Northumberland’s best coastal locations

If you’re looking for the quintessential beach break, there’s no better place than the Northumberland coast. Spanning 39 miles of some of Britain’s best coastline, you will find peace, quiet and lots of scenic beauty. Take a look at some of our favourite locations.

Holy Island of Lindisfarne

This timeless and tiny tidal island is cut off twice a day when the tide sweeps in from the North Sea and covers the road. Tide times and heights are accurately predicted from the phases of the moon, with a timetable of safe crossing times essential for planning your journey.

Lindisfarne Castle is unmissable. A dramatic Tudor fort, it eventually became the holiday home of a wealthy Edwardian gentleman, who tasked Edwin Lutyens to design various alterations and created the enchanting walled garden.

Seahouses

A bustling seaside village, Seahouses is centred round a picture perfect harbour.  The Shiel family has been running boat trips from Seahouses harbour to the rugged Farne Islands since 1918. The perfect nature expedition, you can spot grey seals, terns and puffins.

Grown-ups might enjoy supping a pint or two in the snug of The Olde Ship Inn, which sits above the tiny harbour. Its scrubbed wooden floor is made from the decks of ships that once set sail across the oceans.

Druridge Bay Country Park

Miles and miles of soft, sandy beaches, tranquil meadows and even a large, freshwater lake: Druridge Bay Country Park is a haven of natural beauty.  Take a stroll around Ladyburn Lake and perhaps do some birdwatching.

For the more adventurous, there are sailing, windsurfing and canoeing courses every summer.  It’s a great place from which to explore the area, as the Northumberland coastal cycle route runs through the park.  Druridge Bay is dog-friendly too, so all the family can join in the fun!

Bamburgh Beach

With the iconic castle standing over waves crashing against the coast, Bamburgh’s dramatic setting can steal your breath. But the soft golden sands also offer a warm welcome – particularly for pets – and a whole host of activities to enjoy.

Wind-swept walks, sandcastle building and rock-pooling are all essential activities. The water may not be the most welcoming, but if you want to ride the waves you can enjoy surf hire and lessons from qualified instructions. The conditions are regarded as some of Britain’s best, but if you’d rather take a more passive appreciation, just admiring the view is an activity in itself!

Cragside Victorian house

Cragside in Rothbury offers one of the best family days out in Northumberland.  The first home in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, using man-made lakes and underground piping, the house is packed to the rafters with ingenious inventions and glorious gadgets – many of them still operational.

Only half an hour’s drive from the coast, you can wander around the house, marvelling at the astonishing collection of curios put together by Cragside’s original owner. There’s more than 1,000 acres of woodland and gardens to explore too. It’s the perfect alternative coastal activity.