{"id":524,"date":"2014-04-29T12:17:03","date_gmt":"2014-04-29T12:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/budlebaycroft.co.uk\/?page_id=524"},"modified":"2018-06-03T22:33:28","modified_gmt":"2018-06-03T22:33:28","slug":"beachesandbodaciousbites","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/budlebaycroft.co.uk\/?page_id=524","title":{"rendered":"Beaches and Bodacious Bites"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]Perhaps the best kept secret in the UK \u2013 Northumberland\u2019s beaches\u00a0are something special. Award winning for cleanness and water quality\u00a0\u2013 goes without saying, but where can you build a sandcastle with a\u00a0vista like this other than Northumberland?<\/p>\n

Vast, unspoilt clean beaches stretching from Holy Island in the North\u00a0to Druridge Bay in the South \u2013 all the beaches close-by to Budle Bay\u00a0Croft are spectacular. Some have castles and amenities, others more\u00a0isolated and less accessible. Whatever your preference, there will be a\u00a0favourite for your family \u2013 and even at peak times, virtually all of the\u00a0beaches are quiet, so plenty of space to run and be free, or simply sit\u00a0and contemplate. And there are some wonderful places to sample Northumberland Eats<\/a> while you explore the beaches and everything else this wondrous county has to offer, with many local chefs taking great pride in using the freshest of local, seasonal ingredients. Many even have special offers<\/a> to tantalise those taste buds even further.<\/p>\n

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne \u2013 known as the centre of England\u2019s\u00a0Christian Heritage, is reached along a causeway cut off twice daily by\u00a0the North Sea tides (Holy Island Safe Crossing Times<\/a>). A unique and beautiful island, it has a thriving\u00a0community (all of the Budle Bay Croft ducks are from here) with a\u00a0picturesque village alongside the striking 16th century Lindisfarne\u00a0castle and the ancient ruins of the Lindisfarne Priory. Holy Island is\u00a0also the birthplace to the Lindisfarne Gospels<\/a>. You can walk around the 4.5 miles of Holy Island in\u00a0around 3 hours and there are some beautiful sites on your ramble. Ross Beach is not easily accessible as it is about a mile away from\u00a0where you need to park, through farmland and dunes. However,\u00a0it is definitely worth the walk and is our family favourite beach.\u00a0This remote beach between Holy Island and Budle Bay has mile upon mile upon mile of golden sand, with Lindisfarne Castle views to\u00a0the north and Bamburgh castle to the south. We love getting there\u00a0at dawn, setting away a disposable BBQ (remember to take all your\u00a0rubbish) in the dunes to cook our Bamburgh Bangers<\/a> while watching the sun rise and mist clear\u00a0between the two castles. The shore and dunes provide sheltered\u00a0housing for an abundance of wildlife and sometimes access to certain\u00a0parts of the beach is restricted, for example, at breeding times.\u00a0However, this won\u2019t limit your enjoyment of the vast expanse of nature.\u00a0At the north end of the beach is Guile Point, with very distinctive,\u00a0locally iconic navigation towers used to guide boats to Holy Island\u00a0harbour. This is the beach that connects to Budle Bay, and forms the\u00a0golden sand bar across the bay, visible from the entrance into Budle\u00a0Bay Croft. Rumour has it that some parts of the beach are frequented\u00a0by nudists! However, in the many years we have enjoyed this beautiful\u00a0beach, we have yet to see any \u2013 despite looking hard each time! The sea is very cold here (you are in Northumberland after all) but is regualarly\u00a0used for dips, including the baltic times of Boxing Day and New Year\u2019s\u00a0day! Don\u2019t forget to get some Oysters<\/a> on your way back to the car to enjoy in your cottage with a glass\u00a0of fizz!<\/p>\n

Budle Bay is a beach but not a sandy one like most of the others in the\u00a0area. Budle Bay is a mud flat estuary home to thousands of wild birds\u00a0nesting and feeding in the fertile grounds around the 5 mile bay. It is\u00a0a haven in winter for migratory birds and is as interesting when the\u00a0tide is out as it is beautiful when the tide is in. You can access Budle\u00a0Bay from Budle Bay Croft in about 2 minutes. We often walk around\u00a0the bay to explore the habitats and views, taking a picnic with us. It is\u00a0best to walk on the verges as the flats can be quite heavy on the feet.\u00a0Mussels can be found in Budle Bay (we would normally only eat in\u00a0months with an R in for risk of contamination with harmful algae) and\u00a0they are delicious cooked that day with white wine and cream, and\u00a0served with a crusty roll. There are no amenities as such at Budle Bay,\u00a0but of course you will be staying right there so you shouldn\u2019t need any!\u00a0However, there is an award winning restaurant next to Budle Bay in\u00a0the hamlet of Waren Mill (next door to Budle Bay Croft) called Gray\u2019s\u00a0Restaurant in the Waren House Hotel<\/a>. It is necessary to book, and\u00a0unfortunately they do not accept children under 14 (why not use your\u00a0free baby sitting treat?). However, if you can get a chance to go, the\u00a0Northumberland Tasting menu has been highly recommended by our\u00a0guests who have sampled it. Budle Bay does have water-sports<\/a> including kite surfing\u00a0and jet skiing but they can be seasonal\/ weather dependent and\u00a0sometimes not available to protect the natural habitat at breeding\u00a0times. Water sports can be prearranged by ourselves, or booked locally\u00a0by yourselves after arrival.<\/p>\n

