North East

4 July, 2016

A Walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle

4 July, 2016

If you’re looking for a nice easy coastal walk in Northumberland with stunning views I would thoroughly recommend the walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle.

You can park in the pay and display which is on the right as you enter the village and walk down towards the harbour. When you get to the harbour it’s clear to see which way to go as the impressive ruin of Dunstanburgh Castle sits high on the headland and can be seen from miles around.

The walk to the castle is 1.3 miles and a word of warning, there are no loos on site!

And quite a few locals so make sure to keep your dog on a lead.

Dunstanburgh Castle is managed by English Heritage and is free for National Trust members. If you don’t have a membership and want to venture in entry is £5.20 per person with gift aid. The ruins are open from 10am – 6pm during the summer season but having visited before we decided the walk itself was enough for us.

We refuelled at The Shoreline Cafe in the centre of Craster with an open prawn sandwich on sourbread and a tuna and red onion panini. Both were delicious and much cheaper than a pub lunch, plus you can take your four legged friend inside with you!

If you’d like some other ideas for things to do in Northumberland why not have a look at some of my other posts?

The Alnwick Garden and Treehouse
Camping at Budle Bay
Housesteads Roman Fort
Craster Harbour
Holy Island at Dusk
Bamburgh Castle and Farne Islands Boat Trip

22 October, 2015

#Bloggerlodge at Travelodge Gateshead Hotel

22 October, 2015

The North East is one of our favourite places so when we were given the opportunity to spend two nights in a hotel near the Metrocentre in Gateshead we jumped at the chance.

After work on Friday we made the relatively short trip over to Gateshead. We were staying at Travelodge Gateshead Hotel just 3.1 miles from Newcastle City Center. The hotel is just off the A1 and is pretty easy to get to. When we arrived we were given some tips on where to eat before heading up to our room to get settled in.

The room was a good size, nice and clean and had everything we needed. Stomachs rumbling we headed out in search of somewhere nice to eat. The lady who had welcomed us had recommended the pub next door for tasty homemade food so we decided to give it a go.

The Skiff Inn is a typical local pub with a wide range of dishes on offer and friendly, attentive staff. The Skiff is named after the boat Harry Clasper, a professional rower from Tyneside, used to race and is decorated with nautical items including a rowing boat that hangs from the ceiling.

For our starter we chose to share a portion of calamari and we were so glad we only ordered one as there was more than enough for both of us. It was crispy, tasty and came with a spicy tomato dip.

For our main courses I opted for a garlic chicken pizza and John chose a chicken burger.

My pizza was huge and very tasty and John really enjoyed his burger although wasn’t that impressed with the chips.

Feeling pretty full we headed back to the hotel to relax.

The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant so in the morning we got ready and headed to the Metrocentre to get something to eat before getting the train into Newcastle.

The area around the hotel is mainly retail park so there are lots of busy roads but there is a path by the river that takes you directly to the Metrocentre. It takes about 20-25 minutes and delivers you to the transport interchange.

We decided to get something cheap and cheerful for breakfast so popped into Wetherspoons. John had his typical full English while I had a bagel with salmon and cream cheese.

Fenwicks had just opened a Christmas pop up shop so we had a look around and even bought our first Christmas present. After a quick look around the Metrocentre we caught the train to Newcastle City Center and spent the next few hours shopping, something we don’t usually do and aren’t very good at! (We mainly played with toys and looked at tents!)

Before long we were ready for a bit of refreshment. I had wanted to show John The Botanist for a while so I thought we could pop in for a cocktail but it was absolutely packed.

Instead we decided to go for a drink and a snack at dAt bAr on Market Street. dAt bAr is popular for it’s urban style, craft beers and tasty food and I love the relaxed atmosphere.

We ordered some shoestring fries and sourdough bread with french butter, mainly because I couldn’t remember having ever tasted sourdough bread and we weren’t that hungry.

The shoestring fries were amazing. Honestly. And the sourdough bread was very tasty. Next time we visit we’ll be sure to bring our appetites and sample some more of the menu.

All shopped out we got the train back to the Metrocentre and made a beeline for somewhere a bit more exiting than the shops… Namco Funscape! We played a few games, won plenty of tickets and got way too excited when we discovered we could trade them in for a prize. (We chose a minion slinky and three maoam bars, easy pleased!)

