Northumberland - well worth a visit

[gatvol]

It is about 30 years since I last went.

It is well worth going. I will be back for sure. Beautiful scenery, national park, lots of roman remains like Hadrians Wall, numerous old forts, very good density of national trust and English heritage sites. Superb, quiet roads for cycling. Proper English villages with independent shops, village greens, riverside pubs ..... The coastal spots aren't crammed with chippies and amusement arcades to the extent they are in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk. Far less congestion than in these places too.

Good value with lots of free parking in the towns (as opposed to Whitby in Yorkshire which today was £2 for 2 hours or £5 for 6 hours). I felt welcomed by the Northumberland authorities as opposed to merely being a target for a fleecing.

And most refreshingly - low population density. What an absolute joy compared to the Midlands and Yorkshire which are my usual domain. It just showed me how horribly overcrowded this island is becoming. My own village has been ruined by greedy folk and stupid councils catalysing a once beautiful spot to be carpet bombed with ever more new houses, despite being in a so called conservation area. Northumberland seems to have largely escaped this curse.

 

[magmil]

It sounds fab. Living in the SE is great, but sometimes it's good to hear of destinations which ring the changes from the mayhem.

It's so easy to get to the continent from here that I neglect the North. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[veg_frenzy]

We were there 30 yrs ago also, but are planning another visit in the next month or so.

 

[gatvol]

A few possible spots ...

Bellingham campsite . Lovely site with good facilities 10 mins walk from the village which has nice independent shops, pubs etc. you are in serene, open countryside with simply fantastic roads for cycling or just taking in the views.
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co ... bellingham

Hexham is a nice large town

Rothbury is a lovely little town that feels genuinely English. When we were there there was even a folk music festival and Morris dancers. Stream running through it, village green etc

Near Rothbury is Cragside, a superb national trust spot with huge grounds, maze, fantastic house, miles of walks and cycling on a quiet private road. The guy who built it was a Victorian industrialist who invented the hydraulic crane so the house is filled with technical marvels and massive Victorian engineering, it was the first house in the uk to be powered by hydroelectricity, One of the best National Trust places I have been to.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside/

Bamburgh is on the coast and has an iconic castle used in many films that was rebuilt by the same wealthy industrialist. This is an awesome sight - a castle on cliffs overlooking the sea, but was a bit overpriced in my opinion. BUT there is a truly superb butcher in the village. The pastry on his pies is as good as any I have had anywhere in the UK.
http://www.bamburghcastle.com/visitors.php

Seahouses is a few miles from Bamburgh and offers boat trips to the Farne Islands. This was quite frankly the best £15 I have spent on any UK holiday activity. A three hour trip round the islands right up to cliffs with breeding seabirds. We saw a minke whale which was circling our boat. You get off for an hour to walk round a National Trust island that is teeming with breeding terns and puffins. We used this boat company which has a catamaran so presumably a bit smoother ..
http://farneislandstours.co.uk/our-tours/

Lindisfarne (holy island) is beautiful and offers the novelty of a causeway that is impassable when the tide rises. There Would have been an awesome spot for calis to park BUT YOU CANT STAY THERE OVERNIGHT, which was a real shame. Parking here quite pricey.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

I remember a great fish and chip shop in Seahouses, hope it's still there.

Tip for Whitby, go in the winter - parking is free

 

[teeboy]

Good info Gatvol.

I think I am in the majority of people who always like the idea of going to Northumberland - I have heard of great beaches, castles and space! But like the majority I end up thinking - if I am going that far I may as well go to another country.

Saying that just had a week in North wales and that was ace.

So much to see and only one Cali

T

 

[gatvol]

I get it, for many years I just felt that abroad was the way to go too.

Somehow tony Blair, political correctness and a London centric media managed to brainwash us that everything about England other than London is crap. Foreign is miles better. Foreign laws, foreign courts. The more foreign it can be, the better. British people are crap so the more foreigners we get the better. British culture crap. British food is crap. British traditions are crap .....

I have English and foreign friends who live in London who would never dream of going north of London under any circumstances whatsoever - other than flying perhaps to Edinburgh or Dublin. Because London is fab, but England is just crap, isn't it ?. All they hear is how crap the North is. And they take Prozac because they can't raise children in a flat in clapham, but they can't afford to buy an extra bedroom and daren't move out of London because England is crap

You go to Northumberland and it reminds you what England was like before folk began denigrating the place and you know what, England is not crap. Great inventors, magnificent scenery and architecture. Real history. Wildlife. Polite courteous people. Great traditional food and beers. And some space to breathe.

I am no longer ashamed to be English. My foreign wife seems to like the English too.

Rant over

 

[briwy]

Cracking wild camping spot right on the beach overlooking the castle up the lane from Bamburgh village. Good food in the pub.
And, don't forget Lindisfarne.

 

[teeboy]

I am no longer ashamed to be English. My foreign wife seems to like the English too.

Not sure I was ever anti-England - I have had lots of Cali fun within 3hours of home (Northants) - but Northumberland is in that sort of weird middle ground - where my man logic kicks in and says "If you are going that far - may as well press on a go to Scotland, or get a ferry to mainland Europe.

We are in year 2 of Cali ownership and appear to be fitting in 2 x 2 week Europe Trips and 2 x 1 week UK trips, plus weekends within 2-3 hours of home.

So I must try and get Northumberland into one of those slots

T