I have had the opportunity to explore a little more of the Uk in the past week and thought I would share it with you here. Today I will be showing you the trip I took and places to visit in Northumberland.

Is there anything better than exploring a new place? Well, I think it is up there with one of the best things in life. Last week I was lucky enough to have some time off work and booked a reasonably last-minute trip to explore more of the UK. If there is one positive about the pandemic, it is taking the opportunity to visit places in the UK that I wouldn’t have usually. That place of choice…Northumberland. Now I have seen the neighbouring county of Cumbria when I visited the Lake District, so now it is time to visit the beautiful North East.

So, in today’s post, I will sort of round-up my trip, as well as tell you places to visit in Northumberland if you are planning a trip too. Please note some links within this post are affiliate links and will be marked with an asterisk(*).

There is a video round-up below if you fancy checking that out too!

Northumberland

Now, Northumberland is a pretty large place (county) within the North East of England. It borders Scotland which makes it a perfect area to explore the North of England, as well as crossing the border into Scotland.

Northumberland sits on the East coast with the North sea. Due to the location, it is often known as one of the coldest areas within England, especially near to the coastal side. The weather wasn’t too cold, when we visited, but was chilly and rainy at times.

To reach Northumberland and our base for the trip, we had to travel North from Leeds, travelling through Newcastle. This incidentally leads me onto one of the first places to visit in Northumberland (well on the way to it), especially if you are travelling North…

Angel of the North

Just off the A1 is the famous and very large art sculpture, the Angel of the North. This really is a sight to behold and not one to miss if you are passing by. Antony Gormley is the designer, who completed the sculpture in 1998, where it has stood ever since.
There is a small car park at the site, with a path and land leading around the sculpture. It is located in Gateshead and is just short of 2 hours drive from Leeds. A perfect mid-way point when travelling to our base in Belford, which is approximately an hour away. However, before reaching this place, another stop along the journey is a must.

Places to visit in Northumberland – Alnmouth

Alnmouth is roughly a 50-minute drive up from the Angel of the north. It is situated on the coast near Alnwick.
Alnmouth boasts a wonderful beach and sits on the estuary of the River Aln, and is a jewel of the Northumberland coastline. If you are a keen golfer then Alnmouth is home to the oldest 9-hole golf club in the world too. A beautiful little town to visit, with the addition of the beautiful sand dunes of the beach.
Definitely worth a stop and one of the places to visit in Northumberland.

Places to Visit in Northumberland – Belford

Our base for the trip was in the beautiful old coaching town of Belford. This is a wonderfully quiet village to base yourself for exploring the surrounding areas of Northumberland. Just 30 minutes up from Alnmouth and close links to other areas such as Bamburgh.

Belford itself is a small village surrounded by beautiful countryside and just off the A1. There are a handful of pubs and lodgings to choose from if you choose to stay in this village, however, we chose to stay in an Airbnb property.

Vault Cottage, was our place of choice. Situated within a converted old bank, this was a wonderful choice and perfect for our three-night stay. I would highly recommend this as a place to stay, not only is the property lovely, the hosts are too. Unfortunately, I have lost the photos I took of the property, but if you watch the video below, there is plenty of footage of it.

Bamburgh & Bamburgh Castle

One of the best places to visit in Northumberland is Bamburgh and Bamburgh castle. Bamburgh is a 10-minute drive from Belford and follows a lovely coastal route to reach.
Bamburgh is a great town, with lovely buildings and a mass of sand dunes leading onto a widespread beach. Not only that they have a few pubs and eateries, and if you are in the market for a hot meal to warm you up, then I would highly recommend the Bamburgh Banger and mash or the lamb cutlets in The Castle Inn*.

The main reason for visiting Bamburgh can arguably be the spectacular Bamburgh Castle that sits on the coastline, overlooking the town. The castle costs £14.10 per adult or £6.95 for children. There is a rich history with the castle, and it has been beautifully restored by the family who now owns it. The views from the castle are a sight to see too, as well as the inside. Now, no flash photography is allowed inside the castle rooms, so I wasn’t able to capture the beauty inside but did manage to capture the exterior.

