Seaton Carew, Is it You?
This week, I am taking a break from long-distance travel, as I head to the coast for my first visit to Seaton Carew.
Newly promoted to the Northern League Division Two, they will be facing off against near neighbours FC Hartlepool in a local derby.
Seaton Carew is one of the four grounds I have yet to visit to complete the Northern League. The other three are Park View AFC, Stokesley Sports Club and Redcar Town.
Seaton Carew is almost part of Hartlepool, lying just to the south of the town, so this should be a great day to visit, especially before the winter winds off the North Sea start rolling in.
Whatever the weather, I always look forward to the hospitality of a Northern League ground.
For some reason that only my subconscious could explain, I always think of an old T-Rex song whenever I see or hear the words ‘Seaton Carew’.
The tune immediately jumps to the front of my brain with the words ‘Metal Guru’ replaced by ‘Seaton Carew’.
If I can get just one more person hooked on the same thing, I will be delighted to know it’s not just me.
So, with that tune bound to be in my head all day, let’s get on with our review of the matchday experience.
The Journey
The day began with me attempting to catch the 09:49 X1 to Peterlee, only to find it just went as far as South Hetton.
So, a delay until 10:12, when the next X1 did go all the way to Peterlee, arriving at 10:40.
I then caught the 10:55 #23 to Hartlepool Marina.
This is where I got lucky, with two kind bus drivers helping me out.
My connecting bus to Seaton Carew was ahead of the one I was on as we approached the bus stop.
Caught at a red light, I asked the driver if he would let me get off, and he did. I then sprinted (well, as close as you can get to sprinting at my age) to the doors of the bus ahead, and he kindly let me get on just before the lights changed.
Not often do you come across two bus drivers willing to help in quick succession. My experience of nearly watching a woman get run over by a bus last weekend reinforces that.
Thank you to both of you!
The 11:30 #1 then took me into Seaton Carew, and I got off at the Marine Hotel on the seafront, thanking the driver once more for letting me on earlier.
While I get my bearings, have a read about the town.
Seaton Carew
The seaside resort of Seaton Carew is in the Borough of Hartlepool, in County Durham, northeast England.
It sits on the North Sea coast, immediately south of Hartlepool and just north of the mouth of the River Tees. Middlesbrough lies around 11 miles to the southwest, while Durham is approximately 21 miles to the northwest. Hetton-le-Hole is 20 miles to the Northwest.
At the 2021 Census, the Seaton ward had an estimated population of 6,751.
The area was first recorded during the 12th century when it belonged to the de Carou, or Carew, family. During the reign of Henry I, Robert De Carrowe took possession of Seaton and the settlement became known as Seaton Carrowe, eventually developing into the modern name of Seaton Carew.
Seaton Carew’s story stretches back much further. Archaeological finds suggest people occupied the area during Roman times, with remains of buildings and coins and other artefacts occasionally discovered along the beach.
During medieval times, residents extracted salt from seawater through evaporation. The waste ash from the process was dumped at North Gare, where grass-covered mounds remain today. A small Gilbertine religious house linked to Sempringham Priory also existed somewhere around Seaton, although its exact location has never been found.
Seaton’s position beside the Tees also gave it strategic importance. In 1667, a gun fortification appeared on Seaton Snook to defend the mouth of the river, particularly against the Dutch. Remains of the defences can still be seen.
The Seaside Resort
For much of its early history, Seaton Carew was a fishing village. During the 18th and 19th centuries, however, it began developing a very different identity.
Wealthy Quaker families from Darlington started visiting the coast for holidays, effectively establishing Seaton Carew as a seaside resort. Rows of stucco houses and hotels appeared along the seafront and around The Green, creating much of the character associated with the old resort.
The growing popularity of the coast also brought new attractions. In 1874, Duncan McCuaig founded the Durham and Yorkshire Golf Club, now Seaton Carew Golf Club, with a 14-hole course on coastal land southeast of the village. Four more holes followed in 1891, while renowned course designer Alister MacKenzie helped with further improvements in 1925.
Industry also grew around the resort. The West Hartlepool Steel and Iron Company operated immediately to the north, while the wider Hartlepool area developed into an important centre for iron, steel and shipping.
Seaton Carew’s coastal position also made it important for navigation. In 1838, the Tees Navigation Company built two leading lighthouses to help vessels enter the River Tees. The lights remained in use until 1892.
