Skip To Main Content

  • Accommodation
    • Don't Miss
      • City Breaks
      • Coast and Countryside Escapes
      • Spa Breaks
      • Dog Friendly
      • Stunning Stays
    • Hotels
    • B&B and Guest Houses
    • Inns & Pubs
    • Self Catering & Holiday Cottages
      • Self Catering Agencies
    • Caravan, Camping & Glamping
    • Hostels
    • Special Offers
  • Things to Do
    • Don't Miss
      • Beamish Museum
      • Bowlees Visitor Centre
      • Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Centre
      • Durham Castle Tours
      • Durham Cathedral
      • Durham University Botanic Garden
      • Durham University Oriental Museum
      • Hamsterley Forest
      • Hardwick Park
      • High Force
      • Kynren- An epic Tale of England
      • Locomotion
      • Palace Green Library
      • Raby Castle
      • The Bowes Museum
      • Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
      • Wharton Park
    • Support Durham's Local Businesses
    • Attractions
      • Castles & Historic Houses
      • Cathedral & Churches
      • Hands on History
      • Gardens & Parks
      • Family Fun
      • Museums & Galleries
      • Waterfalls & Reservoirs
    • Activities
      • Adventure Activities
      • Cycling
      • Fishing
      • Golf
      • Horse Riding
      • Spas
      • Walking
    • Entertainment
      • Cinema
      • Theatre
    • Shopping
      • Antiques
      • Arts & Crafts
      • Farm Shops & Markets
      • Garden Centres
      • Independent Shops & Boutiques
      • Shopping Centres
      • Regional Delivery Service
    • Sightseeing, Tours & Guides
      • Attraction Tours
      • Tour Guides
      • Scenic Tours
      • Cycling Tours
      • Walking Tours
      • Durham City Guide - Churches, Chapels and Cafes
    • Weddings
      • Historic Wedding Venues
      • Hotel Wedding Venues
      • Wedding Fairs & Events
      • Stag & Hen Party Ideas
      • Wedding Packages
  • What's On
    • Dark Skies Events
    • Family Events
      • Free Events
      • Summer Holidays
    • Foodie Events
    • Historic Events
    • Cinema, Theatre & Music Events
      • Cinema Venues
      • Theatre Venues
    • Sporting Events
    • 2022 Top Ten Events
  • Food & Drink
    • Don't Miss
      • Cafe Bowes at The Bowes Museum
      • Collage Restaurant and Grill
      • Eating Out at Ushaw
      • Headlam Hall Restaurant
      • Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill
      • Ozone at Seaham Hall
      • The Dining Room
      • The Rose and Crown
      • Undercroft Restaurant
    • Support Durham's Local Businesses
    • Restaurants
    • Tearooms & Coffee Shops
    • Pubs & Bars
    • Local Produce
      • Farmers Markets
      • Farm Shops
    • Afternoon Tea in Durham
    • Inspire Me
      • Food Itineraries
      • Foodie Events
      • Tasty Tours
      • Tasty Places to Stay
  • Inspire Me
    • Don't Miss
      • Auckland Castle
      • Beamish Museum
      • Dalton Park
      • Durham Cathedral
      • Hamsterley Forest
      • High Force
      • Killhope
      • Kynren – an epic tale of England
      • North Pennines AONB
    • Short Break Ideas
      • Dark Skies
      • Escape the Everyday
      • Dog Friendly Durham
      • Romantic Getaways
      • Spa Breaks
      • Golf Breaks
      • Weddings
      • City Break
    • Seasonal
      • Spring Breaks
      • Summer Breaks
      • Autumn Breaks
      • Winter Breaks
    • Blog Squad
    • Taste Durham
    • Only in Durham
    • Discover Durham's Great Outdoors
    • Delve Into Our Heritage
    • Durham's Unmissable Highlights
    • Itineraries
  • Explore Durham
    • Durham City
    • Durham Dales
    • Vale of Durham
    • Durham Coast
    • Durham Towns
      • Barnard Castle
      • Bishop Auckland
      • Chester-le-Street
      • Seaham
      • Stanhope
    • North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark
    • North East England
  • Visitor Information
    • Information Points
    • Maps of Durham
    • Getting to Durham
    • Getting Around Durham
      • Car Hire
      • Taxis
      • Electric Car Charging Points
    • Accessibility
    • Publications
    • Durham Apps
    • Durham Videos
    • Discover Durham Digitally

Don't Miss

  • Family Fun attractions in Durham

    Family Fun

  • Durham City short breaks

    City Break

  • High Force in Durham

    Only in Durham

  • Seaham summer beach holiday fun

    Summer Breaks

  • Corporate
  • Groups & Travel Trade
  • Durham Place Of Light
  • Northern Saints
Menu
  • Top Attractions

  • Places To Stay

  • Things to Do

    Things to Do in Durham

  • Planning Your Trip

    Planning Your Trip

  • Inspire Me

Site Search Icon
My Account icon

Login to your account

Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.

