Three-day Northumberland coast: Alnwick, the Farnes and Holy Island

10:00–10:50 (50m)

Barter Books

Bookshop in the old station with the model train; drinks at the buffet.

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 · 11:05–13:30 (2h25m)

Hulne Park

Picnic and riverside loop in the walled park.

The Duke of Northumberland's walled former hunting park on the edge of Alnwick, open free to walkers, with riverside paths, woodland, a ruined priory and follies. Dogs and bikes are not allowed, which makes it a calm walk with small children.

Photo: Nick W

Nature & gardens · 14:00–16:30 (2h30m)

Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum

Gardens, arboretum and the burn-side path towards the sea.

The gardens and large arboretum of the Grey family estate near the coast, where Earl Grey tea is said to have been first blended. Families can roam woodland and riverside paths, and a burn-side path heads down towards the sea at Howick; the Earl Grey Tea House serves garden visitors.

Photo: John Nicholson

Nature & gardens · 10:00–12:30 (2h30m)

Bamburgh Beach

Morning on the sands below Bamburgh 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

Food stop · 12:45–13:45 (1h)

Neptune Fish Restaurant

Fish and chips by Seahouses harbour.

A long-standing family-run fish and chip restaurant and takeaway near Seahouses harbour, with its own ice cream and coffee parlour. Handy for refuelling before or after a Farne Islands boat trip.

Photo: DS Pugh

14:00–15:30 (1h30m)

Farne Islands

Grey Seal Cruise (or a puffin cruise April-July).

An outdoor family attraction in Seahouses, aimed at ages 4 and up.

Photo: Pontificalibus

Landmark · 10:00–12:00 (2h)

Lindisfarne Priory

Holy Island priory - only within the safe crossing window. Picnic on the island.

Red-sandstone ruins of the medieval priory on Holy Island, the cradle of early English Christianity and home of the Lindisfarne Gospels story. Kids can make a runic name stone and follow an animal trail; the island is reached by a tidal causeway that floods twice a day, so the visit has to be planned around safe crossing times.

Photo: Chris Combe from York, UK

Castle · 12:45–14:00 (1h15m)

Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts

Walk the Elizabethan town walls.

A free circuit walk on top of Berwick's huge Elizabethan town walls, with views over the Tweed estuary, the bridges and the sea, plus fragments of the medieval castle by the station. Information boards tell the border-town story; some sections have steep unguarded drops so small children need holding.

Landmark · 14:30–15:30 (1h)

Heatherslaw Corn Mill

Working corn mill (seasonal, last admission 15:30).

A working water-powered corn mill on the River Till between Ford and Etal, where you can see, hear and smell flour being ground. It sits beside the station for the Heatherslaw Light Railway, so the two pair naturally.

Photo: ford-and-etal.co.uk

Castle · 15:40–16:30 (50m)

Etal Castle

Small free border castle in Etal village.

A free-to-enter ruined border castle in the pretty village of Etal, at the end of the Heatherslaw Light Railway line. Small and easy to explore in under an hour, with riverside picnic spots nearby.

Photo: Shermozle