The Coastal Jaunt
From the historic border town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed to the pretty harbour of Seaton Sluice, there’s something for everyone on
the Northumberland coast. It’s an area of Northumberland known for beautiful beaches,
iconic castles and one of the best places to see
wildlife in the UK,
the Farne Islands. But did you know it’s pretty environmentally-friendly too?
Start as you mean to go on by leaving the car behind and travel to Northumberland by train to
Alnmouth or Berwick. Once in Northumberland, travel along the coast by bus.
Stay: Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel
Where better to stay than the
Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel in Embleton? It’s a great place for a warm welcome, hearty meal and a comfy bed. Eco credentials? The hotel is the proud owner of a Green Tourism Gold award, which recognises their commitment to being a more sustainable business.
Not only that, Embleton sits within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This section of the Northumberland coastline has been protected under law since 1958 with the sole purpose of conserving and enhancing the area’s natural beauty for future generations.
See: Woodhorn Museum
A local icon in South East Northumberland, be sure to pop into
Woodhorn Museum. Situated in
Ashington, once the largest pit village in the world, Woodhorn tells the tale of Northumberland’s strong mining heritage. Explore the former colliery buildings, discover the artwork of the ‘Pitman Painters’ and the colourful banners of local mines, and experience life as a miner.
Museums Northumberland is committed to preserving Northumberland's heritage for the future and that includes the current natural environment. The organisation’s active ‘Green Team’ has introduced a variety of initiatives from composting cafe food waste to monitoring their healthy red squirrel population at Woodhorn. Activities such as this has seen them recognised by the Green Tourism Accreditation Scheme, with a Gold award for Woodhorn and a Silver award at
Hexham Old Gaol.
Better yet, Woodhorn is just a five minute drive to
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. There you’ll find a fantastic promenade for a bracing seaside stroll before a hot cuppa and a slice of cake in the
Maritime Centre. Perfect.
Do: Walk to Holy Island
No visit to the Northumberland coast would be the same without a trip to the
Holy Island of Lindisfarne. It is thought approximately 650,000 people visit Holy Island every year and, frankly, it is not difficult to see why! In an age of instant everything, the gentle atmosphere of this ancient island cut off twice a day by the tide is the perfect antithesis to all of that.
If you have brought the car, leave it behind on the mainland and join
Footsteps in Northumberland on a walk across the sand to Lindisfarne via the Pilgrim’s Way. Marked by wooden posts exposed when the tide is out, you’ll be following in the footsteps of early Christians, saints and locals on a path which was the only safe route between the mainland and the island until 1954!
Once on the island, be sure to sample the iconic Lindisfarne Mead, and bask in the awe-inspiring views of
Lindisfarne Priory and
Lindisfarne Castle.