Not only is the castle a great tourist attraction, but you can hire the use for weddings and even stay in cottages within the grounds.

From Bamburgh, there is a weft of places to visit in Northumberland, with our choice being the next on the list.

Seahouses

Seahouse is another coastal and seaside town. Now, March is probably not the best time to visit as it is out of season, however, there is still a bit to see within Seahouses. Traditionally a fishing village, it boasts a working harbour, as well as tourist attractions to boot. You can take boat tours to the neighbouring Farne Island and Longstone Lighthouse, where you can catch a glimpse of Puffins and Seals.
On a good day, you may also catch the view of Bamburgh Castle.

Amble

Further down the coast is the town of Amble. We visited here at the end of the trip, breaking up the journey back home. Situated along the coast at the River Coquet, it has an abundant harbour. Unfortunately, at the time we visited not all of the wooden huts along the harbour, selling various items, were open. I have heard that it is bustling when they are, so well worth looking into the right time to visit.

Amble itself is a lovely town, full of independent shops and eateries. If you like cake, then I would highly recommend Coquet Tearooms*.

Places to Visit in Northumberland – Berwick Upon Tweed

Another place to visit in Northumberland is the most northern towns within the county and right on the Scottish border. Berwick-Upon-Tweed is approximately a 20-minute drive from Belford up the A1.
Berwick-Upon-Tweed is an old town that has had a history as to belonging to both England and Scotland, changing throughout the years. It is now classed as a town within England. The town itself is beautiful and it very much reminds me of York. Town walls run around the town, with the river tweed running through the centre. There are several bridges within the town and a breathtaking viaduct too.

Definitely worth a visit if you love historic towns. From here you can venture into Scotland, so although not Northumberland, I thought I would still mention the next place.

Scotland – Dunbar

Just up the coast from Berwick-upon-Tweed is the Scottish coastal town of Dunbar. Situated in East Lothian of Scotland, and along the coast, this is a must place to visit, if you get the chance to cross the border. There is a vibrant high street, as well as a vast harbourside to explore. We mainly perused the harbour, which has been renovated. The sight from the harbour walls is magnificent, overlooking the rough North Sea.

Whitley Bay and Tynemouth

Along the journey back down towards leave, we decided to visit a few coastal towns within Tyne and Wear. Until 1974, Whitley Bay was part of Northumberland, before changing county to Tyne and Wear.

Whitley Bay is a seaside town, with a vast beach and town to explore. There is also the newly renovated Spanish City, which holds several eating places to try. Whitley Bay has a great selection of bars and pubs within the town, just away from the beachside. You can also catch views of St Mary’s Lighthouse (as well as a visit) from the beach.

Further down this stretch of coast is the seaside town Tynemouth, which is the last stop on our trip before heading home. This is approximately a 5-minute drive down from Whitley Bay. Tynemouth has a castle and priory, however, unfortunately, this was closed when we visited. You can get good views of the outside though! Similarly to Whitley Bay, Tynemouth also has a plethora of pubs and bars to visit too, with it being known to have a vibrant nightlife.

From Tynemouth to Leeds, you have to use the Tyne Bridge, which goes underneath the Tyne River. Unfortunately, this is a toll bridge with a cost of £1.90, but well worth the experience.

That concludes my recent trip and places to visit within Northumberland. Due to the number of places we wanted to visit, we probably didn’t get the full experiences of some of the towns. However, what we did see was lovely, and makes Northumberland firmly on the list to explore again.

Have you visited Northumberland before? Are there other places you would add to your list? Let me know in the comments below!

Places to Visit in Northumberland – Video

Here is the travel vlog of our trip to Northumberland, hopefully, it will give a bit of insight into each of the places on this list. Don’t forget to like the video if you have enjoyed it, and why not subscribe to my channel to keep up with all of my creative and crafty antics on YouTube.

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