There’s a tiny seaside town in northeast England where houses can still be purchased for a song.
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is located in Northumberland, England, on the North Sea coast. It has a population of just over 6,000 people.
The once vital port for shipping grain and ex-coal mining town is now a small fishing port with the Newbiggin Maritime Centre as its hub.
It became a popular beach resort in the Victorian era and remains a tourist attraction. Its landmarks include the Couple sculpture by Sean Henry, the 13th-century parish church, and the oldest operational boathouse in the British Isles.
At the Maritime Centre, visitors can learn more about the town’s history, culture, and heritage with its very own museum featuring the ‘Girl Anne’ fishing coble, community gallery, and Newbiggin’s last all-weather lifeboat.
The town also boasts the longest promenade in Northumberland. The promenade becomes a prime spot for twitchers watching the North Sea seabird migratory passage each spring and autumn.
With scenic views, it is a good place to spot the dolphins, whales, porpoises, seals, otters and other wildlife in the bay.
Newbiggin’s seafront location means that holiday parks, self-catering cottages on the coast and B&Bs by the beach are never far away. There are also several restaurants and cafes.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hexham, Durham, Northumberland National Park, Lindisfarne, and the Scottish borders are nearby destinations for tourists.
According to Zoopla and Rightmove, the average house price in Newbiggin is £128,297, and according to Rightmove, it is £125,121. As of August 2024, the average house price in England was £305,000.
Some houses in the town are on the market for much less, with one three-bed home up for auction for just £55,000.
Other homes are for sale at just £75,000. Three such properties are two and three-bed terrace homes with gardens to the front and back.