Northumberland - where to go, where to eat

[TheTurn0fTheScrew]

It's my annual thread to scavenge for holiday tips (The Scotsnetters played a blinder last year). We've booked a holiday cottage in Alnwick - right in town proper - and I'd love recommendations of things to do. DC are 11 and 15. We all like the beach, a good hike (if there's a tearoom or pub enroute all the better), and eating lots. DC1 and I like shopping, art, and museums.

We've a car and don't mind driving a bit while we're there. I'd appreciate restaurant recommendations in particular so we don't need to resort to tripadvisor. thank you!

Barter books!!!

The Running Fox in Felton (or one of their other locations but the Felton one is the original and lovely).

Alnwick Gardens

If you like shopping art and museums head to Newcastle for the day - the Baltic Art Gallery is excellent. The Laing is good and is getting ready for the lindesfarne gospels.

the discovery museum and the Hancock are also good.

All of those are free!

We hired paddleboards at Beadnell last year. Alnwick gardens is great. Boat trip to the Farne Islands seal spotting. In Bamburgh there is a lovely walked garden with a pizzeria.

School Yard Pizza in the Old School House Art Gallery yard in Alnmouth (take away wood fired pizza in boxes and eat on the beach)

Lollo Rossa Italian in Morpeth

The Old Boathouse in Amble

The Jolly Fisherman in Craster, and walk to Dunstanburgh Castle

Yes to Barter Books for brunch or lunch

Have just had a week in Northumberland in a holiday cottage very close to Alnwick.
Things that we did.
Day on Bamburgh beach.
Bamburgh castle.
Alnwick for Barter books, mooch round town and then Alnwick gardens.
Lovely circular walk from Craster ending with fresh crab sandwiches in the pub.
Holy Island. Got there early and did another two hour circular walk, quick wander round the village and then hot footed it back across the causeway - definitely check the tide times.

Following this as we are also staying in Alnwick in August!!!

Enjoy! Northumberland is beautiful.

Alnwick Castle if you have Harry Potter fans.

If you fancy driving then pop to Blanchland. Beautiful scenery and an amazing pub called the Lord Crew Arms. I'm a local and just discovered this place (shamefully) this year. It is wonderful.

Ooh and...

Farne Islands by boat

Newton Beach is lovely and the Joiners Arms pub nice for lunch

Have a look at the North East Family Fun blog. Loads of recommendations on there.

We've just come back from Northumberland but we stayed a little further north. If you are venturing that way I can definitely recommend the Jolly Fisherman in Craster (best to book for evening) and the Black Swan in Seahouses (only opened a couple of weeks ago so may not have many reviews yet). The food in both was excellent. We also had a dab lunch at Carnaby's in Brownieside which is just a little cafe off the A1 but had lovely home made quiche and salads and cakes.

Not a restaurant but the kippers from Swallow Fish Smokery in Seahouses were amazing.

I'd also recommend Serenity boat trips in Seahouses. Friendly and knowledgeable crew and they even stayed out beyond the end of our cruise so we could see the dolphins.

Park at Craster and walk through Dunstanbrough Castle to low Newton. Have lunch at Ship Inn.

Also second joiners Arms at high Newton for a meal

Park at Craster and walk through Dunstanbrough Castle to low Newton. Have lunch at Ship Inn.

Also second joiners Arms at high Newton for a meal

Pizza place in Seahouses.

It's called Elan. Also The Links. Not a looker from the street but food is excellent.

We stayed self catering in Sea Houses a couple of years ago.

Bamburgh Castle as has already been mentioned (buy enough parking in the public car park or you will get ticketed. Speaking from experience)

The pubs in Bamburgh village are nice, especially The Victoria. The walk along the beach towards Bamburgh from Sea Houses is good.

Didn't see the Grace Darling museum 'coz Covid. Grace Darling rescued several shipwrecked sailors by rowing to their rescue at night during a storm. There's a twilight boat trip which traces the route and you will also see seals along the route. I missed out on this.

The church where she's buried is interesting too. There's a full size tableaux of coffin bearers in the church which I don't think has anything to do with Grace Darling. To me it looked really creepy.

We took a day trip to Linisfarne/Holy Island. Very good but as has been mentioned keep an eye on the tide timetable and don't take any chances.

Alnwick castle, Gardens and Holy Island are all worth a visit (both the castle and gardens have summer activities most days).

Barter Books is a must if you like reading (and take along any books you’ve finished with for credits which you can use to buy more books or in the cafe). The cafe and ice cream parlour is also very good.

Cragside (NT) in nearby Rothbury is lovely and well worth a visit to the house and gardens.

All the nearby beaches are gorgeous, Alnmouth is just down the road, and there are lots of castles to choose from - one of my favourites is Warkworth which is complete and compact.

Newcastle is worth a day out for shopping, museums, galleries, food and a wander round the quayside.

I’ve never been but Ford & Etal (two neighbouring villages linked by a train line) is supposed to be a very good day out.

I’d second The Jolly Fisherman and Joiners Arms for food.

Can't land on the Farnes at the mo (avian flu) but the boat "cruise" is still very much worthwhile if you're at all interested in wildlife!

Careful with boat tours/Lindisfarne etc. Due to bird flu there scooping up dead birds by the 1000s and loads of areas aren't open now

this is great, you're all marvellous. I shall get googling and may make a reservation or two

obviously avian flu not great. but thumbs up to the rest

I was a little worried before going with my DD a couple of weeks ago, but there was still a lot of birdlife around, as well as the seal colony, and we didn't see any dead birds.

If you like castles, Warkworth is (for me) the perfect blend of ruined and intact. (Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh are at either end of the scale!)