1Here is some information about history and nature walks in the region.
2They can be completed in less than a day
3and also be combined with a visit to Melby, a former coal mine now open to the public.
4The Marsden Coastal Walk is suitable for all the family as there are no strenuous climbs.
5The route begins at Marsden harbour,
6where there are hourly ferries to and from the beautiful Hooker Island, a great place for fishing.
7The walk covers part of the coastal path trail.
8As there are clear signposts all along the way, you don't even need to take a map with you.
9At one point, the route goes inland slightly
10and passes a castle built in the 1400s near to a now-vanished market town.
11The castle's now just a pile of stones but it's a great place to take photos,
12and fascinating information boards show what it once looked like.
13If you set off early, you can be back in time for midday.
14The Melby Heritage Walk is a great place to take photos, especially of the night sky.
15At certain times of the year, people come here from far and wide.
16They climb to the top of the valley and take pictures of the stars.
17In the daytime, it's completely different.
18As you hike through the dense woods in the valley bottom,
19the only things you'll hear are the sound of your own footsteps.
20At the highest point, you can stop to take in the views,
21and those with lots of energy can climb the tower that's situated where there was once a 17th century hunting lodge.
22The route continues along the tops of the hills and brings you back down to the starting point -
23the car park at Melby Coal Mine.
24Melby Coal Mine has been open to the public for 20 years and has won awards for its visitor experience.
25Many of the buildings around the mine are still standing and have been converted into display areas.
26Firstly, there's an exhibition showing the history of the mine,
27with many original black and white photos.
28To see that, you go from the car park, via a covered walkway to the Main Visitor Centre.
29Go through the ticket office to an area where there are lockers to leave heavy bags in,
30and where you can borrow raincoats.
31Beyond that room is the exhibition.
32There's a small bathhouse where miners used to wash after their shift underground.
33You can see that in the building directly to the north of the engine house.
34The boiler has gone from there now, but there are lines of tin baths on the stone floor.
35There's a display of early mining tools from the days before mechanisation.
36You can find that in a small L-shaped building in the middle of the northern boundary of the site.
37It's incredible to think how miners were able to use hand implements to cut through rock.
38The vehicle shed, where you can find wagons of different sizes,
39along with some of the hi-tech cutting machines that were in use until the mine closed,
40is in the southwest corner of the site, and can be accessed via a covered walkway.
41There is a field with ponies, which are always popular with children,
42on the north-eastern boundary of the site, not approached via a covered walkway.
43The other building to mention is the education centre.
44This is where school groups go when they visit the mine,
45but it's also accessible to the public as it contains a library and small gift shop.
46The centre is connected to the ticket office via a short section of covered walkway.