The Hidden Magic of Northumberland
Unlock the Magic of Northumberland: Harry Potter’s Castle and Beyond
Northumberland, east of the Lake District and north of the Yorkshire dales is one of the most stunning but least explored counties in England, and an ideal place to find self-catering holiday rentals. An ancient kingdom once home to Vikings, Saints and Saxon Kings, Northumberland straddled the contested border between England and Scotland and was the scene of many pitched battles across the centuries. Hadrian’s Wall still runs across Northumberland all the way to Carlisle. You can walk its full 80 mile path stopping at museums and old Roman forts like Housesteads, with a new visitor centre, and Vindolanda where legionnaires guarded the south from Scottish invaders 1800 years ago.
Hadrian’s Wall
The wall and forts are a short drive from the beautiful coastline and easily accessible by road. Northumberland, one of the least populated counties in the UK, has a wide range of holiday cottages, for families and visitors of all ages, including lodges with hot tubs.
Alnwick is a great place to start your tour and is home to the castle that was used as the inspiration for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the 2001 film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The castle also houses the Garden of Fairy Tales while close by you can find the unique Treehouse restaurant. One of Britain’s largest second hand bookshops can also be found in the town.
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
Cragside House, the first electrified home in the country, is the perfect place for a family outing with adventure playgrounds and a labyrinth. It’s next to the village of Rothbury and during summer thousands of rhododendrons bloom in the glorious gardens.
Travelling a few more miles west and you enter Reiver country. During the Middle Ages, the border lands were almost lawless and reiver (which means thief) families fought turf wars against each other, stealing cattle and attacking the fortified Peel towers where their rivals lived. Many of these lonely towers still stand and can be visited on the Northumbrian moors.
Kielder Water and Forest Park in the Northumbrian National Park is incredibly popular or why not try the Kielder Observatory now designated as a ‘Dark Sky Park’ because of the lack of artificial light from houses and towns. Public stargazing takes place on Wednesdays and you can attend family astronomy days at the weekend.
One of Northumberland’s greatest treasures is its 63 mile coastline, which is dotted with historical and tourist sites. You can find, Caster kippers, castles and endless sandy beaches. The town of Alnmouth, once a busy port before a storm silted the harbour is another must visit with cosy pubs like the Sun Inn, Hope and Anchor and restaurants such as The Whittling House. Alnmouth is a mecca for foodies and there are plenty of pet friendly cottage holiday rentals available locally.
Continue northwards past Amble, Morpeth and Warkworth Castle, once home to Shakespear’s Harry Hotspur, Dunstanburgh, an enormous Norman ruin perched above the sands and Bamborough Castle. Completely restored, Bamborough is a wonderful day out and close to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne once home to St Cuthbert. The castle can be reached by a causeway which is covered at high tide, but this is another ideal destination for walkers and their dogs.
The coast path is a popular route for cyclists too who can follow the Sustrans National Route 1, all the way from Wallsend in Newcastle, along the Northumbria coast to Berwick on Tweed and then inland to Edinburgh. Northumbria which claims to have 100 castles, is packed with historic sites, fine towns, grand scenery, forests, great food, holiday cottage accommodation, some of best beaches in the UK and you can be sure of a warm welcome. If you are looking for something special for your next self-catering holiday rental, and a chance to explore an uncrowded rural landscape, then Northumberland is the place for you.