To build your own Itinerary, click Add to Excursion to add an item to your Itinerary basket.

List All My Saved Itineraries

  • Logo
  • Print Logo
Close Navigation

Follow Us...

  • Facebook

    Thumbnail for Facebook

  • Twitter

    Thumbnail for Twitter

  • YouTube

    YouTube Icon

  • Pintrest

    Pinterest

  • Instagram

    Instagram

  • Blog

    This is Durham Blog

You are here > Home > Things to Do > East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

Seaham Harbour Marina
Seaham
County Durham
SR7 7EE

Email

Visit Website

Add East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre to your Itinerary

East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre
  • East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre
  • East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre
  • East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

About

**Due to the Covid 19 situation and the vulnerability of our volunteer staff we regrettably have to inform you that until a future unknown date we will remain closed.**

East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre is located in Seaham’s Harbour Marina where the historic lifeboat The George Elmy is on permanent display. The Centre’s exhibition facility enables the East Durham Heritage Group to hold themed displays relating to the maritime, industrial and social heritage of the area.

Seaham’s heritage history dates from before the 8th century Anglo Saxon church of St Mary the Virgin adjacent to Seaham Hall on the headland to the north of the town through the era of the Milbanke’s and their relationship with Lord Byron to Lord and Lady Londonderry who created the harbour for the export of coal from their collieries of East Durham. Following the closure of the collieries Seaham has seen many changes and is now attracting large numbers of visitors to the beaches, seafront promenade and marina.

Seaham is located on Durham’s Heritage Coast and is County Durham's only port.

The Centre provides educational visit facilities for both school and adult groups on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The East Durham Heritage & Lifeboat Centre is managed and staffed solely by volunteers of the East Durham Heritage Group and enthusiastic new volunteers are always needed. If members of the public feel they would like to help then they should please visit the Centre.

Our aim is to collect and preserve information and artefacts relating to Seaham’s heritage and make it available to all generations as an educational facility. “Without knowing our past how can we know and appreciate our present and future?”  

Book Tickets

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
112 reviews
    • Excellent
      79
    • Very Good
      29
    • Average
      4
    • Poor
      0
    • Terrible
      0

    Recent Reviews:

    • CTH8
      United Kingdom
      Lovely piece of History restored
      3 of 5 stars
      Wednesday, 6th November 2019
      The History of this amazing Lifeboat is very interesting, this Lifeboat has travelled all over the country and has had several uses since it's sad breaking up on the rocks at Seaham. This Museum is... Read full review
    • geralind
      United Kingdom
      Well maintained and atmospheric piece of History. A must to visit if in the area
      4 of 5 stars
      Tuesday, 12th November 2019
      I had no idea of the history of this former lifeboat station and the tragedy that befell this lifeboat and her crew. Largely overshadowed by the tragedy of the Penlee (Newlyn,Cornwall... Read full review
    • CarolG900
      Stockton-on-Tees, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Couples
      Great place. Our tour guide was v knowledgeable
      4 of 5 stars
      Tuesday, 29th September 2020
      We were in Seaham and came across this place. One of the volunteers kindly showed us around and gave us an informative tour and history. No cost but we gave a voluntary contribution. Read full review
    Write a review
    © TripAdvisor 2022

    Facilities

    Catering

    • On-Site café/restaurant
    • Picnic Site

    Parking & Transport

    • On site parking

    Provider Facilities

    • Toilets

    Provider Features

    • In town/city centre - Coastal town on Durham's Heritage Coast.

    Access Information

    Opening Times

    Season (1 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2022)
    DayTimes
    Monday - WednesdayClosed
    Thursday - Sunday11:00 - 15:00
    Bank HolidayClosed
    facebook: https://www.facebook.com/East-Durham-Heritage-and-Lifeboat-Centre-541988412661160/

    Map & Directions

    Map Link

    View Map

    What's Nearby

    1. A building and the sea at Seaham Harbour Marina

      Seaham Harbour Marina

      The multi award-winning Seaham Marina is County Durham's one and only marina. The marina…

      0 miles away
    2. External image of Art Block

      Art Block

      The Art Block is the only dedicated art gallery in East Durham.