Transport links improved further in the early 20th century. An electric tramway connecting Hartlepool with Seaton Carew opened in 1902, with trams travelling along parts of the seafront until the service closed in 1927.
The sea could also prove dangerous. In January 1907, the cargo steamship SS Clavering ran aground near the North Gare breakwater during a gale. Seaton Carew and Hartlepool lifeboat crews spent 31 hours rescuing 39 people, with two coxswains later receiving RNLI Silver Medals.
Wartime
During the First World War, Seaton Carew played a role in defending the northeast coast. Between 1916 and 1919, the Royal Flying Corps and, later, the RAF operated an airstrip on open land south of the village, while seaplanes used the Seaton Channel.
In November 1916, Lieutenant Ian Vernon Pyott took off from Seaton Carew in pursuit of the German Zeppelin L 34, which had attacked Hartlepool. He successfully shot it down over Tees Bay, killing its entire crew.
A war memorial in the form of a Victoria Cross on a shaft was unveiled on The Green in 1921.
Between the wars, Seaton Carew continued attracting seaside visitors. Shelters and other facilities appeared along the seafront during the 1930s.
During the Second World War, the authorities prepared the beach against a possible German invasion. Barbed wire, mines and sentries formed part of the coastal defences, while anti-tank blocks placed around North Gare remain visible today.
Post War
Following the Second World War, Seaton Carew continued its traditional role as a seaside resort, although changing holiday habits brought challenges to British coastal destinations.
In 1969, the Seaton Carew Conservation Area was established to protect the village’s historic character. It expanded further in 1976 and 2002.
Regeneration has also reshaped the seafront. Older baths and deteriorating shelters were removed, the bus station was improved, and engineers strengthened the sea defences. The promenade now extends north towards Hartlepool Marina.
Today, Seaton Carew retains many features of a traditional British seaside resort. Its four miles of sandy beach, promenade, arcades, cafés, and fish-and-chip shops continue to attract visitors. Historic buildings around The Green stand alongside the Grade II-listed Art Deco bus station and clock tower.
The surrounding coastline also has considerable natural importance. Seaton Dunes and Common form a Site of Special Scientific Interest, while the Hartlepool Submerged Forest lies along the coast.
From a medieval fishing and salt-making settlement to a fashionable Victorian resort, Seaton Carew has spent centuries looking towards the North Sea.
Its beach, historic Green and seafront remain at the heart of the community, while its lifeboats, wartime defences and remarkable role in bringing down a Zeppelin add some unexpected chapters to the story of one of County Durham’s best-known seaside resorts.
Notable People from Seaton Carew
Novelists Mark Adlard and Jessie Douglas Kerruish, and artist Frank Henry Mason.
The 9 Anchors
While you were reading about the town and its history, I had made the short walk to the 9 Anchors pub.
Unremarkable from the outside, but with a very distinctive character within.
The nautical theme of the pub’s name continues in a wood-and-brick interior festooned with ropes, driftwood and maritime artefacts.
According to a local I spoke to, there are supposedly nine anchors on the premises, of which he knew five. I wonder if the anchor in the pub’s sign out front counts as one?
I ordered a pint of Sticky Toffee Porter from the Three Brothers Brewing Company for £4.65.
Although it was empty when I arrived, a few people popped in and out while I was there, and they were all friendly to talk to.
After a third pint of porter/stout, I made my way to the next stopping point.
The Almighty Cod
Having asked a couple of locals which chip shop I should visit, I plumped for this one.
There was a good variety of options on the menu board, but I ended up grabbing a steak pie, chips and mushy peas. Sometimes the old favourites are the best.
I’m not sure what it is, but I can’t visit the seaside without popping into a chippy. Usually, I go for fish and chips, but today I went for the more walking-friendly option: a pie I could pick up and eat.
No, Google, No!
I walked the rest of the way to Hornby Park, following the route on Google Maps.
Wrong!
Google Maps is a liar in this instance. Having sent me past the entrance, it led me along a patch behind the goal and around the other side, which is a dead end.
I had to walk back on myself, with kickoff fast approaching. As I walked past the ground on the roadside, I heard a round of applause ringing out.
I later found out this was a tribute to PC Matthew Blades, a coach at Seaton Carew, who was killed in the line of duty in the recent fatal head-on crash with joyriders.
That full, tragic story can be read here.
This time, I turned down Elizabeth Way and into the cricket club car park.
