Bamburgh Castle and the Northumberland Coast

There is nothing I like better than putting the family into the car and setting out on a road trip. We are very lucky living in Newcastle as we are spoilt for choice for places to go to. One of my favourite drives is along the Northumberland coastal route. With plenty of sandy beaches, many castles and little villages there is plenty to see. At the far end of the route is Holy Island. You can drive across to the Island when the tide is out and visit. You can also stop at Seahouses for freshly caught fish and trips and get in a boat to go around the Farne Islands. These are a sanctuary for sea birds and in nesting season are quite a sight.

One of our favourite places to visit is Bamburgh Castle. Situated on the cliffs in the village of Bamburgh, it is an imposing sight as you drive into the village. The castle is owned by the Armstrong family and was restored by William Armstrong, a Victorian industrialist. Originally it was home to the ancient Northumberland kings and it must have been an impressive sight in those days.

The castle rises high from the cliffs and you can see that it would have been really hard to attack.

The castle is open to the public and you can while away a couple of hours inside wandering around. It is equally impressive on the inside with a museum room, grand kings hall, cross hall, armoury and the Victorian scullery. My son was particularly fascinated by the armoury and the weapons used in those days.

The buildings are as impressive inside the grounds as they look from outside. They stretch for a long distance and overlook the cliffs and the sea at the far end.

Looking down from the battlements you really get a sense of how high the walls are. You can also see the beautiful sandy beach at Bamburgh and it is definitely worth a stroll along here.

The beach is never busy and a great place to fly a kite. We took our picnic and enjoyed it with a view of the sea. There are plenty of other castles along the route but this is one of the most impressive.

Disclosure: This is my entry into the MoneySupermarket.com Road Trip Challenge. I was sent £50 to fill my tank with petrol and set out onto the open road.