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Further Afield in Northumberland

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Craster Harbour Dunstanburgh Castle
Howick Hall & Gardens
Craster Kippers
Sea Fishing
Mick Oxley Gallery
Stable Yard Nursery
Coastal Walks
Birdwatching
Photography
Golf
Children's Playground
Arnold Memorial Nature Reserve
Northumberland Coast AONB
Alnwick

Further Afield

HELPFUL INFORMATION

Northumbria is an area rich in history and with a wide variety of attractions within easy reach of Craster. There is a magnificent coastline, boat trips to the beautiful islands offshore, castles, gardens and an ever-changing countryside scene as you move from the sea inland to the uplands of the Cheviot hills. This section shows many of the places to visit within an easy drive from Craster.

Alnmouth

Bamburgh

Belsay

Berwick

Chain Bridge

Chillingham

Flodden

Ford & Etal

Holy Island

Kielder

Kirkharle

Morpeth

Otterburn

Rothbury

Seahouses

Sweethope

Tynemouth

Wallington

Warkworth

Woodhorn

Wooler

 

 

 

 

The postcode of each attraction is shown along with an estimated driving time from Craster to help visitors plan the excursions they would like to make from the village and obtain directions if they have SatNav equipment. If you are unsure of the starting postcode for the trip, the postcode of The Jolly Fisherman in the centre of Craster is NE66 3TR.

Alnmouth (NE66 2RA – 17 minutes)

This charming seaside settlement offers a wonderful place to get away from it all. Lovely beaches, a good range of pubs and restaurants and an excellent links golf course provide plenty to hold your interest. Across the River Aln on the South Side the sandy beach continues for couple of miles to Warkworth. Alnmouth is also your arrival point if you are travelling to Craster by rail. Top

Bamburgh (NE69 7DF - 25 minutes)

Bamburgh lies at the southern corner of Budle Bay which is a bird sanctuary and is the home to countless thousands of sea and land birds. Bamburgh faces the sea over a magnificent stretch of sandy beach. Towering above the beach sits Bamburgh Castle which is open to the public from March to October. The village also houses the Grace Darling museum which is run by the RNLI and commemorates the daring rescue of the crew and passengers of the SS Forfarshire by Grace and her father in 1838. The village has a number of pubs and hotels as well as tea-rooms and also one of the best butchers in the North East selling locally sourced meat as well as excellent pies and pasties. Top

Belsay Hall (NE20 0DX – 60 minutes)

Belsay Hall Features a Georgian country house and a spectacular medieval castle set in 30 stunning acres of gardens. Top

Berwick upon Tweed (TD15 1DG – 50 minutes)

Berwick upon Tweed is a walled town which has long been the buffer between England and Scotland. You can walk around the Elizabethan walls or follow the Lowry Trail. Also of interest to the visitor is King’s Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Museum and the Berwick Borough Museum and Art Gallery, all housed in the Berwick Barracks which is an English Heritage site. In the centre of the town is a good range of pubs and restaurants. Top

Chain Bridge Honey Farm (TD15 2XT – 50 minutes)

Near to Berwick on the South Bank of the River Tweed is the Chain Bridge Honey Farm. Apart from the honey and beeswax that you would expect, here you can also buy natural honey and beeswax products including face creams and balms. The Farm has a Visitor Centre and a café housed in a double-decker bus! Just outside the farm entrance is the Union Chain Bridge from which the Farm derives its name. This spans the River Tweed between Horncliffe, Northumberland, England and Fishwick, Borders, Scotland. When it opened in 1820 it was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world with a span of 137 metres (449 ft), and the first vehicular bridge of its type in the United Kingdom. Top

Chillingham Castle ( NE66 5NJ – 40 minutes)

Chillingham Castle is a 12th. Century stronghold which was the 'base-camp' for the 1298 conquering attack on William Wallace by “Hammer of the Scots”, King Edward 1st. The Castle is open to the public from April to October although groups can visit the castle by appointment during the close season. In the Park at Chillingham there is the world-famous herd of white cattle. Top

Flodden Field (TD12 4SW – 55 minutes)

The Battle of Flodden Field took place on 9th. September 1513 between the forces of James IV of Scotland and the Earl of Surrey who was acting for King Henry VIII. Battle commenced in the late afternoon, when the Scots' guns opened fire. It was dull, damp and muddy, having rained for most of the day. In the following hours, these fields became the scene of bloody carnage in which an estimated 4,000 Englishmen and 10,000 Scots, including their king and many nobles lost their lives. The site of the battle is actually closer to the village of Branxton than to Flodden. A monument, erected in 1910, is easily reached from Branxton village by following the road past St Paul's Church. There is a small car park and a clearly marked and signposted battlefield trail with interpretive boards which make it easy to visualise the battle. Only the chancel arch remains of the medieval church where James IV's body was said to have rested after the battle – the rest is Victorian, dating from 1849 in the "Norman" style. Top

Ford and Etal (TD12 4TJ – 50 minutes)

The villages of Ford and Etal lie in the valley of the River Till, close to Flodden Field. Among the attractions are Ford Castle, the Heatherslaw Cornmill and Lady Waterford Hall. You can also take a ride alongside the River Till on the Heatherslaw Light Railway. You can obtain refreshments in the Black Bull at Ford (the only pub in Northumberland with a thatched roof) or at the tea rooms at the Cornmill or at the Lavender Tea Rooms in the village of Ford. Further information can be obtained at The Visitor Centre. Top

Holy Island/Lindisfarne (TD15 2SD – 45 minutes)