There was a cricket match in progress as I walked through the club, along the boundary rope (watching carefully for a well-hit shot), and up to the entrance into the football ground.
Seaton Carew – Hornby Park
Getting In
Once the cricket pitch was negotiated, I found myself at the end of a sizeable queue to get in.
I know this was a local derby, but I wasn’t expecting this. Of course, at the time, I didn’t realise there was a memorial tribute to the two policemen before today’s game, either.
Entry to Hornby Park (currently known as the Phoenix 2 Retail Arena) costs £6.00, and cash or card is accepted.
Pin badges and programmes are available at the gate, but because I was in a hurry (the game had already kicked off), I didn’t even think of it until later.
North End
The entrance gate is at the northeast corner of the ground.
We will start our look around the ground at the north end, which contains the only structure for fans inside Hornby Park.
This comes in the form of a metal roof over a section of the flat-standing area behind the goal.
There is also a snack bar in the same shipping container as the gate window.
Although with pie, chips and peas still swirling around in my protruding belly, I didn’t go anywhere near it.
East Side
The east side of the ground is where the technical dugouts are located, on either side of the halfway line.
The concrete path around the pitch forms the flat standing area all the way around the ground.
South End
The southern end is where the dressing rooms and players’ entrance are located.
These come in the form of more repurposed shipping containers, which many football clubs now use.
It was at this end that I eventually settled in to watch the game.
West Side
The final side of the ground is where a 100-seater stand is destined to be built in the near future.
At the moment, it mirrors its opposite side, with just flat standing available.
A mesh fence separates the football pitch from a further grassy area beyond, where kids were playing.
Seaton Carew – Hornby Park Gallery
Seaton Carew Tidbits
The Seaton Carew Football Club was formed in 1998.
Originally playing in black-and-white stripes, the colours were changed to maroon-and-gold stripes ahead of their first season in the Northern League.
Seaton Carew is a community club with around 44 teams for all abilities, genders, and ages.
The club started life in the Hartlepool Church & District League, eventually joining the Wearside League in 2012.
They left the league three years later, before rejoining ahead of the 2023/24 season.
2025/26 saw the Seatonians achieve promotion to the Northern League for the first time in its history, after winning the Wearside Premier League title.
The club is managed by Danny Earl.
As mentioned above, a 100-seater stand is to be added in the near future, as are floodlights. This will bring Hornby Park in line with Northern League requirements.
Seaton Carew – Pre-Game View of Hornby Park
Seaton Carew v FC Hartlepool – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, the Seatonians sit in a respectable midtable position on 13 points.
After nine games, they have won 4, drawn 1 and lost 4, while scoring 15 goals and conceding 16.
They started life in the Northern League with a 0-3 defeat at Hornby Park against AFC Newbiggin, with their first-ever win at this level coming 5 days later, as they beat Newcastle University 2-0 at Essity Park.
Their first home win came on 5th August, with a 5-0 mauling of Durham United. However, this was followed by a 5-0 home defeat against Jarrow.
Last time out, Seaton won 2-0 at Grangetown Boys Club and will hope to continue their progress with a victory over their neighbours today.
Meanwhile, FC Hartlepool are one point behind on 12 after also playing nine games.
They have a 3-3-3 record coming into today’s game, while scoring 10 and conceding 12.
FC started the season with two draws and two defeats before picking up their first win at Chester-le-Street Town on 7th August.
Their last two games have been played at home, securing a draw against newly promoted Stokesley Sports Club and a 1-0 win over Alnwick Town.
I foresee a very close game today with both teams scoring, and the home side edging it.
Pre-match prediction: Seaton Carew 2 FC Hartlepool 1 (Great success!)
Summary
I hadn’t even found the place where I was going to watch the match from when the home team scored the opening goal after five minutes.
In fact, I can honestly say I didn’t see any of the three goals scored!
The reason is that I got to talk with the club’s vice-chairman, Carl Sweeting, and some of his buddies.
I regret nothing. Talking football is as good as watching football, and there was the added bonus of a legendary referee being among their number.
Anyone of a certain age will remember Spennymoor-born referee George Courtney.
George refereed the 1980 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and West Ham United, and a huge play-off semi-final between Sunderland and Newcastle in 1990.
Ironically, his club allegiance was a topic of discussion. I got the impression George favoured Sunderland, but after keeping it a secret all these years, he wasn’t going to confirm it to me. After my suggestion that I thought he was a Sunderland fan, he just smiled.