No trip to Gateshead is complete without a trip to everyone’s favourite Swedish furniture shop, IKEA where we picked up some bits and bobs before heading back to the Metrocentre in search of some dinner. There are over 50 restaurants and you’re sure to find one of your favourite chains. We found one of ours, Nandos, and treated ourselves to some Afro-Portuguese chicken.

On Sunday morning we had a bit of a lie in (check out isn’t till 12 so you’re free to make the most of that king sized bed) before grabbing some breakfast at Frankie & Benny’s just around the corner from the hotel. Breakfast is served till 12 but the food was very slow to come out.

Typically John had another full English and I decided to try the eggs royale which was a toaster muffin, two poached eggs and slices of smoked salmon topped with hollandaise sauce and chopped chives.

The eggs royale was lovely but very rich, especially after such a food filled couple of days!

We had a lovely weekend thanks to Travelodge although I’m not sure my waistline will be as appreciative!

3 October, 2015

The Alnwick Garden and Treehouse‏

3 October, 2015

To celebrate our first anniversary John and I decided to go back to one of our favourite places, Northumberland. Northumberland has a special place in our hearts as we’ve visited it throughout our relationship and we can’t get enough of the white sandy beaches, fishing villages and outstanding scenery. Having camped around the Bamburgh area on our last few trips we decided to try something a little different and explore in land. We booked a stay at Clennell Hall Hotel on the edge of Northumberland National Park but decided to stop off in Alnwick first for a long overdue visit to The Alnwick Garden.

We had both visited The Alnwick Garden years before so we were excited to see what was new. Tickets for the garden are £12.10 per adult which is quite pricey but there is plenty to see and do. The Treehouse was closing early for a function so we headed there first.

The Treehouse is one of the largest in Europe and we loved bouncing around on the rope bridges and exploring the wooden structure. As well as the restaurant there is now a bar called The Potting Shed which serves cocktails and light bites. We had already eaten but it looked well worth a visit.

The view that greeted us as we entered the garden certainly hadn’t changed. The fountain, the Grand Cascade, is an impressive center piece and mini tractors line the base of the water feature for kids to play on.

Armed with a map we were determined to explore every part of the gardens and started with the labyrinth. Lined with bamboo it twists and turns until you reach the center stone.

We wandered around the rose garden then got a little bit damp in the serpent garden! The serpent garden is full of interactive water features and I just couldn’t help myself..

… I got soaked all down my back!

The ornamental garden sits at the top of the Grand Cascade inside 16th century Venetian gates and is filled with one of the countries largest collections of European plants.

We also took a tour of the Poison Garden and discovered that our garden houses quite a few plants we didn’t know were poisonous! We really enjoyed the tour which was very interesting but if you decide to go on it remember to heed the warning..

After stocking up on snacks and wine we headed off to find our hotel. Clennell Hall Hotel is in a remote location near Alwinton at the foot of the Cheviot Hills, 18 miles west of Alnwick. The historic manor house and it’s grounds are beautiful but the hotel itself is a little faulty towers. We had the oldest room in the house which was pleasant enough, breakfast was nice and we spotted a red squirrel which really made our day.

By happy coincidence my Mum was also in Northumberland for the weekend so we made plans to meet her for lunch on Sunday. We had a couple of hours free beforehand and the sun was shining so we couldn’t think of anything better than to head to Bamburgh for a walk on the beach.

We always seem to be drawn to Bamburgh and it’s beautiful stretch of coastline. I’m not sure how anyone could visit the Northumberland coast and not fall in love with it.

We rounded off our trip with lunch and a walk by the river in Warkworth with Mum before dropping her off at the train station and heading home.

16 October, 2014

Craster Harbour

16 October, 2014

The last day of our last camping trip of the season came around far too quickly and on a sunny Sunday morning we packed up the tent for the last time this year. Determined not to waste the day we took a trip to Craster in the hope of catching some fish off the pier.

Craster is a lovely little fishing village famous for herring-curing and the Craster kipper. From the harbour you can see the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. Owned by English Heritage you can reach it by a grassy path, well worth the walk if the weather is on your side.

This hasn’t been my year for fishing and after getting a little bit chilly we left empty handed but happy that we had given it a go.

