Northumberland - best places to visit

[holmessweetholmes]

I've been wanting to go to Northumberland for ages! Have booked a cottage in Seahouses for me, dh and dc (6 and 9) in the Easter holidays.

Aside from Lindisfarne, which we will definitely visit, where else shouldn't be missed?

Thanks!

[3nationsfamily]

Take a boat trip to the Farne Islands and see the puffins and seals. Visit Alnwick Castle and do the Harry Potter tour. Rummage around the Bargain Books 2nd hand bookshop in Alnwick. Visit Bamburgh Castle and then fly kites on the beach. Beach bonfire. Fish and chips. Coastal walk path www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6907

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

All of the above plus Dunstanburgh castle, Berwick upon Tweed is worth the drive as is Hadrians Wall. If the weathers good, the beach at Warkworth is lovely. Great sand dunes.

When you go to Lindisfarne, you can walk all around the island which is well worth it if your children can cope. The far side of the island is much quieter and we saw seals just off the coast. The castle is small but worth a visit if you have NT membership. The priory is very interesting.

Can't recommend the drive to Hadrians Wall enough. We parked and walked a mile or so along the wall to Housesteads roman fort and back. It was brilliant, our children loved it.

[AmandaTanen]

We went to heatherslaw light railway, pot a doodle doo and the chain bridge honey farm. It's a lovely area and we are keen to go back.

[feesh]

Druridge Bay, it's simply stunning. Also if you want a bit of civilisation, take a day trip to Newcastle and then visit Tynemouth for a look around and dinner.

[hrpufnstuf]

If you go to Alnwick Castle, make sure you find time to play in the water gardens - loads of fun but take a change of clothes for the DC as some of the fountains do unexpected things (and that's all I'm telling you !)

Low Newton by the Sea has a lovely beach with a great pub, and further along the coast at Craster, the smokehouse sells traditional kippers and other delicious fishy things for tea.

Most of the beaches along that part of the coast are stunning, but the one under Bamburgh Castle - as 3nations says - is off the scale. Huge flat expanses to run around on and then sand dunes to explore as well.

Have a wonderful time, it is a very special county.

[Follyfoot]

Lovely Northumberland...

In addition to the above, you could go to Warkworth Castle. Its a lovely village and although the castle is ruined, its still really interesting with a great audio tour and they can clamber all over the place.

Vindolanda would be a really good trip out too. If you go to Alnwick, you could take them to the treehouse for lunch, am sure they would love that.

[BossWitch]

Seconding the suggestion for the Ship Inn at Low Newton, good place for lunch and had micro brewery on site which does pretty tasty beer.

Spurelli in Amble for really amazing ice cream!

Cragside is a really good nt house.

[holmessweetholmes]

Oooh - that all sounds fab! Thanks! And I didn't realise there was an actual Harry Potter tour - we are big fans. Brilliant.

[3nationsfamily]

There are even broomstick lessons www.alnwickcastle.com/events/63/broomstick-training

[VivaLeBeaver]

Cragside is lovely. Interesting house and I can't normally be bothered with such like. Great grounds.

[ThisFenceIsComfy]

Vindolanda and the Roman Army museum are wonderful! I love Northumberland

[Lagoonablue]

I am from the North East and have to say it is beautiful. All my suggestions are already on this thread so basically just seconding them.

Would say that Seahouses is very much a traditional seaside place but Bamburgh and Alnmouth are much quieter beaches. Not that you will be do much swimming!

Have a great time. It is so unspoilt and relatively quiet even at holiday times.

[ozymandiusking]

Cragside is fabulous. I think it was the first or one of the first houses to have electricity. And, an excellent collection of pre Raphelite paintings.
Well worth a visit

[susannahmoodie]

Alnwick castle and gardens

Barter books in Alnwick

Walk across dunes to Ross Sands

Bamburgh- little grace darling museum and climb up to the picnic bench on the dunes

Warkworth castle and river walk

Walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh

Farne Island boat trip

Fish and chips in seahouses

Tat shop- farne gifts in seahouses - kids will love it!

Shopping in Morpeth or Corbridge

Day trip to quayside in Newcastle

Cragside/wallington/seaton deleval hall/gibside if in NT

belsay hall if in Eng heritage

[holmessweetholmes]

Great - am making notes! We are outdoorsy types with an energetic dog, so I'm looking forward to some lovely seaside walks (and some culture too). Won't be swimming (well, dh might, but more fool him!). We live in Cumbria, so not exactly used to balmy weather...

[bryte]

We went last year, DC 11 and 8. They especially loved Warkworth Castle and Cragside.

[Toomanyexams]

Love, love, love Northumberland!

Lots of great suggestions up thread. I'd add a day trip to Keilder Forest for biking. Either bring your own bikes or rent them there. It's a lovely day with the kids to ride along the lake and enjoy the play areas.

[mistlethrush]

Bamburgh and walk along the beach. In fact, walk to Bamburgh from Seahouses - the tearoom does nice lunches and walk back in the afternoon!

[dontaskforthe99]

Langley Ford in the Cheviots, do a spot of hill walking and dam a stream, Swallows fish shop in Seahouses, ask to see the kipper smoking sheds, lovely dressed crab too. Bamburgh is charming, find the steep sand dunes and use your plastic bobsleighs to hurtle down. Barter Books Alnwick. Walk along the beach from Seahouses to Bamburgh have a pub lunch and get the bus back. Buckets and spades will be needed and you should go rock pooling at low tide. Northumberland is my favourite place in the whole world and you will wish you had booked a fortnight even if the weather is crap which it often is.

[holmessweetholmes]

Ooh - good call about the plastic sledges the dc would love that! Thanks for all your suggestions everyone .

[hrpufnstuf]

If you're in Cumbria (we are too) you can start having that holiday feeling within an hour of leaving home if you take the Military Road B6318 cross country rather than the boring A66 or A69.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Road_(Northumberland)

It's a lovely drive with great views and lots of historic sites.

Going to need our own trip to Northumberland now talking about all of this!

[J62]

All of the above also there is a sports centre at Alnwick with swimming pool ; bouldering climbing wall and sports hall where we have spent many a happy rainy day. Wallington is our favourite National Trust property with house, walled garden , playground and lake where we saw a red squirrel and heron. Have a lovely time

[holmessweetholmes]

Ooh - didn't realise there were a couple more posts. Thanks all!