Alnwick & Northumberland Coast

North-east England's castle coast: Alnwick Castle, a Harry Potter filming location, plus Bamburgh Castle, Lindisfarne (Holy Island) and the Farne Islands' puffins strung along the shore.

Alnwick lies in Northumberland, England's northernmost county, and is the gateway town to the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about 55 km north of Newcastle and about 50 km south of the Scottish border. For centuries this coast was a frontier contested by England and Scotland, and it has the highest density of castles in Britain: Alnwick Castle was the setting for the flying lessons in Harry Potter, Bamburgh Castle towers on a basalt crag by the sea, the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle stand alone on a headland, and Warkworth and Chillingham castles each have their own character. To the north, Lindisfarne (Holy Island), the cradle of English Christianity, is cut off from and reconnected to the mainland by the tides every day, while in summer the Farne Islands off Seahouses host tens of thousands of puffins. The area divides into three parts: Alnwick town (the castle, the Alnwick Garden and Barter Books); the southern coast (Craster, Dunstanburgh, Alnmouth and Warkworth); and the northern coast (Seahouses, the Farne Islands, Bamburgh and Holy Island up to Berwick-upon-Tweed). The best time to visit is May–Sep, with puffin season in May–Jul; winters are windy and cold, and many sights open only at weekends or close. Getting there: take an East Coast Main Line train to Alnmouth or Berwick-upon-Tweed, then buses such as the X15 and X18 to the coastal villages, though services are limited and driving is most convenient. Allow 2–3 days; always check the tide tables before going to Holy Island, and keep a spare day in case Farne Islands boat trips are cancelled by bad weather.

Top sights

Alnwick Castle – The 700-year home of the Dukes of Northumberland, and the filming site of the Harry Potter flying lessons, where you can take a broomstick…
The Alnwick Garden – A contemporary garden created by the Duchess, featuring a cascading water staircase, the 'Poison Garden' that can only be entered on a guid…
Bamburgh Castle – A castle on a basalt cliff above the sea, once the royal capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, with a long golden beach below…
Lindisfarne Priory (Holy Island) – The ruins of a monastery on Holy Island, the cradle of Christianity in England. You can only drive to the island by causeway when the tide…
Farne Islands – A group of seabird islands reached by boat from Seahouses. Tens of thousands of puffins nest here in summer, and grey seals are resident ye…
Dunstanburgh Castle – A vast 14th-century castle ruin standing alone on a headland, reachable only on foot along the grassy coastal path. The scenery is wild and…
Barter Books – A second-hand bookshop in a converted Victorian railway station, with a model train running along the top of the shelves and the 'Keep Calm…
Hulne Park – The Duke of Northumberland's walled deer park, open to walkers free of charge, with medieval priory ruins and Brizlee Tower hidden in the w…
Bamburgh Beach – A long sandy beach and dunes at the foot of Bamburgh Castle, where the castle, the Farne Islands and Lindisfarne all come into view.
Grace Darling Museum – A free museum run by the RNLI commemorating Grace Darling, the lighthouse keeper's daughter who carried out a daring sea rescue in the 19th…
Lindisfarne Castle – A 16th-century fortress on a rocky outcrop on Holy Island, remodelled in the early 20th century by architect Edwin Lutyens into a holiday h…
Seahouses – A seaside town where boats depart for the Farne Islands, with a busy harbour lined with fishing boats and known for its fish and chip shops…
Craster – A small fishing harbour famous for its smoked kippers, where a long-established smokehouse still smokes fish over oak shavings, and the sta…
Embleton Bay – A crescent-shaped sandy bay north of Dunstanburgh Castle, backed by dunes and a golf course, with the castle ruins making a superb backdrop.
Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum – The gardens and arboretum of Howick Hall, home of the Earls Grey and birthplace of Earl Grey tea, with a tearoom serving authentic Earl Gre…
Warkworth Castle – A medieval castle of the Percy family with a well-preserved cross-shaped keep, and the home of Hotspur in Shakespeare's Henry IV.
Alnmouth – A colourful village at the mouth of the River Aln, with a wide beach and a tranquil estuary sandbar, and the station on the East Coast Main…
Coquet Island – A seabird island managed by the RSPB just offshore from Amble, where landing is not permitted, but boat trips circle the island for views o…
Cragside – Lord Armstrong's Victorian country house, the first home in the world lit by hydroelectric power, set amid woods and lakes.
Chillingham Castle – Said to be England's most haunted medieval castle, with a torture chamber, dungeons and rooms full of curious collections; night ghost tour…
Chillingham Wild Cattle – A herd of ancient white wild cattle that has lived isolated in an enclosure for centuries, which can only be viewed from a distance on a gu…
Berwick-upon-Tweed Ramparts – The best-preserved Elizabethan bastioned town walls in Britain, encircling this border town; walk the full circuit for free and look out ov…

Where to eat

Sonnet – A small tasting-menu restaurant in Alnwick town, serving a 14-course dinner inspired by Shakespeare's sonnets. It is re…
The Jolly Fisherman – An early Victorian-era pub on Craster's harbourside, famous for its crab soup and crab sandwiches, with a beer garden l…
The Ship Inn – An old seaside pub set around a green ringed by fishermen's cottages, known for its home-brewed beer, sandwiches and se…
The Potted Lobster – A seafood bistro with a Nordic nautical style at the foot of Bamburgh Castle, specialising in local lobster, langoustin…
The Old Boat House – A seafood restaurant in a former RNLI lifeboat station on Amble harbour, overlooking the port; twice named Coastal Fish…

Itineraries

Great Britain Classic Loop: England & Scotland – A classic British road trip from London, looping through Bath, the Lake District, Edinburgh, and York.
Durham, Hadrian's Wall & Northumberland Coast – Head north from Durham to see the Roman Wall, castle coast, seabird islands, and Lindisfarne.