Amble

[ukholidayhelpplease]

Hi all! Looking at UK holidays for next year, big enough accommodation for 8 people (6 adults and 2 children) and 2 dogs. 2 cars so need appropriate parking.

Have come across a nice place in Amble. Has anyone been or does anyone live there? Is it nice? What is there to do there?

Thank you!

It used to be a lovely village but there's next to nothing there now. Basically a bit of dump with Turkish barbers, literally only a handful of shops. Also no beach if you wanted seaside vibes.

Have a look at Alnwick 15 miles away or if you want tiny village vibes, Warkworth is about 1 mile away and very picturesque.

@KnittyKnottythanks so much for that! Definitely looking for a beach and some seaside vibes as will have a 6 year old and an 18 month old. Will check out the other two places!

We stayed in Amble the first time we visited Northumberland and have done a few stays there. It’s a small coastal town. There isn’t much of a beach but it’s a sweet little place with easy access to lots of other places. We would normally do a lot of walks. They’ve got a beautiful country park fairly near to Amble, the harbour is sweet and they have the shacks selling things. You’ve got a lot of beautiful beaches and walks. You can also do boat trips. There’s a really lovely Icecream parlour called Morwicks not far from Amble. You’ve got Tesco express in Amble and Morrison’s just on the edge of it. It really depends on what you like doing.

We’ve got teens now so tend to stay more around the Tynemouth area.

Alnwick doesn't have a beach but it is only a few miles drive to several. And, it has nice shops, supermarkets etc.(best 2nd hand bookshop in the world imo!)

You can walk to the beach from Warkworth village but only if you like walking as its probably a good half mile, car park right at the beach though. Also Alnmouth which is right on the beach.

I haven't been for years but my favourite beach in that area was Boulmer as it had loads of rock pools but obviously the coast doesn't stay the same so might be different now.

Amble, as others have said, is pretty but there’s not a lot to do. Alnwick is a small town with far more going on, and Warkworth is also worth a look.

We like Whitby vibes really, but I suppose this isn't the place. We were just after trying somewhere new, a max of 3/4 hours away from Lancashire. We would like enough there to entertain a 6 year old, and a nice beach is a must really!

Thank you @WildturnipI will do a bit more research on the place.

You could easily get to Druridge Bay from Amble it’s about 10 minutes in the car. It has an absolutely gorgeous beach and next to it is a country park with a lovely walk around the lake and also some play equipment. It’s one of my favourite places to visit. You’ve got a few nature reserves around there as well. You’ve got Alnmouth beach that’s about 12 minutes away in the car. If you want somewhere a bit busier you could also look at Morpeth there’s quite a lot there.

I wouldn’t say it’s the worst place to stay. The town is a little dated but there’s a few nice places to eat and if you’re happy to drive, it’s pretty easy to get about. Having been to Whitby I’d say it’s a bit quieter. It’s not majorly seasidey though.

if you are up northumberland a visit to holy island is a must . Beautiful beaches there . I would stay at seahouses . Amble is nice but seahouses is better

@Wildturnipthat's brilliant thank you!

@Idontlikedogsandyesidostillhaveaheartthank you I'll check out Seahouses! I do think I've seen a couple of properties there.

Seahouses is a better location I think . You can do a boat trip to see the puffins etc . It’s Right next to Bamburgh (which has been voted the best beach in the world) and not far from holy island , Berwick etc

Alnwick gardens is fantastic and lillidoeri there is brilliant for little ones

We had a week in Amble earlier this year. It’s not got as much going for it as say Whitby or Alnwick, but there is a nice harbour with some cute little stalls ( ddog loved the smorgasbord one, sorry dog treat shop) and a couple of nice restaurants. It was a lot cheaper to stay because of location and we had some good day trips.

Can second Druridge Bay. Excellent spacious beach, the country park, nature reserve.Think the area used to be a heavy mining area but the 'coal board' landscaped it donkeys years ago and you can't tell. Nothing like Whitby though! Bit like Sandsend though (no arcades) but more sandy. Easy to travel to other locations from there as well.

We stayed in Amble a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. There is a little harbour beach which we really enjoyed, a park a little further along the cliff and the little hut shops and a small car boot on a Sunday.

We used it as a base and visited the Metro centre in Newcastle, Whitley Bay and Alnwick while we were there. We didn’t find a proper seaside village though like Whitby with Arcades etc.

Seahouses is a nice place and we went visited there on a day trip. Close to Bamburgh and you could do the coastal walk. Because we’ve got teens we’ve found some bits of Northumberland a bit too rural.

I visited Whiby with my mum last year and I’m not sure you’ll find anything that will completely compare. Someone else has mentioned Whitley Bay which might tick the boxes. Arcades, a beach, you can head to Tynemouth for the market. Plus Northumberland is still accessible.

I’m a huge fan of Northumberland. It’s a really beautiful area.

Have you considered Wales if you wanted to look away from Northumberland?

I think Alnmouth is nicer, small village right on the beach with a couple of pubs and local shops. BUT there's nothing at the beach apart from sometimes an ice cream van in the car park, so it's not really like Whitby. Seahouses is probably your best option for that sort of vibe. We've rented through this company a couple of times. Northumbria Coast and Country Cottages | Northumberland Cottages
Or Whitley Bay might suit. It's very much still Newcastle suburbs than rural Northumberland but the promenade and beach area is great.

Thanks everyone! Going to have a look at these, probably next week when it's not half term 🫠

@Wildturniphappy for any other recommendations. Where abouts in Wales? Will look anywhere that isn't Cornwall (too far to drive really with my youngest)