Lazy Puffin, Beadnell
Northumberland is a fascinating County with many interesting places to explore. Along the coast there are many miles of unspoilt beaches and just off the coast there are islands to be discovered which are home to seabird and seal colonies, and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to explore. Inland there are numerous ancient castles with tales to tell, there are hidden gardens to enjoy and delicious local produce to eat. Further inland there are dark skies to observe and Roman relics to visit.
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Places to Visit
Nature & Wildlife
Farne Islands: Catch a boat to the Islands from Seahouses, just 2 miles away, to see 23 species of seabirds, including puffins, and the large colony of grey seals.
Holy Island of Lindisfarne: Visit the island which is cut off twice daily from the rest of the world by fast-moving tides. Its island status protects tidal mudflats, saltmarshes and dunes which together form the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve.
Coquet Island: Catch a boat from Amble to view the wide variety of seabirds, including puffins!
Castles & Stately Homes
Alnwick Castle: Visit the second largest inhabited castle in the country and a film location for Hogwarts School in Harry Potter and Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey. The relatively new Alnwick Garden includes the impressive Grand Cascade water feature.
Bamburgh Castle: Dramatic castle standing proudly on a rocky plateau above the coastline.
Dunstanburgh Castle: The dramatic ruins stand on a remote headland reached by a beautiful coastal walk, recently voted in the top 10 of the Nation's favourite walks.
Lindisfarne Castle: Stands proudly on a rocky outcrop on Holy Island that can be reached by crossing the tidal causeway.
Cragside: National Trust house & estate, family home of Lord Armstrong, a Victorian inventor & industrialist and the first building to be lit by hydroelectricity. The estate has more than 30 miles of footpaths & lakeside walks.
Warkworth Castle: The extensive remains of the castle crowns a hilltop rising steeply above the River Coquet, with spectacular views of the river & coast.
Chillingham Castle: Said to be England's most haunted castle which has been continuously owned by one family line since the 1200s. There is also an opportunity to visit the Chillingham Wild Cattle.
Howick Hall: The Hall, gardens & arboretum are a must for garden lovers. Howick is also the home of Earl Grey Tea, which is served in the stately Earl Grey Tea House.
Etal Castle: Built as a defence against Scots raiders the castle tells the history of Anglo-Scottish battles. A visit can be combined with a trip to the nearby Flodden Battlefield.
Other interesting places to visit
Grace Darling Museum: The RNLI museum commemorates the life of Victorian Britain's greatest heroine, who risked her life to rescue 9 survivors from the wrecked SS Forfarshire on 7 September 1838.
Barter Books: One of the biggest antiquarian bookstores in the UK, located in Alnwick's magnificent old Victorian railway station.
Hadrian's Wall: UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best preserved frontier of the Roman Empire. The Wall stretches across the country and is scattered with Roman forts, temples and milecastles which can be visited in addition to the wall itself.
Battlesteads Dark Sky Observatory: Northumberland is home to some of the darkest skies in Europe and the third largest protected Dark Sky Reserves in the world and has 2 astronomical observatories, one at Battlesteads and the other at the Kielder Observatory.
Kielder Water & Forest Park: Home to Europe's largest man-made lake and England's largest forest; perfect for nature lovers, water sports, walking, cycling and much more.