I know you locals say it’s horrible and it’s not worth us “outsiders” visiting, but I get a feeling you’re just trying to keep it all for yourselves.

So we are looking at paying a visit during Easter, what’s to do, where to go, we’ll be staying in a cottage of some sort, location suggestions welcome.

Four of us, kids are 17 and 14 and the dogio, up for anything, all happy with walks/castles/waterfalls/forests/beaches/villages/towns etc

Laddo and I may bring bikes as we may have a day away from the girls.

Fire away, and yes I’ll keep it secret…

N’land coast is amazing, Bamburgh, Seahouses, Alnmouth, Amble all good!

Coastal cottage at any of the above locations ..
Farne Island boat trip
Visit Holy Island ..( or Lindisfarne if you prefer.
Head into the Cheviot Hills ..walk or bike
Head further West and visit Kielder Water & Forest ..walk or cycle the Lakeside Way ..or some of the red routes from the Castle ( The Bike Place will keep you right ) .
Visit Skyspace and see the stars ( need to book )
Alnwick Gardens
.there’s a few suggestions ..but really it is pretty crap here so don’t blame me if you don’t like it ..

Barter Books in Alnwick is good bad weather option.
Walk Craster to Low Newton for lunch in The Ship.
Banburgh beach is spectacular

– Ride from Berwick to Holy Island and back stopping for lunch at The Barn at Beal

– Ride along the coast from Embleton to Alnmouth (nice cafes)

– The walk from Alnmouth to Warkworth along the beach is lovely

– Housesteads is amazing

There are lots of old threads on here with many ideas

PS don’t go at Easter as it’ll be crap, wet and far too busy etc. etc.   (Honestly we’re not going to be up there in our van 😜)

As above. Then take a drive over the Belford to Wooler road for the views to the Cheviots and if you can spare an hour take a walk up to St Cuthbert’s cave.

+ Chillingham Castle for the haunted history and bonkers owner!

Cragside?

Hadrians Wall, Vindolanda etc

The Roman stuff is great along the border, I’m sure at times Kielder is easier to get to from Carlisle than NE!!
Lindersfarne but please read the timetable and respect it’s a long flat causeway!!
Alnwick Gardens is worth a look

Just be aware at easter there will be a lot of lambing going on so if you have a dog make sure it’s on the lead and beware of sleep deprived farmers.

The Cheviots are different to a lot of places, a very remote feel and can get very very remote if the weather changes!!

Cuthberts way? If I remember right from maybe Belford across to Holy Island and a loop back. Not a bad xc ride if dryish.

Dogs not a problem as he’s always on the lead due to being a psycho with other dogs.
Seen many pictures on here of deserted beaches so fancy some of that.
Thanks for the ideas will look at some accommodation to the it all in.
Liking the dark sky stuff as well.

If you fancy a bike ride that’ll really test your ability to stay alive, have a go at the ‘Deel’s Hill and Border Ridge’ route in Derek Purdy’s classic Northumberland Mountain Biking book.

Oh, and be sure to try it on a very cold, wet and windy day.

To be fair, it’s probably a lovely route in nice weather. In bad weather: I know why there’s a mountain refuge hut half way round!

Good suggestions above.
See how many castles you can visit in a day – I would say the must sees are Alnwick, Dunstanburgh (walk from Craster), Lindisfarne, Bamburgh, Warkworth & Chillingham.
If you like kippers go to Robson’s at Craster.
No mention of Seahouses?
Cragside as above is great; Amble now nicely ‘gentrified’; Alnmouth; West Tyne valley – Hexham & Corbridge.
Durham Cathedral is magnificent – and yes, I know it’s not in Northumberland.

Aln Valley Railway in Alnwick

Etal miniature railway

Alnwick Gardens

Clarty Commandos in Howick

Beaches galore

Cragside

Wallington

Doddington or Morwick for Ice Cream

Amble for various seafood restaurants and Ice Cream, Harbour Chip shop is the best. The one on the corner not in the harbour itself.

Seahouses if you like Blackpool.

Fish and chips at Seahouses is a must!

Oh and there’s this.

We were hoping to visit in the camper at Easter but have been unable to find a campsite that has availability. Probably due to my Yorkshire dialect. Have had to make alternative arrangements north or the border.

@Tracey – try Springhill Farm, near Seahouses

Empty beaches?
Try the walk from Beadnell to Low Newton (for pub lunch)
or
Budle around Budle Point to Bamburgh (for pub lunch)

Or for the place truly to yourselves aim for Ross / Ross Sands but don’t tell anyone – you’ll need a picnic here as there are no facilities whatsoever.

Or for the place truly to yourselves aim for Ross / Ross Sands but don’t tell anyone – you’ll need a picnic here as there are no facilities whatsoever.

And bomb disposal.

Try Alnwick Rugby club Tracey.

Cragside
Bamburgh Castle
Dunstanburgh Castle
Warkworth Castle

(I like Castles, can you tell?)

I didn’t rate Alnwick though, maybe because I had to pay a small fortune to get in.

Holy Island is excellent, and it has a castle.

Also… https://www.northumberlandia.com/

Go to the Saltwater cafe at Beadnell and get the lobster.

Thanks for the tips will try them for a later holiday

Drac: First I’ve heard of that track! Looks good! Shame it’s dirt and not tarmac, hopefully will be maintained. Will take a trek up there

deserted beaches so fancy some of that.

Ross Back Sands is a must then. Even on a sunny July weekend it almost deserted.

@Tracey – Proctors Stead (near Craster) and Annstead Farm (Seahouses) are nice too…put them on your list.

Drac: First I’ve heard of that track! Looks good! Shame it’s dirt and not tarmac, hopefully will be maintained. Will take a trek up there

It’s only been open a few months.

Thanks. I think we left it a bit late for booking something, only started looking on Monday, as we weren’t sure what Abigale would be competing in. Part of me thought about just going into the Peak or riding local but I do like getting away with the van.

Yeah Northumberland is becoming very popular so need to book early. I’ll have a think of the more secret ones and post here.

+1 Harry – we found Alnwick castle disappointing apart from the state rooms. It’s pricey to get in and feels a bit like an imitation/novelty castle. Bamburgh Castle was ace though.

Great little secluded beach at Howick. Craster’s worth a look (ready-to-eat kippers from the van), and Dunstanburgh and Holy Island.

If you like swimming, the water hereabouts is great. I took a dip off the spit of rock that sticks out from Beadnell. Crystal clear, so take snorkelling kit if you like that sort of thing. Great SCUBA diving in this part of the word too.

We had a family holiday up there

Did a boat trip to see the birds and seals
Holy Island
Castles are amazing, seriously. One of them we just walked around the grounds, was a nice day out
Fair bit of geocaching. Good fish and chips too
Hadrians Wall stuff
Cragside was good too
Montane outlet shop is also up there…

Ok

West Kyloe or Elford might be worth a shot Tracey.

Swimming in the North sea in easter that will be chilly

we found Alnwick castle disappointing apart from the state rooms. It’s pricey to get in and feels a bit like an imitation/novelty castle

It felt like we were paying a lot of money to a very rich family for them to show us how very rich they were.

Lindisfarne Priory pisses all over it. Apparently.