Bamburgh Bound June 2021 - Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh Beach

[Sparksy72]

It has been a long time between holidays for us, our last trip properly away was December 2019 to Orlando and we were desperate for a break. We love our local area but I really miss the coast. After a bit of research it seemed that Bamburgh fit the bill. I did prebook our lunches/dinners as we were taking our furball Milo, thankfully the coast area is super dog friendly.

Milo was up early, 5am to be exact which was going to make a long day for me. In my haste to take him downstairs before he woke DH (aka The Driver) I accidentally kneed DH in the thigh giving him a dead leg. Things were going totally to plan. At 6.30am I shut my eyes for just a minute only to be woken by DH - we had all slept in and it was now 7.45am! Cut to loads of rushing around and cajoling a tired DS13 out of bed before grabbing some breakfast and heading out the door.

We had driven for approximately five minutes before Milo was sick on the back seat, this had never happened before so we pulled over and cleaned him and the car up before getting back on the road. DS then spent the next half hour exclaiming every 5 minutes that Milo was being sick (he wasn’t), again everything was totally going to plan.

The total journey time was just under 3 hours, so we decided to make a stop about 1.5 hrs in at Newton Aycliffe. There is a services just off the main road and the boys got drinks and we took Milo for a comfort walk. Then back out on the motorway to Bamburgh. The drive up was lovely, we managed to see the Angel of The North (very impressive) and some beautiful countryside. There was a fair amount of traffic but as it was half term break we were expecting it.

The second part of the journey flew (no more vomiting incidents) and the road that leads from the motorway to Bamburgh is gorgeous- beautiful stone walls, loads of open farming fields and then you come round the last turn and the castle springs into view. It was truly spectacular!

We had booked into the Sunningdale Hotel which is dog friendly and perfectly placed right on the Main Street. Parking is at a premium and we were super lucky to get a park in the Hotel Car Park (they don’t guarantee that you will be able to access onsite parking). They are also super strict about check-in times and leave the door locked until 3pm for new arrivals, we knew this in advance so we’re fine with that.

We grabbed the few bits we thought we would need for the afternoon (picnic blanket, hats and sunscreen) and headed off to pick up our ore-ordered picnic from the Copper Kettel. I found this on Trip Advisor and had been in contact with Annabel the owner via FB. She was awesome and by pre-ordering I managed to skip the 20 person queue waiting outside the cafe (I did not make eye contact with anyone as I waltzed through the door to collect the picnic #planning) I would totally recommend the cafe to anyone visiting but booking is essential!

We had tuna Mayo sandwiches and DS had ham and cheese, homemade sausage rolls, scone with jam and cream, chocolate cake and lemon and blueberry cake. Seriously delicious and we all loved people/dog watching from out spot on the grass outside the shop. The weather was perfect!

With very full tummies we made our way to Bamburgh Castle, it was only a short walk from the Copper Kettle. I had preordered our tickets online and discovered that it was only open to the public for our arrival day as it was going to be closed to the public for a week due to the filming of a Hollywood Movie. Spoiler Alert - it is for Indiana Jones #5

Walking up the hill towards the Castle was just awe inspiring, it is bigger in real life and the outlook over the beach is stunning. We spent a good couple of hours in the grounds (they are dog friendly) and the DS and I had a look through the State Rooms. The rooms looked like a jumble sale, they had asked for the film that the main rooms be empty of furniture, so it had been piled into the other State Rooms, it was almost comical!

We all had the best time exploring and Milo was in his element. Having seen the amazing views over beautiful Bamburgh Beach, DS was desperate to feel the sand between his toes. 🤩 Again it was only a short walk from the castle onto the beach. The tide was out and there was so much open space for the boys to run and play. I have to say that I wish we were tougher the water was crystal clear but it was icy, none of us managed more that a few seconds of dipping our toes in, even Milo who adores swimming couldn’t be persuaded to go in!

After completely wearing ourselves out at the beach we decided to head back to the hotel to check in. They have set rules in place for this too, only one person from each party can go to reception to check in. You get given your room key (this is a real door key!) and you also have to choose your breakfast times (breakfast is included) before the rest of your party can head to the room. We had a family room which consisted of a double bed, a single bed and bunk beds. It overlooked a farmers field with super noisy sheep and it even had partial ocean and castle views.

