlight of Seaham Food Festival is its cookery theatre, where it hosts a series of cookery demonstrations from a star-studded line up of celebrity chefs. Details of who will be appearing will be announced next year. Three Academy players have linked up with Seaham Red Star on temporary deals as they look to gain senior experience. Charlie Berry has made a number of senior appearances already this season with West Auckland Town, though the midfielder was recalled back to the Prestige Group Stadium last week. Berry, who was named on Hartlepool’s first-team bench back in August, now heads out on loan to Seaham for further exposure to senior football. Meanwhile, Tye Grundle has spent the last month with Bishop Auckland in the Northern Premier League East Division. The defender joins Seaham on a dual registration deal until the end of the season. And finally, midfielder Eddie Ormerod will gain his first experience in senior football at Seaham. He joins Mark Collingwood’s side on a dual registration deal. Seaham currently sit 21st in Northern League Division One, one point from safety, and welcome leaders Redcar Athletic at the weekend. thou deep and dark blue ocean,” Lord Byron wrote in his epic poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage The writer may well have been inspired by the navy ribbon of the North Sea wrapped around Seaham Hall the clifftop Georgian country house where he married in 1815 Those cracking views of Durham’s heritage coast are still magnetic but most come for the indoor-outdoor spa where guests can be scrubbed and soothed with ocean-inspired treatments That’s a toss-up between the glorious flower-filled spa garden with an infinity pool or the 24 fun and flamboyant suites where breakfast in bed is delivered at no extra charge The circular garden spa is the main attractionScore 9/10Amethyst steam rooms herbal saunas — there are plenty of rooms and pools to dip in and out of at the Serenity Spa reached from the hotel via a tranquil indoor waterway that immediately makes your shoulders droop for the main event: the circular spa garden with its jet-filled infinity pool and a handful of bubbling cedar hot tubs A range of facials and massages are available using Temple Spa and ishga products while the latest addition – Novara – has shifted the focus to results-driven treatments such as microneedling which generates collagen production and smooths fine lines and wrinkles The majority of these treatments begin with a fascinating facial skin scanner which will pinpoint any problem areas and guide the therapist towards which products will be the best fit Try the HydraFacial for what must be the deepest possible clean of your face to reset your skin back to zero; a facial on steriods There’s also an excellent range of highly effective medical-grade Noon skincare products to purchase Therapists can also adapt some treatments around cancer Regulars will recommend that you end your spa day with the brilliant free yoga and meditation class at the gym (three evenings a week) • Read more about Seaham Hall• Other spa breaks around the UK Enjoy breakfast in bed in MilbankeScore 9/10There is no need for upgrades here Each of the 24 rooms in the main house are suites with individual entrance halls and surprise perks that come without any extra cost — breakfast in bed and minibars stuffed with treats such as traditional boiled sweets The rooms are individually designed with feature wallpaper quirky lighting and oversized sofas along with marble spa-like bathrooms — fun freebies include a rubber duck and loaf-sized slippers with its raspberry-pink interiors and giant bathroom set over two floors with twin slippers baths that overlook the grounds Also tempting are the clutch of garden suites that have hot tubs and a terrace while groups will find the two-bedroom lodges with hot tubs and a kitchenette a handy base • 100 of the UK’s best hotels• More places to stay in Co Durham is where you can fill up on bathtub-sized bowls of ramen or fish dishes such as steamed seabass with pak choi There are blankets if it gets chilly and indoor seating too intimate option with a small clutch of tables lit by 14-carat gold-plated chandeliers Small plates inspired by The Mediterranean feature the likes of crispy slow-cooked lamb croquettes braised shorthorn beef cheek and falls-off-the-fork halibut with juicy plum tomatoes Breakfast is served in both restaurants or can be delivered to your room Score 8/10The estate’s 37 acres of parkland are threaded with trails speckled with pretty water features wildflowers in full bloom and carp-filled ponds where pink lily pods float blankets and an aluminium caravan serving coffee and cocktails make the outdoor terrace a cosy spot to chill There’s an adult’s games room for those who fancy billiards or Twister A 30-minute stroll following the sound of the seagulls will take you to Seaham beach where you can join jewellery makers in combing the sand for red and green sea glass — the remains of a long forgotten bottle factory spa day-pass from £205Restaurant