Holidays in Northumberland

All places to stay in Northumberland

Seaside Retreat

🏖️ a few minutes' walk from Newbiggin South (Excellent water quality)

Morpeth, North East England

Sleeps 4

£367 per break

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Ebbe Retreat

🏖️ 0.62 miles from Beadnell (Excellent water quality)

Beadnell, North East England

Sleeps 4

£817 per break

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Friarystone Cottage

🏖️ 0.46 miles from Bamburgh Castle (Excellent water quality)

Bamburgh, North East England

Sleeps 6

£801 per break

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Bluebell Farm Cottages - Farne Cottage

Bamburgh, North East England

Sleeps 4

£343 per break

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Percy Cottage

Wooler, North East England

Sleeps 2

£503 per break

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Westfield Paddock Touring Caravan site

🏖️ 0.91 miles from Seahouses North (Excellent water quality)

Seahouses

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Sea Haven

🏖️ a few minutes' walk from Newbiggin South (Excellent water quality)

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, North East England

Sleeps 4

£373 per break

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Church Cottage

🏖️ 0.55 miles from Beadnell (Excellent water quality)

Beadnell, North East England

Sleeps 6

£1,206 per break

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Bluebell Farm Cottages - Lindisfarne Cottage

Bamburgh, North East England

Sleeps 6

£343 per break

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The Dairy Byre

Wooler, North East England

Sleeps 6

£1,438 per break

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Smugglers Den

🏖️ 0.59 miles from Beadnell (Excellent water quality)

Beadnell, North East England

Sleeps 4

£859 per break

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Stable Cottage

Bamburgh, North East England

Sleeps 4

£477 per break

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Dunglass Estate

✓ Exclusive use countryside wedding and events venue near Edinburgh

Berwickshire

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Soppit Farm Cottages - Cobweb Cottage

Otterburn, North East England

Sleeps 2

£363 per break

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Lindisfarne Cottage

🏖️ 0.55 miles from Beadnell (Excellent water quality)

Beadnell, North East England

Sleeps 4

£742 per break

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Well Strand

Rothbury, North East England

Sleeps 6

£791 per break

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The Cottage Highfield

Rothbury, North East England

Sleeps 5

£383 per break

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Camellia Cottage

Hexham, North East England

Sleeps 3

£413 per break

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Soppit Farm Cottages - Broomstick Cottage

Otterburn, North East England

Sleeps 4

£403 per break

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Reubens Retreat

🏖️ 0.29 miles from Newbiggin South (Excellent water quality)

Morpeth, North East England

Sleeps 6

£617 per break

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Sunnyside Cottage

🏖️ 0.55 miles from Beadnell (Excellent water quality)

Beadnell, North East England

Sleeps 4

£821 per break

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Spindrift

🏖️ 0.63 miles from Seahouses North (Excellent water quality)

Seahouses, North East England

Sleeps 4

£637 per break

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Oak Cottage

Rothbury, North East England

Sleeps 5

£781 per break

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More around Northumberland

Northumberland gives you a lot to work with: castles on headlands, a Roman frontier running inland, small museums with real character, and beaches that feel enormous even on a busy weekend. With over 1,000 places to stay on BritStays across the county, it's an easy region to base yourself in for a few nights rather than trying to see it all in one long day.

Best for families

If you're travelling with children who need to run about, Whitehouse Farm Centre near Alnwick is the obvious starting point — animals, space and the sort of visit that fills a morning without anyone checking their watch. Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre over towards Berwick-upon-Tweed works well for slightly older children and anyone with a soft spot for working horses; it's gentler and less busy than a full-on attraction, which some families prefer.

For a change of pace, the beach below Bamburgh Castle is hard to beat. Children tend to be more interested in the sand than the ramparts, so do the castle first while attention spans hold.

Rainy day options

Northumberland rewards people who have a wet-weather plan. Alnwick alone has several small museums close together, so you can move between them without much driving:

Bailiffgate Museum, good for local social history and a sensible first stop.
The Hardy Store & Mesuem, for the fishing-tackle heritage.
Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, for military history.
Ferryman’s Hut Museum, small, quick and worth ten minutes of anyone's time.

Elsewhere, Mr George's Museum of Time is an unusual one that tends to stick in the memory, and Ad Gefrin Museum near Berwick-upon-Tweed makes a comfortable indoor half-day. Lady Waterford Hall is another quiet indoor stop with painted walls that surprise people who arrive expecting something ordinary.