Once we freshened up we headed out for dinner at The Lord Crewe, it was literally 3 minutes down the road and was a bustling, dog friendly pub. We ordered wine, cider and soda to drink. DS had the fish and chips, I had the Bamburgh Bangers and Mash and DH had the fillet with fries. It was all tasty and fresh but the highlight of the night was DH dessert - sticky ginger pudding. This was mouth puckeringly gingery and was delicious with the cream and ice-cream. Bonus castle views from our window too ! It was just so nice to be out and also away from home, I love just being with my boys!

We made our way back to the hotel via the gorgeous garden in the middle of the village, it felt like a magical fairy garden with bluebells and poppies growing in and around the woodland.

We had a wonderful day even with the mad start to the morning and slept soundly after enjoying the glorious sunshine and fresh sea air.

[stanleycamel]

Have you popped into the Grace Darling Museum yet?

Great report - hope you have time to visit Seahouses, Farne Islands, Low Newton, Craster and Holy Island (check the tide times though).

Looking forward to more photos

[stanleycamel]

Sparksy72 - you are in for a noisy night in Bamburgh tonight because for the next 4 evenings they are "explosive" night shoots and Harrison Ford will be around. He was spotted in North Shields today in full cycling gear eating lunch

[Scotsmomma2]

Lovely photos,Bamburgh really is one of our favourite places in the UK

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by stanleycamel

Have you popped into the Grace Darling Museum yet?

Great report - hope you have time to visit Seahouses, Farne Islands, Low Newton, Craster and Holy Island (check the tide times though).

Looking forward to more photos

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Thank you, yes, I did pop into the Museum, she was an incredible woman!

We did a quick stop at Seahouses on the way home and we also spent the afternoon at Holy Island. DH just told me I took 600+ Pics in two and a half days.

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by stanleycamel

Sparksy72 - you are in for a noisy night in Bamburgh tonight because for the next 4 evenings they are "explosive" night shoots and Harrison Ford will be around. He was spotted in North Shields today in full cycling gear eating lunch

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Unfortunately we were there last Thursday for 2 nights, so have managed to miss Harrison Ford

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by Scotsmomma2

Lovely photos,Bamburgh really is one of our favourite places in the UK

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Thank you so much 💖 I can see why you love Bamburgh, it is stunning! Xx

[Sparksy72]

Day 2
We were up around 7am to get ready for our breakfast spot at 7.45am (they were doing 3 different seatings due to the current environment).

We were offered tea/coffee/juice and were then able to order off the starter menu - cereal, yoghurt etc and then you could pick either a full English or vegetarian English breakfast. DS had a croissant (super fresh) with some bacon and DH and I both had a full English with toast. It was the perfect size breakfast (although more than we would ever have at home!) and super hot. Milo may have shared a slice of toast too.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, it just felt like a real holiday sitting down and having a leisurely breakfast.

We had planned to spend the morning at Bamburgh Beach, so we could walk further than we had the previous day and DS wanted to throw his American football too. The day was just perfect, sunny, warm and peaceful. There were other people walking their dogs on the beach but there is just so much open space that it never felt crowded. Beach pics!

After a fantastic couple of hours we decided to head back to the park in front of the castle for some ice-cream from Wyndenwell. This turned out to be a good move as the ice-cream was amazing and the setting was stunning. DS got bubblegum I got coconut and dark chocolate (like a bounty) and DH got cookies and cream with vanilla bean and Milo had a vanilla bean too.

We walked back to the hotel via the fairy garden and got a quick pic of Milo in the bluebells. 😍 I’m so pleased they haven’t turned this into a car park as it would be prime real estate!

We left DS and Milo in the room to cool down and rest (and get in some quality screen time) before our lunch reservation- I was so excited for this! We popped to a pub that was just down the road from our Hotel for a quick drink and some adult chill out time. this was so nice and we chatted to a lovely couple on the next table that had also brought their beautiful Cockapoo. 💖 Prosecco for me Cider for DH.