      0.28 miles away
    3. Durham Heritage Coast

      Durham Heritage Coast

      Experience the colourful and dramatic landscape of Durham’s Heritage Coast with its…

      0.34 miles away
    1. Horden Colliery Heritage Centre

      Horden Colliery Heritage Centre

      Heritage Centre with themed rooms. Mining Museum going back 100 years with 350 archives,…

      4.89 miles away
    2. Down at the Farm overhead site image

      Down at the Farm

      Outdoor Farm park located in between Durham and Sunderland. Lots of outdoor play areas…

      5.01 miles away
    3. Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre

      Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre

      Rainton Meadows was created by the restoration of the Rye Hill Opencast coal mine in 1996…

      6.77 miles away
    4. Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

      Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

      Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre is small building of architectural beauty situated in…

      7.54 miles away
    5. Finchale Priory

      Finchale Priory

      The very extensive remains of a 13thC priory, founded on the site of a retired pirate's…

      8.69 miles away
    6. Feed the llamas at Adventure Valley

      Adventure Valley

      Discover a world of family adventures at Adventure Valley, the North East’s biggest…

      8.81 miles away
    7. Chester-le-Street Riverside Park

      Chester-le-Street Riverside Park

      Created in the 1930s, Riverside Park has always been popular with visitors. It was…

      9.32 miles away
    8. Ankers House and St Mary & St Cuthbert's Church














 


   
Product Details

      Ankers House and St Mary & St Cuthbert's Church

      The cathedral church and shrine of St Cuthbert from AD883 to 995 with attached anchorage…

      9.86 miles away
    9. Old Durham Gardens

      Old Durham Gardens

      Old Durham Gardens can be found less than a mile east of Durham City Centre. The gardens…

      10.18 miles away
    10. St Giles Church Durham City

      St Giles Church

      St. Giles’ has been a place for people to meet and worship for over 900 years.…

      10.33 miles away
    11. Christchurch Durham

      Christchurch Durham

      Christchurch Durham is an Anglican Evangelical Church in Durham, please see website for…

      10.64 miles away
    12. elvet methodist church

      Elvet Methodist Church

      Elvet Methodist Church is situated in Old Elvet, three minutes walk east of the market…

      10.65 miles away
    13. Prince Bishop River Cruiser and Browns Rowing Boats

      Prince Bishop River Cruiser and Browns Rowing Boats

      The Prince Bishop River Cruiser offers cruises with spectacular views of historic Durham…

      10.76 miles away
    Previous Next
    More

    Search What's Nearby

    Product Type
    Proximity
    Within miles
    • Enewsletter Sign Up

    • Win

    • Save

    • Contact Us

    this is our blog

  • How to explore Durham more sustainably

    a family cycling through Hamsterley Forest with their dog

    Going green has never been more important and with so many beautiful areas to explore in Durham, you'll find that it’s also extremely enjoyable. 

  • Accessible Days Out: Durham City

    Kate Stanforth sat in her wheelchair outside Durham Cathedral with her service dog.

    Join disabled blogger Kate Stanforth as she spends the day exploring historic Durham City.

  • Seven experiences in Durham to banish tourism fatigue

    children running and playing at The Plotter's Forest adventure playground

    Durham is unlike anywhere else in the UK! Durham offers a rich and diverse range of unique experiences that are sure to make your trip one to remember.

  • Seventy Years of the Railways

    Deltic train engine

    Celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee at Locomotion's new exhibition - Seventy Years of the Railways.

  • Durham's Royal Connections

    Raby Castle reflected in the lake on a bright sunny day

    From Kings of distant past and powerful Prince Bishops to the current Queen of England, Durham has many fascinating connections to royals throughout history.  

  • Loading..Loading..
    • Print Page
    • Email Page
    Home Accommodation
    • Hotels,
    • B&B and Guest Houses,
    • Inns & Pubs,
    • Self Catering & Holiday Cottages,
    • Caravan, Camping & Glamping,
    • Dog Friendly,
    • Hostels,
    • Special Offers,
    Things to Do
    • Attractions,
    • Activities,
    • Shopping,
    • Sightseeing, Tours & Guides,
    What's On
    • Family Events,
    • Foodie Events,
    • Historic Events,
    • Cinema, Theatre & Music Events,
    • Sporting Events,
    • 2022 Top Ten Events,
    Food & Drink
    • Restaurants,
    • Tearooms & Coffee Shops,
    • Pubs & Bars,
    • Local Produce,
    • Tasty Places to Stay,
    • Foodie Events,
    • Food Itineraries,
    • Special Offers,
    Inspire Me
    • Short Break Ideas,
    • Taste Durham,
    • Discover Durham's Great Outdoors,
    • Delve Into Our Heritage,
    • Durham's Unmissable Highlights,
    • Itineraries,
    Explore Durham
    • Durham City,
    • Durham Dales,
    • Vale of Durham,
    • Durham Coast,
    • Durham Towns,
    • North East England,
    Visitor Information
    • Information Points,
    • Maps of Durham,
    • Getting to Durham,
    • Getting Around Durham,
    • Accessibility,
    • Publications,
    Submit Event
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Site Map
    • Submit Event
    • Terms & Conditions

    © Copyright Visit County Durham. All Rights Reserved

    Registered Office: Visit County Durham, 2nd Floor, County Hall, Dryburn Road, Durham, DH1 5UL

    • North East England logo

    Ratings & Reviews

    Powered By

    tripadvisor

    • Durham County Council