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Holiday in Northumberland?

14 replies

Liskey · 12/03/2012 18:09

Looking at having a holiday later this year in Northumberland as DD who's 2 keeps saying she wants to see the seaside and we want to see her face when she she's the sea for real Wink

Has anyone any recommendations? DH was looking at a village called East Allerdean which i think is about 4 miles south of Berwick-Upon-Tweed but I was looking at Beadnell which is about 25 miles further south and closer to Alnwick?

Alternatively anyone got any recommendations which DD would enjoy (apart from rock pooling and walking on the beach which i think she'll love).

Thanks

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Downbytheocean · 12/03/2012 20:15

Beadnell is lovely, i would definitely stay there over Berwick. It is the perfect location, just down the road from bamburgh which has a fab beach, castle and lovely pubs. Seahouses is tacky but good for ice cream and fish and chips or to take a boat to the farne islands to see the puffins. Newton by the sea is another lovely bay, the ship pub is supposed to be excellent. Dunstanburgh and craster are also nice places to visit. Definitely visit holy island for a wander round and up to the castle, its beautiful. A trip to Alnwick and the gardens if the weather isn't too good or a visit to berwick to walk round the Walls, although I wouldn't make a special trip to berwick, i found it quite dull. Depending on age of your children then conundrum farm just north of Berwick is nice to visit and feed the animals if the weather isn't great at the coast. We stay near bamburgh a few times a year, I love Northumberland!

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Downbytheocean · 12/03/2012 20:19

Meant to say my ds is almost 3 and its the perfect location to keep him entertained, seahouses has all you need to get stocked up if you self cater. I would love to buy a holiday home in beadnell one day. Hope you enjoy.

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bumbums · 12/03/2012 20:24

We have a holiday cottage in Seahouses and we love it! It has everything you need for a fun family holiday. The beaches around Bamburgh are breathtaking.
As Downbytheocean said, there's Alnwick for the castle and the gardens, a day for each if the weather is good. And we love Craster (great crab or kipper sandwiches at cafe) and the walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh is lovely.
All of it!!

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7PlusQuestion · 12/03/2012 20:30

Conundrum Farm is LOVELY and has fabulous views of the sea while you're feeding the animals - takes your breath away on a sunny day (and that's just the adults...my DS was in heaven!). If you're Berwick way it is also worth taking a trip to do the Ford and Etal railway. On a wet day, the leisure centre in Berwick will fill some time and has a small soft play as well as a nice toddler area in the pool and there's a pot painting place (pot-a-doodle-doo?? somewhere nearby IIRC). YY to Bamburgh, Alnwick Gardens, Holy Island etc etc. Gorgeous.

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puds11 · 12/03/2012 20:38

all the places mentioned are lovely. Duridge bay is also a lovely beach. Holy island is a must if its a first time visit, but remeber to check tide times carefully. Whitehouse farm near morpeth is a lovely day out, and morpeth is a nice place to have a look around. Has a park with paddeling pool and a river with ducks and boats to hire.

Belsey hall and kirkley hall are also very nice places to visit.

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Liskey · 12/03/2012 21:41

Cheers for that - can't wait to go on holiday! Now I and Dh have to try and agree on a cottage.......

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PotteringAlong · 12/03/2012 21:44

A beautiful part of the country!

If you're driving up then beamish museum is well worth a day out too (in chester-le-street) and durham's also fab fir a wander if you need a lunch stop in your way up.

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submarine · 13/03/2012 20:20

we stayed in beadnell last summer and we cant wait to go agan this year.

we love the beach and the fact the holiday lets are within walking distance from the beach. I would recommend going for one of the more modern holiday houses as they are 2 min walk, great for nipping back for the loo, lunch , forgotten things etc.

It is a good location for easy access to some wondeful places

Embleton has a wonderful playpark

there is a great beach at the opposite end of Dunstanburgh castle from craster ( Im not a fan of craster, nothing specific!) and a lovely walk to the castle from there.

Bamburgh is lovely, theres a great deli which does brilliant pies and sausage rolls!

Seahouses is ok but I personallly found it a bit of a tourist trap, but the kids love the big souvineer shop and the ice cream shop, and we like the Indian restaurant!

If you go for beadnell I would recommend either you take most of your food or organise a supermarket delivery as there it is very limited for food choice, seahouses has I think its a coop but its quite limited and we found it ran out of bread, fruit etc if you didnt get there early enough.

can you tell I love my food!

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Liskey · 13/03/2012 21:38

I can agree with that! I'm planning on taking the bread machine so i can have warm fresh bread in the morning.

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tadjennyp · 27/03/2012 21:44

Dh (who is from near Berwick) says he hopes Beadnell won over East Allerdean! But this thread is quite old so you've probably booked it already. Sorry!

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Bunbaker · 27/03/2012 22:19

Where to start. OH is from Northumberland and we go to visit family several times a year. It is a brilliant place for a holiday. The only negative is that the weather can be unpredictable.

There are loads of National Trust properties to visit. Kielder is a bit far from everywhere so I wouldn't recommend staying there unless you are happy to spend a lot of time in the car.

Places to visit:
Bamburgh - castle and Grace Darling museum
Dunstanburgh and Craster
Morpeth
Alnwick and the castle garden (the castle itself is poor valur for money but the garden is fab
Alnmouth
Cragside (the jewel in Northumberland's crown IMO)
Wallington
Housesteads and Vindolanda
Chillingham Castle
Belsay Castle
Warkworth Castle
Druridge Bay or any of the coastline
Woodhorn Colliery
Holy Island (check tide times)
Ingram valley
Ford and Etal
Hatherslaw mill and light railway

If the weather is nice a boat trip to the Farne islands is a must (from Seahouses)

I'm sure I have left loads out, but there is loads and loads to see and do in Northumberland.

I would either stay on the coast or somewhere central between Morpeth and Alnwick if you want to visit all these places.

Apart from the A1 the roads aren't too busy either.

I posted this on the other Northumberland thread as well.

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overthemill · 03/04/2012 21:44

all of its lovely, try bamburgh (we stayed budle bay in self catering, wonderful) and also in belford. friends use newton i think

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Liskey · 07/06/2012 18:01

Thanks to everyone who posted! We've got back now Beadnell did win and it was gorgeous. Dh has said next time he'd like to stay in Bamburgh as he liked the beach there so much.

Beach at Bamburgh was gorgeous - though wouldn't recommend the castle as it was more of a stately home feel.

We visited a honey farm - W.S Robson's which was nice and had tea on the red bus they have there - DD loved that and was very impressed by the chicken's they have there. But she was most impressed by the seaside - we're now planning our future holidays up there!

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PotteringAlong · 07/06/2012 18:05

Glad you enjoyed our part of the world :o

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