 Although known as Lindisfarne the world over, locally the island is usually called Holy Island. Connected to the island by a causeway which is only open when the tide is sufficiently low, the island has an Anglo-Saxon & mediaeval religious heritage, a more recent 16th. century castle, a winery making the renowned Lindisfarne Mead, beaches, wildfowl and seabirds and a Conservation Area. There are also cafes, hotels and pubs where the visitor can obtain a range of refreshments and meals. The Causeway safe crossing times are available from the Internet and are also published each week in the Northumberland Gazette. Top

Kielder Water and Forest Park (NE48 1BT – 1 hour 45 minutes)

Kielder Water and Forest Park is the largest man-made water and forest park in Northern Europe. With a 27 mile shoreline surrounded by pine forests and moorland there are ample opportunities just to relax or choose to enjoy organised events, land and water based activities, art, culture, heritage, wildlife, and star gazing at the Kielder Observatory. For those with an interest in wild birds, Kielder Water has just become the home to a pair of breeding ospreys. One word of advice to visitors is that there are no petrol stations in the immediate area of the Park. Please ensure that you have enough fuel before driving into the area. Top

Kirkharle ( NE19 2PE – 1 hour 10 minutes)

Kirkharle is the birthplace of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, arguably Britain's most famous landscape architect. Kirkharle is now home to many craftsmen in a diverse range of arts. Here you are afforded the rare opportunity of speaking to the designers and seeing the products being made and sold in a beautiful rural setting. As well as designer jewellery, furniture, ceramics and other art works, there is a farm shop and also a coffee house and restaurant on the site. Top

Morpeth (NE61 1HG – 45 minutes)

Although all residents of North Northumberland know that Alnwick is the true County Town of Northumberland, for many years Morpeth has tried to usurp the title. Morpeth is now the administrative headquarters of the Northumberland unitary authority and is a thriving market town situated in a loop of the River Wansbeck with a wide range of shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels and bars. There is a weekly market held each Wednesday and a Farmers’ Market on the first Saturday of each month. Top

On the Southern outskirts of Morpeth lies Whitehouse Farm. Here you can see and feed the usual farm animals and there is also a “petting barn” where adults and children can hold, feed and stroke a more exotic collection of animals. Top

Otterburn ( NE19 1JT – 1 hour 5 minutes)

Otterburn is the last township on the road North to Scotland over Carter Bar. As befits its position on one of the main routes to the North, the village has hotel and bar facilities as well as a tea room at the famous Otterburn Mill. Nearby are the Otterburn military ranges boasting some of the most breathtaking views in the Northumberland National Park. The ranges are open to the public when military exercises are not taking place. Top

Rothbury (NE65 7TB – 40 minutes)

Rothbury is a small market town which straddles the River Coquet. The town has a pleasant mix of old stone and newer brick-built properties.  Although technically a town, everyone still tends to call it a village and it has a village feel about it.  Shops, hotels and houses are clustered on the sloping banks of the river which bisects the village. High on the Alnwick road out of Rothbury lies Cragside, a National Trust property originally built as the home of the industrialist Lord Armstrong. It was the first house lit by hydro-electricity, has the largest sandstone rock-garden in Europe, a rhododendron labyrinth and adventure playground. The house lies in an extensive estate with many walks or you can take the signposted drive and stop at one of the picnic areas in the woods or moorland within the estate. Top

Seahouses ( NE68 7TP – 20 minutes)

Seahouses is the main harbour on the Northumberland Coast between Amble and Berwick. It is a busy tourist centre offering fishing and diving trips as well as boat trips to the Farne Islands to see the sea bird and seal colonies. There is an RNLI station and shop , a National Trust shop, a branch of Barter Books and a Tourist Information Centre, as well as gift shops and the opportunity to enjoy fish and chips! Top

Sweethope Loughs (NE19 2PN – 1 hour 10 minutes)

Sweethope Loughs form the headwater for the River Wansbeck which winds through Northumberland, passing Morpeth until it meets the North Sea at Blyth. The Loughs are a famed trout-fishing venue offering fish up to 15lbs+ (7kgs+). Boats may be hired and there is a tea room at the site. Top

Tynemouth (NE30 4BZ – 1 hour 10 minutes)

Tynemouth is situated on the North Side of the mouth of the River Tyne. Like so many villages in coastal Northumbria, Tynemouth faces onto a long sweep of golden sands taking you down to the sea. On the headland lies Tynemouth Castle and Priory, an English Heritage site which can trace its history back to the 7th. Century. Northwards along the promenade can be found the Blue Reef aquarium where the visitor can enjoy close encounters with seahorses, sharks, giant octopus, frogs, otters and hundreds of other incredible aquatic creatures. Top

Wallington Hall ( NE61 4AR – 1 hour 5 minutes)

Wallington Hall is a National Trust property featuring a magnificent mansion with fine interiors and collections, set in an extensive garden and parkland. There is a farm shop, National Trust shop and tearoom. Top

Warkworth (NE65 0UJ – 25 minutes)

The village of Warkworth is charming, featuring pubs, cafes, galleries and local walks, with easy access to a glorious beach. Warkworth Castle enjoys a beautiful setting, raised above a loop in the River Coquet and the 'keep' is marvelously intact. Top

Woodhorn Museum and Country Park ( NE63 9YF – 50 minutes)

The Woodhorn Museum draws together the history of industrial Northumberland with events and exhibitions, a close up on life in the coal mining industry and a historical achive. There is also a Country Park with opportunities for walking, cycling and watersports. There is a café and shop on site and a pub and restaurant with its own children’s play area in the Country Park. Top

Wooler ( NE71 6BL – 45 minutes)

Wooler is a market town lying in the foothills of the Cheviots. There is a busy main street with a range of specialist shops as well as cafes, restaurants and pubs. There is also a Tourist Information Centre in the town centre. Top

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