Budle Bay is also a great starting point to walk along the beach to\u00a0Bamburgh when the tide is out \u2013 it is about 4 miles along the coastline\u00a0but as with everywhere round here, the views are breathtaking!\u00a0Northumberland has a wide range of attractions, activities and landscapes for you to enjoy. We have highlighted just a few \u2013 for more information on these, including\u00a0opening times and admission prices and offers, please use the relevant links. For more information on an even wider range of things to see and do, we recommend you\u00a0take a look at https:\/\/www.visitnorthumberland.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bamburgh Beach sits below the magnificent Bamburgh castle, and\u00a0offers a long, open expanse of golden sand running almost unbroken\u00a0between Bamburgh and Seahouses. Prince Charles visited the beach\u00a0in 2012 and was amazed at it\u2019s beauty, asking his aides why he had\u00a0never been there before! The beach has sheltering sand dunes and\u00a0the odd rocky area, great for crab hunting and rock pooling. There is a\u00a0little burn running onto the beach to the north of the castle (go along\u00a0The Wynding and park in one of the car parks to be close by). This is\u00a0a magnet for children of all ages in all seasons, where it is apparently\u00a0mandatory to create sand dams, castles, villages and battle grounds\u00a0by diverting the flow around kiddie made structures. As the structures\u00a0get larger, it seems mums and dads can\u2019t help but to join in in too.\u00a0Bamburgh beach is great to go to at the end of the day for your daily\u00a0beach fix after visiting one of the other attractions in the area. You can\u00a0park right next to it, so when you are all played out and tired, you can\u00a0simply wrap up in a towel and be in a hot bath at Budle Bay Croft in\u00a0less than 5 minutes! Bamburgh<\/a> itself\u00a0is a charming, traditional, quaint little village steeped in history and\u00a0well worth visiting. There is a fantastic little butchers called Carter\u2019s\u00a0\u2013 famed for the Bamburgh Banger<\/a> and a true Rick Stein hero. There are other little cafes in the\u00a0village for tea, scones and sandwiches, and of course the hotels offer\u00a0good food – The Castle Inn<\/a> which\u00a0serves good sized portions of traditional food and is child friendly. The\u00a0Victoria Hotel<\/a>, that has a lighter menu\u00a0available from the bar and more formal dining in the restaurant, and\u00a0is very dog friendly; the fabulous and highly rated Potted Lobster<\/a>; the beautifully refurbished Lord Crewe<\/a>, that also has a bar served menu and a formal\u00a0dining option, and is focusing on local produce; plus the Mizen hotel<\/a>, which is famed for its fish menu, local produce and\u00a0excellent head chef Martin Underwood \u2013 you will need to book. There\u00a0is a village shop, GS Clark and Son that supplies milk, papers, bread,\u00a0fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers and staples. Bamburgh also boasts\u00a0a delectable shop selling traditional sweets and locally made ice\u00a0creams called The Wyndenwell<\/a>, two\u00a0quality gift shops, a wonderful deli, a great little art gallery and an\u00a0award winning tea room. There is also the historic St Aidan\u2019s Church<\/a> and the RNLI Grace Darling\u00a0Museum<\/a> too.\u00a0In 1838 Grace Darling courageously rescued sailors from a wrecked\u00a0steamship, the SS Forfarshire in horrendous conditions on a tiny\u00a0cobble. It is well worth visiting the free interactive museum for an hour\u00a0or so to find out more about our local heroine, and to see her final\u00a0resting place at St. Aidan\u2019s Church, opposite.<\/p>\n