So, what I can tell you is that this was a close-fought game between two sides I expect to finish in the top half of the table.
After Drew Lake’s opening goal, we had to wait until the 40th minute for another, with Liam Appleby equalising for FC.
Just five minutes later, Kingston Butler got what proved to be the decisive goal of the game on the stroke of halftime.
FC pushed hard for an equaliser as the game wore on, but Seaton doggedly held on to their lead.
A good game, and a fitting tribute to PC Blades between two clubs he has been heavily involved with.
If and when a Match Report becomes available, I will post it here.
Full-time – Seaton Carew 2 FC Hartlepool 1
Attendance – 727
Entrance Fee – £6.00
Programme – £3.50
Seaton Carew v FC Hartlepool – Match Highlights
If and when match highlights become available, I will post them here.
League Table After Today’s Game
Up Next
Next up for Seaton is another home game against local opposition, with Billingham Town the visitors on 5th September.
They will then visit Cumbria for an FA Vase game against Holker Old Boys on the 12th.
They round off September with two home games. First up is Prudhoe YC Seniors (19th), followed by Billingham Synthonia on the 26th.
Meanwhile, FC will look to get back to winning ways, with two home games upcoming.
First, they face Newcastle University (5th), before hosting Sunderland RCA a week later.
They then travel to Durham United on the 19th, before hosting another double-header at Greyfields.
Park View are the visitors on the 22nd, while Tow Law Town visit on the 26th.
Seaton Carew Thoughts
Seaton Carew is a relatively young club, and it is progressing nicely.
There are plans to bring the ground up to Northern League standards (presumably pretty soon?), and over 40 teams of all ages and abilities represent the community.
Both of these factors should help bolster their progress, with youngsters coming through and a better standard of ground allowing them to play at this level for the foreseeable future.
It is a friendly place, just like the vast majority of the Northeast grounds, and as mentioned, I spent more time talking than actually watching the game.
Not always a bad thing to be able to chat to strangers about football and their club.
The offer of a free pin badge and a programme, simply for being a groundhopper and visiting the club, sums up the place nicely.
Needless to say, I walked back to the gate and bought one of each. The pin badge was just £2.00 (great value), while the programme was £3.50.
I haven’t included a review of the programme because I somehow lost it before I got home. DOH!
Today was a bit of an anomaly in terms of matchday experience, and there wouldn’t normally be 685 in attendance.
The local rivalry, the proximity of the opposition, the tribute to the two deceased police officers (and Seaton Carew coach), all added to the numbers.
The club handled it well, and there was still plenty of room for more folks to see the game.
This isn’t a place you visit for the magnificent ground—stay in the top leagues if that’s all you are interested in. However, this is football at a more personable and grassroots level.
A place where you can stand and chat with the vice chairman, and occasionally, a legendary referee!
The seaside town a few yards up the road is a nice bonus, too, as is the characterful pub and the decent chippy I visited.
I still feel like they need to play Metal Guru as the team comes out, though! 😂
All in all, Seaton Carew is a place well worth visiting, and it is only going to get better, I feel.
Seaton Carew – After the Game
Following the final whistle, I made my way out of the ground the same way I had come in.
I then made my way up Tees Road towards town. There were closer bus stops, but I decided to walk off the ache of standing still and back to the Marine Hotel.
From here, I caught the 17:30 #1 bus back into Hartlepool, arriving at 17:53.
I then caught the 18:15 #24 to Peterlee bus station, arriving at 18:45.
Happily, it was just over a ten-minute wait in one of my least favourite bus stations on my travels before boarding the 18:58 X1 home.
I left the bus at Hetton Interchange and got through my front door at 19:25.
Another successful Hop in the books!
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Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week sees the re-emergence of Mrs Hopper, as we take a weekend in Peterhead.
This is one of the four Scottish league grounds I have yet to visit, so I’m looking forward to checking off another.
Given the distances involved, this will require an overnight stop, so why not make a weekend of it?
We always enjoy our trips over the border, and I’m sure Peterhead will be no exception.
Peterhead is the busiest fishing port in the United Kingdom, so I expect there will be plenty to see and do around the harbour area.
The visitors will be Montrose, which, despite being 77 miles south, is still one of the closer opposition games for Peterhead.
As always, I look forward to my visit…
Onto the next!
