Places to visit

We’ve been holidaying in Northumberland regularly for over 20 years and have visited many attractions listed below.

***Unless otherwise stated, entry charges apply to all the attractions listed***

Less than a 30 min drive from Beadnell

Bamburgh

Bamburgh is a pretty village whose skyline is dominated by the magnificent Grade 1 listed Bamburgh Castle. The castle sits on a rocky plateau overlooking both the village and the 2km long Bamburgh beach. Bamburgh is also home to the RNLI Grace Darling Museum.

Seahouses

A colourful tourist village with a number of gift shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Day trips to the Farne Islands depart from Seahouses Harbour.

Farne Islands

A boat trip to these uninhabited islands makes for a wonderful day out.

An important site for wildlife, the boats are licensed to stop at specific islands, allowing you to disembark and explore.

Grey seals, puffins, a huge variety of seabirds and even dolphins are animals that you might be lucky enough to spot on your visit.

Alnwick

Alnwick Castle, most recently used to depict Hogwarts in the Harry Potter film franchise. House tours are available, as are Harry Potter themed events in the grounds.

The Alnwick Garden sits adjacent to Alnwick Castle and is a separate visitor attraction. The central cascading water feature and various water fountains make it popular with young children.

The Treehouse sits outside of the walled garden and houses a restaurant inside. There are numerous walkways and suspension bridges between the trees, again making it popular with families.

Barter Books, a large, second hand book store, is a popular destination for all ages. It has a cafe and lots of comfy seating.

Willowburn Leisure Centre, has modern swimming pool and is ideal for when the weather is not ideal.

The town itself has independent and high street shops, supermarkets (Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburys, M&S Food Hall) and cafes, as well as a theatre. Outdoor markets are on a Wednesday and a Saturday.

The Aln Valley Heritage Railway, staffed by volunteers runs from just outside of town.

Finally, the Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery retells the history of the local area.

Newton-by-the-Sea

A popular destination, much of the village is owned by the National Trust. There is a pub, serving food. The beach is favoured by sailors and windsurfers and much of the surrounding area is a nature reserve, a super place for bird watching.

Alnmouth

A small, picturesque estuary town with a beach (of course!). There are also galleries, shops and places to eat.

Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum

Home to the Grey family (Earl Grey tea is named after an ancestor), the ground floor of the house is open to the public, as the gardens and the arboretum.

Craster

A small fishing village, home of the world famous Craster Kippers, produced by L. Robson & Sons Ltd. You won’t find them fresher anywhere else!

Dunstanburgh Castle

Spectacular ruined castle, managed by English Heritage. A popular public footpath passes close by.

Preston Tower

14th Pele tower set on a hill, so definitely one to get the circulation going!

Budle Bay Bird Sanctuary

An important bird sanctuary and nature reserve. Other sections also popular with water sports enthusiasts. A beach for nature rambles.

Between a 30 min and a 60 min drive from Beadnell

Lindisfarne (Holy Island)

Reached via a tidal causeway, Lindisfarne is a unique day out. Lindisfarne Castle is managed by the National Trust.

***It is vital to check the tide times when planning a visit to Lindisfarne***

https://holyislandcrossingtimes.northumberland.gov.uk/

Cragside

Owned by the National Trust, Cragside (near Rothbury) is a fascinating place to visit. It was the first private house in the world to be lit by electricity and there are many other items on display that were technologically advanced at the time of their construction. The extensive grounds are equally as impressive as the house.

Warkworth Castle & Hermitage

Ruined tower, managed by English Heritage.

Chillingham Castle & Chillingham Wild Cattle

Proclaimed to be the most haunted castle in England by its current owners, Chillingham is also well-known for its white, rare breed, wild cattle herd.

Amble Marina & Harbour Village

A family run business supplying around 250 berths, as well as a boatyard. There is also a selection of small independent shops as well as a small beach.

Wallington Hall

Country house & gardens, operated by National Trust.

Ford & Etal

Ford and Etal Estates operate various attractions from here, including the Heatherslaw Light Railway, Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre, a nature reserve and the Flodden Battlefield.

There is also a ruined castle at Etal (English Heritage)

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Berwick is a walled town with a long military history. Larger than Alnwick it has all the high street stores you’d expect from a town, along with independent stores, cafes and pubs.

The Swan Centre is a large leisure centre, including a swimming pool with slides, ideal for rainy days.

Druridge Bay Country Park

A 7 mile long bay, with a number of nature reserves. Popular with dog walkers.

Northumberland Country Zoo

A small, family run zoo, popular with young families.

Morpeth

Dinosaur Adventure Golf is 12 hole course providing fun for all the family, located within Dobbies Garden Centre.

Carlisle Park is a council run park with paddling pool and skate park.

White House Farm is set in over 40 acres, and is the largest attraction of its kind in Northumberland.

Treasure Island is an indoor soft play centre.

Hadrian’s Wall

73 miles long, there are many access points that are visitor friendly. English Heritage maintain a number of the most well-known sites.

Airbox Bounce Trampoline Park

Large indoor trampoline park.

More than a 60 min drive from Beadnell

Go Ape, Matfen

Adventure-activity chain venue offering a Treetop Challenge, Axe Throwing, Zip Lines and High Ropes.

Kielder Water & Forest Park

Walking, cycling, horse riding, an observatory, the chance to spot an osprey, fishing, art trails, a nature reserve… the list is long!

Cheviot Hills

Walking, cycling, fell running, climbing. Anything outdoorsy goes in this wild spot.

Newcastle & Gateshead

Named as ‘The Best Place To Visit In The World’ by Rough Guides in 2018, Newcastle Upon Tyne has something for everyone;

• Shopping
• Restaurants
• Theatre
• Bridges across the Tyne
• Beautiful architecture
• Renowned nightlife

Gateshead is home to Metrocentre, once the largest indoor shopping centre in England.

More recently the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art opened in the disused Rank Hovis building on the banks of the Tyne.

Gibside is a National Trust garden and woodland, which sits above the city. It’s a peaceful location for a walk.

Mr Mulligan’s is an indoor attraction with 3 adventure golf courses, and an electro darts game.

Belsay Hall, Castle & Gardens

An English Heritage attraction.

Further Afield

Edinburgh

Although it takes a couple of hours to drive to Edinburgh, catching the train from Berwick-upon-Tweed makes for a different day out. The journey time on the faster trains is around 45 mins, and there are over 30 trains per day (Monday to Friday).

Your Suggestions

Have you got any must visit places that you think we have missed?

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