Mains from £23Family-friendly YDog-friendly YAccessible Y Lucy Perrin was a guest of Seaham Hall (seaham-hall.co.uk) Become a subscriber and along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and X Sign up here for your daily business digest direct to your inbox Sign Up Discover our talented editorial team and the principles that drive them A key milestone has been reached in a pioneering mine water heat project in the North East Work is underway to provide ultra-low carbon heating for homes in Seaham Durham County Council is leading the initiative which will use treated mine water to power a district network heating 750 affordable homes at Seaham Garden Village a collaboration with the Mining Remediation Authority has already secured £4.3 million in Government funding with £3.23 million earmarked for construction Vital Energi has begun work to construct the energy centre which will take heat from water extracted and treated at the Dawdon Mine Water Treatment Scheme converting it into a sustainable heat source to warm homes Durham County Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change said: “We are delighted to have started work on what will be the UK’s first large-scale mine water heat project using a mine water treatment scheme “This innovative project will have significant environmental benefits – making use of currently untapped heat to keep houses warm avoiding the need to use non-renewable sources of energy.” innovation and services director at the Mining Remediation Authority added: “This scheme is a further milestone in our journey to harness mine water heat to provide sustainable heating solutions across the former coalfields.” Seaham Garden Village will eventually include 1500 homes delivered by Karbon Homes and its construction partner Esh Construction added: “It’s fantastic to partner with Durham County Council and the Mining Remediation Authority to connect our homes to this innovative low-carbon heat system.” Plans to build 149 new homes in Seaham along with open space and improvements for wildlife have been submitted to Durham County Council Bellway Strategic Land submitted a planning application for the development which would provide an extension to the 1,500-home Seaham Garden Village project following a public consultation process which took place over the summer said: “Expanding Seaham Garden Village represents a practical approach towards meeting the area’s housing needs and our proposals will make a logical extension to the project Bringing more homes to the area would make any additional local services within Seaham Garden Village – such as shops schools and community facilities – more viable “Our proposals would bring a wide variety of properties to this sustainable and growing residential area These would be high-quality and energy-efficient homes all featuring electric vehicle charging points and solar panels as standard “The landscaping plans would create areas of open space for residents to enjoy as well as improving the biodiversity of the site by more than 10 per cent “The land is not currently allocated for any specific purpose in the Durham Local Plan but we know that the Local Plan is supportive of development taking place on unallocated sites such as this if it meets the relevant criteria “We believe this development would create a positive and attractive addition to the original Seaham Garden Village project.” The development plan features a range of two four and five-bedroom homes including houses and bungalows There would be 127 properties for private sale and 22 affordable homes for low-cost rent or shared ownership while a total of 98 properties have been designed as accessible and adaptable homes the development will be accessed from a new roundabout on the A182 For more information about Bellway’s developments in the Durham area, seehttps://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/durham we believe that sharing positive news stories about successful businesses in County Durham is important for fostering a supportive and thriving business community We want to encourage business owners to send us their success stories so that we can share them on our website and celebrate their achievements We are committed to promoting the county as a great place to do business and providing a platform for businesses to showcase their successes +44 (0) 3000 261 261  enquiries@businessdurham.co.uk Starting a business Growing a business Moving a business Business premises About Business Durham Latest News Business Events Privacy Policy Contact Us Bellway Strategic Land has applied to Durham County Council to extend the 1,500-home Seaham Garden Village project with officials saying it represents a “practical” and “logical” approach towards “meeting the area’s housing needs” The proposals follow a public consultation and include a mix of two to five-bedroom houses and bungalows The scheme would feature 127 private homes and 22 affordable properties for rent or shared ownership with 98 homes designed to be accessible and adaptable Read more