East Lodge, Home Farm, Belford
Bamburgh Beach · Photo: Chris Morgan
Settle into East Lodge and its willow den, then head to Bamburgh's huge beach before dark. The next day is all castles and gardens: Bamburgh Castle in the morning, lunch in Alnwick's old station, and the fountains and labyrinth of The Alnwick Garden in the afternoon.
Where you stay · 16:00–16:30 (30m)
Check-in is from 4pm. Let the children find the willow den and tunnel while you unpack. If you want the wood-fired hot tub that evening, bear in mind it takes around three hours to heat.
A single-storey holiday lodge on the edge of Belford sleeping five, with a bunk room and a living willow den and tunnel in the garden. Bamburgh is about five miles away and the village pubs are a short walk.
Photo: From their website
Nature & gardens · 16:45–17:45 (1h)
A run on the sand below the castle after the long drive. Spring and summer only for this slot; in the darker months swap it for a walk into Belford village and go to the beach tomorrow after the castle.
A vast sandy beach backed by dunes right below Bamburgh Castle, with views out to the Farne Islands. Free to use, it is ideal for sandcastles and kite flying, and the castle makes an unbeatable backdrop.
Photo: Chris Morgan
Castle · 10:00–12:30 (2h30m)
Arrive for the 10am opening. Under-5s go free and a family ticket covers two adults and up to three children. Card and contactless only.
An indoor and outdoor castle in Bamburgh, aimed at ages 4 and up.
Photo: Matthew Hartley
13:00–14:00 (1h)
Lunch at the Station Buffet in Alnwick's old railway station, then a browse among the shelves. The ice cream parlour opens from midday.
A huge second-hand bookshop inside Alnwick's old Victorian railway station, with open fires, reading nooks and a model train running along the top of the shelves. There is a buffet cafe in the old station rooms and a seasonal ice cream counter, so it works as a free indoor stop between the castle and the garden.
Photo: Benjamin Smith
Nature & gardens · 14:15–16:30 (2h15m)
The Grand Cascade fountains and the bamboo labyrinth are the children's favourites. Children's garden tickets are free (up to four per group); Lilidorei, the play village, is a separate afternoon ticket if you have the energy. Check closing time for your date - it is earlier from late October.
An indoor and outdoor nature reserve in Alnwick.
Photo: TSP
North EastNewcastle / Tynemouth
Day one is a car-light coast day: Tynemouth's headland priory, the ferry across the Tyne and a South Shields seafront afternoon. Day two is all-in at the open-air museum at Beamish, with a short gorge walk to finish.
Tynemouth Priory and Castle → Shields Ferry → Colmans Seafood Temple → South Marine Park + 3 more
North EastSeahouses / Alnwick area
Three unhurried days on the Northumberland coast: a bookshop station and a duke's walled park in Alnwick plus Howick's gardens; sandcastles at Bamburgh and a boat out to the Farne seals; then a tide-timed crossing to Holy Island with Berwick's walls and the Etal mill.
Barter Books → Hulne Park → Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum → Bamburgh Beach + 6 more
North EastDurham / Barnard Castle
Day one explores Durham's cathedral peninsula and riverside priory ruins. Day two heads into Teesdale for a medieval castle in a deer park with a giant timber adventure playground, followed by the Silver Swan at a chateau-style museum where under-18s go free.
Wharton Park → Durham Cathedral → Finchale Priory → The Plotters’ Forest at Raby Castle + 1 more
