The best of Northumberland

Beaches

Embleton Bay is the best, no question.

Just two minutes from Embleton down the hill and along the aptly named Sea Lane, it is just the most perfect sandy crescent. Perched on a rocky outcrop at the southern end, Dunstanburgh Castle dominates the Bay. Fringed by big boy dunes, the bay is never crowded and feels timeless, it is simply poetic.

There are rivals to Embleton Bay though. Boulmer, Bamburgh, Budle and Beadnell are some local ones beginning with B, there are plenty more elswhere in the alphabet.

Keep an eye out for seals and dolphins, we often see them swimming along the coast.

Birdlife is simply abundant, the story book numbers of puffins on the Farnes, the fragile population of rare little terns that nest in protected areas just north, sea ducks and sandpipers, curlews and oystercatchers are small beer to the number of geese that seem to flock to our fields after Christmas!.

Things to Do

Tourists have long been drawn to this area by the many jewels along the coast.

The options are many - a boat trip to the seals, puffins and terns on the Farne Islands, walking along the pristine beaches under Bamburgh Castle, venture across the tidal causeway to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne but watch the tides, don’t get stranded by the tide that cuts off the island twice a day, every day!

If your passion is beautiful gardens then we have a litany of them… we love the garden and the 65 acre united nations arboretum at Howick Hall, originally scoped out by the Fifth Earl Grey.

The majesty of Alnwick Castle is in danger of being overcome by the topper Alnwick Garden with its funky elements like the poison garden, vast array of cherry trees and treehouse.

Wallington Hall and Cragside are National Trust treasures inland and south of us. Also there are a legion of big houses and gardens in the Borders, for romance Walter Scott’s Abbotsford is very hard to beat, for craft and art Marchmont is firmly on the map.

Buy Food, Eat Food

Let’s start at the coast! Local fish and seafood is superb and travels far and wide. Seafood lovers will delight at the freshest wildest salmon and trout supplied daily by local fisherman from Swallow Fish. Order fresh oysters for supper from the family-run Lindisfarne Oysters on beds set up by the monks on Holy Island the last but one millennia. They are found on top top menus across the country in oyster bars or very swanky restaurants. Step back in time again for the original and legendary oak-smoked kippers from Seahouses or Craster. Both still cure fish in the original smokehouses which are over 130 years old and both claim to be the legitimate originators.

For dining, Sea and Soil in Amble and The Potted Lobster in nearby Bamburgh are renowned for serving high quality local cuisine, best to call ahead. There are lots of good gastro pubs too, The Ship at Low Newton and the Pack Horse at Ellingham consistently deliver.

Enjoy lunch at Carnaby’s Café situated on the A1 at Brownieside, a day time eating place with a sprinkling of retail therapy available too. Eleanor’s Byre is just south of Embleton on the Craster Road, more retail than food, the cakes and coffee are hard to beat locally. No trip would be without a visit to Doddington Dairy’s Milk Bar in Wooler where young and old alike will delight at the vast range of freshly made ice creams on offer.

Castles

Good farming land and belligerent locals means there has long been fighting over the spoils in Northumberland - hence it has more castles than any other county in the country. The Vikings started it.

Step back in time and bag some castles, we have all flavours: ruined or restored? urban or inaccessible? film star or haunted? Here are three to start. (Duck Duck Go Northumberland Castles if you want more.)

Dunstanburgh Castle is located on a remote headland reached by stunning coastal path walks from the nearby village of Craster or via the incredible bay at Embleton. A favourite of JMW Turner and ours. A winner.

Bamburgh Castle was restored by the Victorian industrialist Lord Armstrong and is simply perfect, it lords it over the village and its super beach and dunes. Top end food, butcher, ice cream, cricket pitch, frisbee, beach, RNLI museum all sit in its shadow. Dogs are welcome and parking has just been extended. Bucket list castle.

Lindisfarne Castle, accessed from the mainland via a causeway at low tide. It is a picture perfect 16th century castle perched atop a rocky outcrop on Holy Island on the Northumberland Coast. Lutyens (of the bench) restored it when commissioned by the founder of Country Life, it looks a lot lot bigger than it is inside. Silly not to. Cute Gertude Jekyll walled garden too.