On the way home we decided to pop into Alnwick for some lunch. I went to highschool in Alnwick and wanted to show John some of my favourite places. One of them is Grannies, a tiny tea room where we were lucky enough to get a table. Hidden away downstairs the farmhouse style cafe serves beautiful home cooked food and is a must to visit if you’re in the area.

I drove home thinking about our summer full of adventures and how much I had loved camping and the immense feeling of freedom it gives you.

3 October, 2014

Holy Island at Dusk

3 October, 2014

Holy Island or Lindisfarne is a tidal island just off the Northumberland coast. Eager to see as much as possible on our camping trip we checked the tide times and headed up the coast and across the causeway.

Holiday makers are consistently caught out by the tide on their way to Lindisfarne. They drive onto the causeway when it looks safe, the tide comes in rapidly and they have to be rescued by helicopter or make use of the refuge which sits on stilts halfway across the road. Even if the causeway looks dry if it’s passed the safe crossing times you best stay put, find a nice B&B or head to the pub. We were fortunate as the tide was almost fully out when we arrived at around 5.30pm and the safe crossing time extended till late in the evening.

Lindisfarne boasts stunning white sandy beaches, a beautiful 16th century castle and a priory which was home to the Lindisfarne Gospels and the site of various Viking attacks. I have very fond memories of Lindisfarne from when I lived in the area, particularly my 16th birthday which was spent flying a stunt kite with good friends and family on a quiet side of the island. Lindisfarne had changed quite a bit since I last visited. The visitor car park has been moved out of the town to keep the streets quiet and, I suspect, the locals happy. We found a spot in the vast car park and wondered into the village, heading towards the harbour where you get a beautiful view of Lindisfarne Castle.

One of the most interesting things about the harbour is the upturned boats which have been converted into sheds and boat houses. These sheds often feature in the foreground of photographers images of the castle and I have taken the same photo so many times but this time I managed to resist! We also found an exhibition about the wildlife on Lindisfarne and watched swallows swoop into a pond from behind the glass of the exhibition centre. I wish I had taken some photos or a video as it was such a lovely thing to see.

As the sun was going down we meandered around the villages pretty streets and towards the Priory. We peered through the gates at the historical building but decided not to return for a visit as the ticket price of over £5 per adult seemed a little high.

We sneaked a couple of photos before heading back to the car and then to our camp site on the mainland.

25 September, 2014

Bamburgh Castle and A Farne Island Boat Trip

25 September, 2014

A couple of weeks ago we headed over to Northumberland for our last camping trip of the season. We stayed at Waren Caravan and Camping Park near the beautiful village of Bamburgh. The park itself was pristine with lots of facilities including a shop, bar/restaurant, playground, splash pool and games room.

We knew we would be arriving late on the Friday night so the staff had arranged to leave a map on the reception door to show us where to pitch. Hurrying to get the tent up before we lost the light we were inside with the stove on and a glass of wine in hand in record quick time.

When we woke up on Saturday morning the sun was shining and after our waffles and golden syrup we headed out to explore the Northumberland coastline. After a short drive we arrived in Bamburgh where you can’t miss the imposing castle perched on top of a rocky hill.

The castle overlooks a stunning white sandy beach which is popular with tourists in the summer and from which you can see the famous Farne Islands. Well known in part because of the story of Grace Darling, a lighthouse-keepers daughter who helped her father rescued nine people ship wrecked in terrible weather, the Farne Islands consist of between 15 and 20 islands depending on the tide.

To explore the Farne Islands up close we headed to Seahouses and took a trip aboard Billy Shiel’s Glad Tidings.

After sampling some of Seahouses famous fish and chips we departed on the 2 1/2 hour trip which took us around the cliff faces to see the bird colonies and grey seals before landing on Inner Farne, one of the largest of the Farne Islands.

We spotted plenty of grey seals, shags and terns plus a few divers surveying the remains of ships wrecked on the rocks.

We spent a while watching swallows fly in and out of St Cuthbert’s Church on Inner Farne. They were feeding their young and John managed to get a great shot of them waiting to be fed. As we went quite late in the season there wasn’t much else to see on the island itself but in the summer months you can see thousands of nesting seabirds including my favourite, puffins.

After getting back on dry land we topped the trip off with some warm sugary doughnuts before heading up to Lindisfarne for the next part of our adventure.