We don’t do things by halves. One day we set off from home (near Glasgow) heading to The National Museum of Flight which is located 40 minutes’ drive east of Edinburgh in East Lothian, we had a lovely day (and have blogged about it) but along the way we saw signs for England and on the spur of the moment said- ‘should we just pop into England?’
And of course, we did. We drove to Northumberland and stopped for a few hours in the pretty village of Bamburgh.
“pretty village” is a bit of an understatement though, we parked in the village and were greeted with pretty stone cottages and woah!... Bam!... Ahead of us dominating the skyline- the strikingly beautiful Bamburgh Castle.
About Bamburgh
Bamburgh is more than a pretty village, set on the coast of Northumberland, England. The houses are pretty, there is a correctly positioned red phone box and as said (and will say again) the stunning Bamburgh Castle. There are many places to stop in for something to eat or drink. And it looks like many of the houses are in fact holiday lets- what a view to wake up to the castle!
Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle is over 1,500 years old and is steeped in history and it is believed to be the capital of the historic Kingdom of Bernicia. You can visit the interior of Bamburgh Castle or just marvel at it from the outside
Castle opening times: February 8th, 2020 – 1st November 2020 10am – 5pm last admission 3.45pm 7 days a week
Castle Admission: Adult £11.25 / Child £5.50
Bamburgh Beach
Bamburgh beach is an area of outstanding beauty which you enter via long grass and sand dunes. On the beach, which is voted a top surf spot, you may see surfers, kite surfers as well as dog walkers and horse riding. Looking out on this beautiful coastline, you can enjoy views out to the Farne Islands and Holy Island. Turning back, you will see the imposing castle which towers over the beach. It looks like a picture postcard!
RNLI Grace Darling Museum
The enticing shoreline today was once feared by mariners- with hidden reefs claiming many vessels and crew. In the 18th Century Dr John Sharp created a pioneering coastguard system to save lives at sea, with the first ever lifeboat being launched here. The RNLI Grace Darling Museum is dedicated to the heroic tale of Grace Darling, who risked her life to rescue nine sailors who were ship wrecked.
St Aidan’s Church
Approaching the village, you will see St Aidan’s church built in the 14th century
Getting to Bamburgh
Northumberland is England’s northernmost county and borders Cumbria, County Durham and Tyne and Wear and the border of Scotland From Edinburgh take the A1 for under 2 hours’ drive. From Newcastle it is the A1 north for just over 1 hours’ drive.
Postcode for SatNav: NE69 7DF
Parking: Castle Parking £3 for the day, or limited on street parking in the village.
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