Outdoors and coast

Hadrian's Wall is the big outdoor draw inland, and Crag Lough — in National Trust care — gives you one of the most photographed stretches of the landscape around it. Walking boots rather than trainers, and a waterproof whatever the forecast says.

On the coast, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a day in itself. The crossing is tidal, so check the published safe crossing times before you leave and build your plans around them rather than the other way round. Once you're over, Lindisfarne Priory & Museum is the main reason most people come.

Castles and heritage

You could spend a week on castles alone. Bamburgh Castle is the showstopper, sitting above the dunes. Inland, Etal Castle and Ford Castle sit within the same rural corner as Lady Waterford Hall, which makes for a neat heritage day. Barmoor Castle, Coupland Castle, Bothal Castle and Langley Castle round out the list if you want to go looking for the less visited ones. For Roman history, Corstopitum Visitor's Centre pairs naturally with a walk along Hadrian's Wall.

How to group them into a day

Three combinations that work without a punishing amount of driving:

Coastal day: Bamburgh Castle in the morning, beach afterwards, then the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and Lindisfarne Priory & Museum if the tides allow.
Roman day: Corstopitum Visitor's Centre first for context, then a walk on Hadrian's Wall taking in Crag Lough.
Rain-proof Alnwick day: Bailiffgate Museum, The Hardy Store & Mesuem and the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, with Whitehouse Farm Centre added if the weather lifts.

Where to eat

For a proper sit-down meal, Pig in Muck is the sort of pub that suits a day of walking — book ahead at weekends and in school holidays. Grannies and Northern Angels are both tea rooms, useful for a mid-afternoon stop when the children have had enough of castles. There's a Starbucks if you want something predictable on a travel day. And Morwick Ice Cream Parlour is worth planning a detour for after a beach morning. All of these hold five-star hygiene ratings, which is one less thing to think about.

Making it a short break

Two nights is enough for a coast day and a Hadrian's Wall day. Three nights lets you add the Etal Castle, Ford Castle and Lady Waterford Hall corner, or a slower family day at Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre. Base yourself near Alnwick if you want shops, museums and eating options on the doorstep; near Bamburgh if the beach matters most; near Berwick-upon-Tweed if you're combining Northumberland with a trip further north.

Practical points: check opening days directly with each attraction before you set out, as smaller museums often close for part of the week and out of season. Fill the tank when you can — rural stretches are long. Carry cash for honesty boxes and small car parks. And always check Holy Island crossing times on the day, not the night before.

Frequently asked questions

Which Northumberland attractions are best on a rainy day?

Alnwick has a useful cluster of indoor options: Bailiffgate Museum, The Hardy Store & Mesuem, the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum and the small Ferryman’s Hut Museum. Elsewhere, Ad Gefrin Museum and Lady Waterford Hall near Berwick-upon-Tweed and Mr George's Museum of Time are all indoor visits.

What is there for families with young children?

Whitehouse Farm Centre near Alnwick is the main family attraction, with animals and space to run about. Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre near Berwick-upon-Tweed is a gentler alternative, and the beach at Bamburgh Castle usually keeps children happy for an afternoon.

How do you visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne?

The island is reached by a tidal crossing, so check the published safe crossing times before you travel and plan the rest of your day around them. Lindisfarne Priory & Museum is the main attraction once you're there.

Which castles should we prioritise?

Bamburgh Castle is the best known and the most dramatic setting. Etal Castle and Ford Castle sit in the same rural area as Lady Waterford Hall, so they group well into a single heritage day. Barmoor Castle, Coupland Castle, Bothal Castle and Langley Castle are options if you want to see the quieter ones.

Where can we eat with a five-star hygiene rating?

Pig in Muck for a pub meal, Grannies and Northern Angels for tea rooms, Starbucks for something familiar, and Morwick Ice Cream Parlour for a treat after a beach day. All hold five-star hygiene ratings.

How long do we need for a short break in Northumberland?

Two nights covers a coastal day and a Hadrian's Wall day, including Corstopitum Visitor's Centre and Crag Lough. Three nights gives you time to add the Etal Castle and Ford Castle area or a slower family day. There are over 1,000 places to stay on BritStays across the region.