Can anyone help me plan a holiday in Northumberland please?

[LawrieMarlow]

My lovely mum has said she will pay for the DC and me to go away in the summer holidays to a cottage :)

Our requirements are these

1 week in a self catering cottage in Northumberland. Near the sea (would love to be very near)

Have been looking and like the look of Bamburgh but some of the cottages seem very expensive. Is there anywhere nearby that has accessible beach but is a bit cheaper?

I would like there to be 3 bedrooms (DC sleep in separate rooms and everyone gets more sleep that way. Am selfishly hoping for not too early getting up as H has recently left and so there is only going to be me).

Have looked at dates and week commencing 6th August seems the most likely. Budget is as near to £500 as possible which I feel may be a bit unrealistic but am hoping. Definitely no more than £750.

Can anyone help? :)

Bump

Morning bump :)

Seahouses cheaper than Bamburgh but not as twee. Beaches from Alnmouth up to Bamburgh are beautiful. Beadnell another one to look at. Can't recommend any individual cottages but can give you lots of advice on what to do.

You lucky thing. My mum comes from Warkworth, that often has nice places around to stay and has a fab castle at the top of the hill plus a great beach. It would be great for you.

Craste is great try looking for places round there. The Jolly Fisherman pub does the best crab sandwiches. Beach is not so sandy there.

I am feeling v homesick now all the way over in NZ, I have very very happy memories of the area.

Sorry I can't offer anything specific, we usually stayed with family.

If you look at Cottages4You via Mumsnet Discount Partners, you get 7% off.

I put your criteria in, there's a couple in Nwton-by-the-Sea for a bit off £750, and one in Ambel for around £530.

Here

Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, Holy Island, Alnwick are the jewels in the Northumberland crown. You need to look a bit south, possibly N into Scotland, or a little inland. Good luck! Northumberland is lovely, all of it, even the industrial south! Have a lovely time.

Sorry, Newton-by-the-Sea

Low-Newton- by -the- sea is fantastic. There is a great pub with a nice garden for kids-does the best crab salads and organic cider!

Alnmouth is also great-playground looking over the sea and lovely dunes

Alnmouth is on the beach, as is Newton by the sea. Craster is more of a harbour, but if your kids are older the walk past Dunstenborough castle to Newton beach is stunning. Warkworth is a beautiful village (my mum comes from there too!) and about 15 minutes walk/2 mins drive to beach-there is a caravan park nearer the beach, but it's not very um sophisticated!Not being mean (I have relatives there too), but Amble is not my idea of a holiday place! Alnwick is a large market town good for facilities and beautiful, but a short drive to the beach. Something at Boulmer or Beadnell might be nice as on beach. I know people that rented ouside Shilbottle on a farm (Shilbottle Farm?) and that's a short drive from Alnmouth. Embleton nice and short drive from sea.

DP and I stayed in Boulmer the summer before last. It has its own beach (some of it is very seaweedy, but there are gorgeous sandy coves too). Boulmer is brilliantly placed for walking up and down the coast to Dunstanborough Castle, Craster and other places people have already mentioned, as well as being quite handy for Alnwick and Newcastle. Can't give specific accommodation info as we stayed in a small studio flat, but if you haven't tried it already we booked through www.northumbria-cottages.co.uk

It is a beautiful part of the country. I'm so envious. Have a wonderful time!

defineme, we now live a 40 mins from Warkworth NZ! It is quite nice but not as good as the real thing! Do you know any Howlistons?

Hey Horopu- didn't realise you were a fellow Northumbrian! Although I'm from the other bit.

I've always wanted to stay at a little place called the Cove which is actually just over the border in Scotland. It's near Cockburnspath and there are a few cottages down by the little harbour. It's very isolated and you can see the crabs walking round the rock pools from above.

Well thelittlestkiwi it is my Mum and all her relatives that are from there, I am a SE London/Kent girl really. But when we do our Whakapapa at school I choose Cheviot for my mountain and Coquet or the Thames for my river.

Sorry for the hijack OP, all of Northumberland is fab, go to Howick Scar near Craster and find the bathing pool the Victorians cut in the rocks. We always fished for crabs in it.

Suddenly homesick.....

My river is the Tyne- I grew up in it!

I follow Beach Cottages on Twitter, they have cottages around Creswell which may be suitable.

P.S. I wouldn't recommend Amble either.

Thank you everyone - lots of things and places to think about :)

I'm going to PM you a link Lawrie, but would appreciate it if you would keep it under your hat!

Many thanks for the link :)