Seahouses Beach, or rather St. Aidan\u2019s Beach, runs from Bamburgh\u00a0through to the harbour \u2013 a vast arc shape of golden sand with superb\u00a0views to the Farne Islands. When you arrive in Seahouses, you can\u00a0enjoy a traditional yet lively coastal village with cafes, fish and chip\u00a0shops, restaurants, bars, gift shops, arcades and a petrol station.\u00a0Seahouses is home to The Ocean Club<\/a> where you have membership to use the gym, pools, sauna and spa\u00a0(for a small additional fee) as well as access to first class health and\u00a0beauty treatments. There is also a licensed caf\u00e9 serving freshly made\u00a0food all day. On the sea front you will find The Bunker, a really clean\u00a0soft play with fantastic fish and chips and a breathtaking view upstairs\u00a0from their licensed restaurant. They are usually only open until early\u00a0evening, and you can combine food with a game of crazy golf too!\u00a0Seahouses has a good range of everyday shops such as The Co-op and\u00a0Boots the Chemist, newsagents and ice cream shops. It has a barbers, a\u00a0beauty spa\/hairdressers<\/a>, cafes and coffee shops,\u00a0and\u00a0unusual gift suppliers such as the National Trust shop, where proceeds go directly to preserving The Farne Islands. One of our favourites is Drift – with some great local art, gifts, souvenirs, cards and more recently a fantastic range of haberdashery supplies.
\nSeahouses also boasts a great\u00a0little fruit and veg shop<\/a> too.
\nIt also has a selection of specialist shops such as The Northumbrian\u00a0Hamper, for locally made gorgeous food and drink treats, and The\u00a0Swallow Fish Shop<\/a>, another award\u00a0winning Rick Stein hero where you can get local oysters, mussels,\u00a0lobster and crab, all fresh that morning, plus some interesting other\u00a0fish and fishy treats. There are a number of pubs in Seahouses,\u00a0all serving fare, such as the Bamburgh Castle Inn<\/a> which is both child and dog friendly and\u00a0The Old Ship<\/a>,\u00a0a true fisherman\u2019s bolt hole. There are 2 Indian restaurants, a chinese\u00a0takeaway and a great little artisan pizzeria called Elan<\/a> \u2013 but I warn you \u2013 you will need to book! Boats run trips to The Farne\u00a0Islands and beyond, including whale and dolphin watching, fishing,\u00a0and diving with seals \u2013 all can be booked from the harbour. Two\u00a0highly recommended companies include Serenity Boats<\/a>\u00a0and Billy Shiel<\/a>. North Sea fishing, departing from Seahouses, can be preorganised\u00a0by ourselves, or arranged by yourselves on arrival. There are\u00a0a number of trip options available, so it doesn\u2019t really matter whether\u00a0you are an experienced angler or a complete novice. Individual or\u00a0group bookings are possible. Sea fishing species typically include\u00a0Ling, Pollock, Coalfish, Cod and Mackerel. Rod hire is possible and all\u00a0bait, weights and traces can be bought on board the boats. There are\u00a0also whale and dolphin watching cruises, trips to the Farne Islands,\u00a0evening cruises and speedboat rides all available from Seahouses. You\u00a0can also dive to explore the many local wrecks, or even swim with the\u00a0friendly seals<\/a>!. Seahouses also\u00a0boasts a fantastic riding school called Slate Hall Riding Centre<\/a>. Lessons and\u00a0rides can be organised in advance or after you arrive. Equipment and\u00a0horses can be provided, and you can do anything from a taster session\u00a0for a novice right though to beach hacks and trekking. Our little pony,\u00a0Jaspar is often at Slate Hall for exercise! These can be all be organised\u00a0in advance by the owners if required, and we can often secure special\u00a0discounts. Just let us know what you fancy and they will come back\u00a0to you with options and availability. Having said all of that, we love\u00a0nothing more than to get some fish and chips and just sit and watch\u00a0the comings and goings of the harbour, especially on Life Boat drill\u00a0days. \u00a0Here is a lovely little guide <\/a>\u00a0from the local children on what to do in their village and neighbouring villages of Bamburgh and Beadnell. It is also worth checking the award winning Seahouses Hub<\/a> to see if there is a film showing or event on – especially for rainy days.<\/p>\n

The Farne Islands are rocky outcrops reached by boat from Seahouses\u00a0and are situated 2-3 miles off the coast from Bamburgh. They form\u00a0one of Britain\u2019s most important bird sanctuaries being home to tens\u00a0of thousands of resting puffins, guillemots and kittiwakes, in addition\u00a0three is a large colony of Atlantic Grey seals. Boat trips circle the\u00a0islands, and some do land on the islands \u2013 a must of you want to see\u00a0the home of Grace Darling, and the wildlife even closer.<\/p>\n

