Towns & Villages

• Alnwick – The beautiful, historic market town of Alnwick has quickly become one of the country’s top tourist destinations and that’s because there is so much to see and do. It has a large number of attractions including museums, galleries and a magnificent castle. There has been a castle recorded on the site for 1000 years. For the last 700 years, Alnwick Castle has been home to the Percy family. It is simply stunning and it remains one of the largest inhabited castles in the UK. Combine this with a visit to Alnwick Garden. An inspiring landscape with beautiful gardens, unique features – including an enormous Treehouse and Poison Garden – and amazing architecture, all brought to life with water.
• Beadnell – Beadnell village is set at the end of a glorious stretch of beach known as Beadnell Bay. It is well known as one of the best equipped places in the County for watersports, with the beach lending itself well to surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, sailing and scuba diving. It has the only west-facing harbour entrance on the east coast of England. With views of Dunstanburgh Castle, walk south along the beach, dunes and bays to Newton by-the-sea and have lunch in the Ship Inn at Low Newton or walk up to High Newton and visit the Joiner’s Inn.
• Craster – Most famous for it’s kippers (cured herring) and as the access point to Dunstanburgh Castle. It is named after the Craster family who had held the estate since 1272. The harbour was built to commemorate the death of a family member and the memorial is still visible on the harbour wall. Dunstanburgh Castle is most easily accessible from Craster but note that there is still a walk of about a mile along the coast before reaching it. It is a great place for the food lover to visit. Try Robson’s Smokehouse (world famous for their kippers and the recently refurbished Jolly Fisherman.
• Embleton – Perhaps most famous for the amazing Embleton Bay, a gloriously wide sandy beach that seems to stretch for miles into the distance situated approximately half a mile from the village itself. The majestic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle provide the dramatic backdrop to this beautiful bay. Embleton village is ancient and has records dating back beyond the War of the Roses and has a 12th Century Norman Church. There is a wonderful children’s play park with picnic benches.
• Newton by-the-Sea – Low Newton … almost completely owned by the National Trust it has an open ended square of beautiful white-washed cottages looking out onto the glorious sandy beach. In the centre of this square is The Ship Inn (it is said there has been a pub here since the 1700’s) which serves an excellent range of sandwiches and meals. The walk from Craster to Low Newton that takes in Dunstanburgh Castle has featured in the Guardian Newspaper’s top ten walks in the UK. High Newton … walk up the hill into High Newton and enjoy great food in a great atmosphere at the Joiner’s Arms.
• Seahouses – Saunter along the bustling harbour of this colourful fishing village and browse in the many shops in this popular seaside holiday resort. There are many restaurants to choose from and great pubs too. Enjoy a fish and chips lunch and then take the children crazy golfing, try the Olde Ship Hotel for real ale and a wonderful atmosphere.Board a trip bound for the Farne Islands, one of the UK’s top wildlife experiences. See the 23 species of seabirds, including around 37,000 pairs of puffin. Perhaps you’ll see an Atlantic grey seal or two too! Many beautiful parts of Britain can boast of privileged views from their coastal footpaths but Seahouses has a unique distinction: there is a spot where the Northumberland Coast Path crosses Seahouses Golf Course from which it is possible to see THREE castles and TWO working lighthouses.
• Warkworth – Warkworth is a beautiful, quaint old Northumbrian Village almost completely surrounded by a loop in the River Coquet. At one end of the Village sat atop the hill is the stunning ruin of Warkworth Castle (an English Heritage site) and at the other sits the parish Village church of St Lawrence. The castle was once home to the Percy family who now live in Alnwick Castle. The Village itself has thankfully been left almost untouched by modern life and tourism. In between the Castle and the Church are many Inns, upmarket shops and galleries, gift shops and tea rooms.