Saltwick Bay covers a large area, this field guide starts at the far South end of the Bay and heads slowly toward the bay’s North.

Black Nab

The imposing presence of Black Nab dominates the South end of Saltwick Bay as it rises majestically from the surrounding Jurassic-aged shale and provides a natural focal point for photographs captured on this side of the bay.

During low tide, the area around the base of the Nab becomes accessible and the recceeding water leaves an expansive natural pool around its foot. Scattered around the pool, almost suspended on the water's surface, are a number of fascinating flat pancake-like rocks that make intriguing foreground subjects. With careful placement these rocks can be used to lead the viewer's through the frame towards the Nab itself.

When wet, the jet-black rock of the shale creates a striking mirror-like effect, and this giant tidal pool provides great opportunities to capture stunning reflections, particularly when there’s vibrant colours in the sky.

Between May and August, you can watch the sun rise and set over the sea in a single day - a very rare occurrence on any East facing coast.

From Black Nab, between May and August you can capture the sun setting in a gap in the headland leading out to Saltwick Nab. This mesmerising phenomenon, shown right, presents an epic alignment that only manifests for a brief period each year before the sun moves round the setting back over the land.

Admiral Von Tromp Shipwreck

Lying beside Black Nab, wedged into a giant crack in the shale, lies the barnacle encrusted shipwreck of the Admiral Von Trump.

As a subject, the shipwreck truly comes alive at sunrise. If the horizon is unobstructed by clouds, then once the sun crests it will illuminate the bow of the wreck, casting a golden hue on it’s textured surface that contrasts beautifully against the inky-blue rocks that serve as its resting place.

Access to the wreck is very reliant on the tide height, be extremely careful with this part of the beach. Read more on the tides down below on When To Go.

Composing around the wreck can be a challenge. Careful placement is key as the wreck’s twisted form crosses the horizon, and can easily intrude onto either of the Nabs which flank it. Be sure to take your time framing up positioning the wreck to minimise any overlapping with the looming figures of Black and Saltwick Nab.

The wreck is actually quite small, meaning you need to get in close to give it presence in your frame. It requires a wide-angle lens somewhere between 14-35mm typically leaving you only a few feet away from the bow.

The wreck is such an enticing photographic subject and it attracts a lot of photographers attention — it’s probably the most popular subject in Saltwick Bay. As this spot enjoys widespread popularity, arriving early is crucial to securing your desired perspective.

South Batts

Shortly before you arrive at the foot Black Nab you’ll pass a small cove opposite the alum mine caves in the cliffs.

This area, known as the South Batts, is littered with huge boulders that have tumbled off the cliffs and scattered like so many dice across the hard shale of the bay.

Time and tide have hewn the boulders' surface into brain coral-like textures making them intriguing subjects.

It can be a challenge to find compositions here, there’s a lot of overlapping elements to work around but it’s an intriguing part of the geology of the bay and worthy of exploration.

Early in the Spring, the sunset strikes these boulders wonderfully, the sidelight enhancing their texture and turning their colour from drab brown to a fiery orange; a lovely contrast against the black of the bedrock.

This location is very close to The Nab and the shipwreck, and they can all be shot in conjunction though I'd advise shooting these rocks last if the tide is incoming.

This cove fills in fast, much faster than the area around the Nab and the wreck, so it’s easy to get cut off if you venture further South when the tide is already getting high here.

North Batts

The humpback whale-like form of Saltwick Nab stretches out from the cliffs at the North end of the bay.

At it’s base is an area known as the North Batts, a vast flat shelf adorned with countless rocks of varied shape, texture and form all of which make great photographic subjects.

Looking Southward, Black Nab is visible in the distance rising stoically from the waters of the bay. Black Nab gives a real sense of scale to the towering cliffs and you can see the geological forces that have been at work, the Nab the sole surviving remnant of a much longer stretch of land.

Being exceptionally flat, the North Batts wet the bedrock acts like a mirror, creating intense reflections that pick up the colour of and texture in the sky at golden hour.

It’s a great sunrise spot as it faces South Easterly, from October to March the sun rises directly behind the Nab and cliffs which makes the far east section of the Batts, nearest the sea directly opposite an attractive location. In Spring and Summer the sun moves out to sea so the section, and you’ll to move further toward the beach and pier to have it in frame.

The North Batts hold an added advantage over Black Nab and the shipwreck, which are cut off in all but low tide. Unlike those locations, these alluring rocks remain accessible at higher tides, providing photographers with unparalleled opportunities to capture the essence of this rugged coastal terrain.

The Alum Pier

In the centre of the bay, opposite the path to the cliffs, is a crude man-made pier built from the bay’s boulders.

It is all that remains of the 17th Century alum quarries that were a dominant feature of the bay's past; boats used to dock at this pier (and another which can be seen near Black Nab) to collect the alum from the cliffside quarries. 

A small beach sits between the pier and this jumble of rocks, which can be a great spot to find texture and patterns carved in the sand from an outgoing tide. 

The pier can also be used as a handy vantage point if the tide is a bit higher than you anticipated, to walk out on and use the curve of the bay as a leading line toward Black Nab, but be careful as the boulders are slippery and uneven.

Difficulty

Rated 3 / 5

The biggest challenge here is the tide.

Always consult a tide table before you go. It’s all too easy to get cut off here, and the steep cliffs leave no exit points — the way down from the holiday park is the only way out.

Pay extra care when visiting the Admiral Von Trump shipwreck and pancake rocks around Black Nab. The cove just before this area by the alum mines is very shallow and fills in very quickly, and the wreck and the Nab stay above water for a lot longer meaning you might be dry there, but cut off when leaving.

Generally, the bay is best shot on the outgoing tide for safety reasons, which also means the rocks will be wet and have more vibrancy, texture and interest.

The vast majority of the cove is a slick black rock that is slippery as ice to walk on dry or wet, I’ve fallen many a time and consider myself sure footed.

The cliffs are also considered unstable, especially around the North end of the bay. Stand still long enough and you will hear the clattering of loose shale and rocks landing on the hard surface of the jet. Going anywhere near the cliffs to access the North Batts should be treated with caution.