Your Essential Travel Guide To The Northumberland Coast
Discover Things To Do On The Northumberland Coast
The Northumberland coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offering rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, and vast dune systems, along with nature reserves for a wide array of wildlife. There are plenty of coastal paths and trails to follow, too, with spectacular views along the way.
As well as natural beauty, the Northumberland coast also features stunning historic sites and attractions, such as the famous Holy Island of Lindisfarne, industrial legacies, and picturesque towns like Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Header image credit: Onenortheast
Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh started its history as the capital of the 7th century Kingdom of Northumbria. The castle standing on the site today was built in the 11th century as a Norman stronghold, and its strength and strategic placement saw it used as a fortified defence well into the 15th century, when it eventually fell to the Earl of Warwick during the Wars of the Roses.
The castle is one of the UK’s most important archaeological sites. Today, the renovated castle houses a great collection of military artefacts, as well as a tea room and souvenir shop.
About Alnmouth
Alnmouth is situated on the Northumberland Coast. This peaceful ‘picture postcard’ coastal resort boasts attractive sandy beaches, (reputedly) haunted hotels, fine restaurants and two golf courses, including the fourth oldest in England.
Historically, Alnmouth was a rich and well-visited trade port. During a violent storm in 1806, Alnmouth harbour was destroyed and left unusable, effectively ending Alnmouth’s trading value. However, the town gained a new lease of life when it received a rail connection in the 1840s and has been a popular holiday destination ever since.
Berwick-upon-Tweed
It’s fair to say the coastal town of Berwick-upon-Tweed has had a turbulent history. Sitting just 3 miles from the Scottish border at the northerly tip of Northumberland, Berwick on Tweed has been captured or sacked at least 13 times, before finally falling to the English in 1482.
The impressive defensive walls that now surround the town were built in the 1560s, and visitors today can walk the entire circuit, enjoying fantastic views of Berwick’s three bridges and the River Tweed estuary.
