Towns and villages in the book
Bamburgh
Picturesque and tranquil village with a sun-dappled green where swallows dip in and out of trees, great pubs and the home of the "Bamburgh banger" (that's a sausage by the way.) Also at the heart of the village is a very fine church, and a newly renovated museum about local Victorian heroine Grace Darling.
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Alnmouth
The approach from the South must be one of the finest views from a railway carriage in the UK, with pastel coloured houses strung along the river estuary. Also boasts incredibly friendly, smiley and helpful staff (- how many railway stations can do that?). Alnmouth, described by John Wesley in the 1740’s as “wicked” is well worth a visit for its beach and the great grocer’s.
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Alnwick
Old-fashioned market town with mellow pace, interesting architectural mix, narrow streets and lovely shops - want to buy a saddle to remember your visit by? This is the place for you.
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Morpeth
Friendly market town that pulses with old ladies who smile at your children. (I don’t know where they keep them but every town should have some.) Also home to the marvelous Rutherfords, a department store which stocks everything the middle-class woman could ever want from nipple petals to designer handbags. If Rutherfords don’t have it, you don’t really need it.
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Seahouses
Seaside fishing village with pretty working harbour where you can feed the cuddy – or eider - ducks, amble along the main street and go for fish and chips. A magnet for visitors, stop off for a Coxon’s ice-cream while the Farne Island gift shop is a must for children with pocket money.
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Ford and Etal
Ford has an interesting gallery of murals painted by Lady Waterford while Etal is known for the ruins of its castle. The children can roll on the grass and fight with rubber swords and cardboard helmets. You can too actually, providing you do not mind if people stare.
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Barter Books
On the off-chance of a rainy grey sort of day, Barter Books is the place to go. Have a coffee by the blazing fire then mooch around the largest second-hand book shop in the country. Formerly a railway station, you can read books aloud to the children, ponder your purchases in the old waiting room or stand on the platform in the main concourse and wait for a brief encounter.
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To discover more about the towns and villages of Northumberland, including where to stay, please go to www.visitnorthumberland.com
Wife in the North castles & historic sites