My Staycation in Northumberland
I stayed in Warkworth, a small village located a mile or so inland along the River Coquet complete with its own castle. It was a good base to explore the surrounding area.
During the week I walked various sections of the Northumberland Coastal Path – it stretches for 100km from Cresswell in the south to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north – and offers some of the best coastal walking in Europe. Day One was Warkworth to Alnmouth and the weather was gorgeous with blue sky and sunshine. I even dipped my toes in the sea although it was rather nippy (I had to remind myself it was the North Sea).
Another impressive coastal walk was from Seahouses north to Bamburgh Castle. For a lot of the walk along the beach you can’t actually see the castle which feels odd considering how large it is. When you approach the castle it’s very impressive and dominates the area and village.
A different view was experienced on a long walk from Newton by the Sea south to Craster via Dunstanburgh Castle and back again. The beaches all along were fabulous and I loved the view of the castle ruins as it looks like it’s melted against the hillside. Craster was the perfect spot for lunch before the walk back again.
The furthest south I ventured was to Druridge Country Park, Druridge Bay and south to Cresswell (the southern most point on the Northumberland Coastal Path). This beach was virtually deserted – social distancing made easy!
Another day I went on a two-hour boat trip to the Farne Islands from Seahouses. Unfortunately we were not able to land (due to current Covid restrictions) however it was still fascinating to see and watch all the wildlife on the islands – seals, puffins, razorbills, guillemots and gulls.
I also spent a day in Alnwick, visiting The Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle. Both were great and enjoyable. The fountain cascade is lovely and the walled garden had loads of beautiful flowers and interesting water features / sculptures dotted around. Plus I now know about poisonous plants after a visit to The Poison Garden. Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the UK (after Windsor Castle) and is home to the Percy family. It’s featured in lots of films and TV series so you might recognise bits if you’ve seen the first two Harry Potter films, Downtown Abbey or Blackadder.
During the week I enjoyed some lovely food and drink. Highlights were fish and chips at the seaside in Seahouses, afternoon tea in Bamburgh, fresh fish (seabass) at The Fish Shack in Amble, the famous crab sandwich at the Jolly Fisherman in Craster plus I also enjoyed two yummy ‘proper’ ice creams in Warkworth (at Morwick Dairy) and Spurreli in Amble. I took a few picnics when I was out and about walking on other days.
I would recommend Northumberland to anyone looking for some fresh air, exercise, big wide-open spaces, stunning beaches and history / heritage. I very much hope to return.