We picked up DS and the furball for our lunch reservation at the Potted Lobster. They serve fresh local seafood and local ingredients and have been featured in the Michelin Guide, they are also dog friendly!

I had Prosecco to drink, DH and DS both had soda. For entrees DH had the seared scallops and I had the potted lobster (of which DS ate pretty much 3/4!). Both of these were just so good, light, delicious and mine was not something that I have ever tried before.

For mains, DH had thick cut code, wild mushroom, pancetta, garlic cream and potatoes (off the specials board), I had the wild Scottish halibut with fresh lobster and truffle mayonnaise, salad and fries (also off the specials board) and DS had the breaded fish goujons with fries, salad and home made tartare. It was all outstanding- all our fish was cooked perfectly and all the accompaniments were so flavourful.

When they offered the dessert menu we thought it would be crazy not to partake. I had the passion fruit Eaton mess and DH had the warm chocolate and salt caramel brownie with vanilla ice-cream. Mine was light and tangy and DH’s was rich and decadent. Both were winners!

We all loved our meals, the service and the setting was excellent and the food was perfect. My favourite meal for the year!

We had checked the tide times for The Holy Island Lindisfarne once we booked the accommodation, so we could plan our days around this. It turned out that the crossing times were from 1.30pm until 10.30pm which timed perfectly for an afternoon visit. The drive over from Bamburgh was super simple and there wasn’t as much traffic as I thought there would be. The causeway itself wasn’t quite what I expected (I’m honestly not sure what I expected) however I would love to go back when the tide is high to see the difference.

The little hut is for people who get caught out by the tide. They abandon their cars and wait in the hut to be rescued. there are quite a few you tube videos for this!

Parking on Holy Island is in a dedicated car park just outside the town centre (about a 5-10 min walk depending on how long your legs are) it is £4.50 for three hours and cash is preferred. We paid up and headed in, it’s not difficult to find your way, you literally just follow the people in front of you.

Milo loved watching the sheep, he just wasn’t tall enough to see over the stone wall on his own #dadlove

The whole castle area is just super impressive, I know my pics don’t show it but there were just so many people around! We were getting hot and foot weary so DH found a pub with a beer garden so we stopped for refreshments. This was like a little oasis in the craziness of the tourist town and we would absolutely go back for meals if we ever visited again.

Once refreshed, we headed off to Lindisfarne Priory, I had not booked tickets (the non prebooked tickets line was huge) and the boys weren’t fussed if we went inside so we just wandered up the path that runs alongside it. So I am starting to run out of adjectives :blush but this was also incredible!

We had a wander through the town on our way out, there were lots of lovely gifts shops, pubs, cafes and even a fancy ice-cream store. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will hopefully be back to take a tour inside the castle. Milo was hot and tired so ended up being carried back to the car by DS (we do take a dog drink bottle with us everywhere but it was a super warm afternoon). I’m sure he thinks he is human.

More pics of our way back over the causeway.

Back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. There weren’t many places outside of Bamburgh that I could find that were dog friendly for dinner. I ended up booking the Apple Inn at Lucker, it had good reviews and were happy for us to bring the furball. Lucker seemed like a nice area, it had lots of holiday style apartments all set around the Apple Inn. Our reservation wasn’t until 8.30pm so we were hungry by the time we arrived. Despite the appearance of lots of staff and very few customers we waited ages for literally everything. The food ended up being good but we just couldn’t understand why it took 20 mins for our drinks order to be taken, in the end it took us nearly 2 hours for a one course meal.

DS and I both had chicken with charred cauliflower, potatoes and crispy kale, it looked awful but it was great and DH had the whale (I mean fish) and chips, this was just average after the amazing fish we had at the Potted Lobster. It was the service that really let the meal down, however we had had a brilliant day and were happy to get back to the hotel for a well earned snooze.

Woohoo our drinks finally arrived!

Poor Milo was so tired he fell asleep on DH’s feet under the table!

[barryp1]

The Potted lobster in Bamburgh is the best restaurant in Northumbria and you made a great choice eating there.

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by barryp1

The Potted lobster in Bamburgh is the best restaurant in Northumbria and you made a great choice eating there.

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Thanks Barry, it really was excellent and I’m so pleased we were able to get a reservation. 😁