Beadnell Beach flows from the ancient harbour, and only west facing\u00a0port on the east coast of England. Beadnell is a huge horseshoe shaped\u00a0beach known locally for a wide range of water sports like kayaking,\u00a0wind-surfing, kite surfing, dingy sailing, and pony trekking. Some of\u00a0the dunes are steep and great for rolling down or even sand sledging!\u00a0Scuba-diving is also popular here due to the myriad of wrecks and\u00a0treasures found along the Northumbrian coastline. This beach (and\u00a0village) can get comparatively very busy during school holidays.\u00a0Beadnell has a few amenities including a village shop and park, and a\u00a0couple of restaurants, The Craster Arms<\/a> and\u00a0the Beadnell Towers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Newton and Low Newton Beaches are easily accessible by car and are\u00a0both also beautiful beaches. Newton is larger, the other half of the Beadnell\u00a0Beach horse shoe but much less activity-based than Beadnell. Like\u00a0Beadnell, the dunes are high so great climbing and rolling fun to be\u00a0had! There is a popular restaurant called The Joiners Arms<\/a> that guests tell me is especially child friendly. Low\u00a0Newton is almost entirely National Trust owned and includes a square\u00a0right next to the sand where The Ship Inn<\/a> is located and it is highly recommended by previous guests. They are a\u00a0micro brewery and often have music in the evenings, but you may\u00a0need to book. The walk between Beadnell and Newton is very pretty. Don’t be surprised to see seals on (or close to) the shore line (and delicious refreshments at The Joiners Arms or The Ship Inn a just reward)!<\/p>\n

The lonely coastline stretch between Dunstanburgh and Embleton is\u00a0dominated by the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle but the delightful\u00a0walks and panoramic cliff tops from Craster or along Embleton bay\u00a0are breathtaking. There are a sprinkling of shops, pubs and cafes in\u00a0Embelton should you need some refreshments such as Eleanor\u2019s Byre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Craster Beach is actually very, very small, but the pretty and traditional\u00a0fishing village is well worth a visit. The Craster family built the present\u00a0harbour in 1906 in memory of Captain Cratser who was killed on active\u00a0service in India in 1904. They still live in the area, at Craster Tower, a\u00a0fort dating back to 1415, and some of their children are at the same\u00a0school as ours). Craster is home to the traditional Craster Kipper, and\u00a0also boasts a lovely award winning restaurant (the Jolly Fisherman<\/a> and a great little caf\u00e9, The shoreline<\/a>, as well as a lovely art gallery by Mick Oxley<\/a>. You can go bird spotting in the Arnold Memorial\u00a0Nature Reserve, owned by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. This\u00a0green haven attracts a variety of birdlife where rarities including\u00a0wryneck, icterine and red-breasted flycatchers have been recorded. If you prefer to work up an appetite and walk or cycle along the shoreskimming\u00a0path to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, whose skeletal\u00a0outline juts skyward from the sea. Incredible rock formations loom\u00a0like prehistoric creatures from the coastline. A coastal rock walk from\u00a0nearby Howick to Cullernose Point takes in the landscape\u2019s sheer geodiversity.<\/p>\n

A little further south is the hidden cove of Rumbling Kern,\u00a0once the haunt of whisky smugglers bootlegging their contraband up\u00a0and down the coastline; today this award-winning, secret beach is\u00a0worthy of a visit. Sugar Sands are two adjoining sheltered coves often overlooked by the\u00a0majority of visitors to the area. Drive into Longhouton past St. Peter\u2019s\u00a0and St.Paul\u2019s Church on the left, turn right following a narrow lane (honesty collection box at gate for the local church) and park on the\u00a0sand dunes.<\/p>\n

Boulmer was once the haunt of smugglers and is now one of the few\u00a0true fishing villages left on the Northumberland Coast. It has no\u00a0proper harbour and is set in a natural haven where you will see\u00a0traditional fishing cobbles moored in the water or hauled ashore.\u00a0The local pub is the Fishing Boat Inn<\/a> and serves\u00a0seafood and a view across the sea \u2013 but you need to book. Don\u2019t\u00a0mistake this little place with the massive neighbouring RAF Boulmer!<\/p>\n

Seaton Point is a very pleasant stretch of sandy beach running\u00a0between the rocky headland south of Boulmer and a similar headland\u00a0to the south before reaching Alnmouth. You can park your car on the\u00a0side of a track leading from the coastal path to the beach.<\/p>\n

Alnmouth is a picturesque coastal village dating back to 1150 with\u00a0a quiet sandy beach on the north side of the village. There are good\u00a0bird watching opportunities along the sand dunes and estuary, and\u00a0the village itself is quaint with a small array of coffee shops and pubs.<\/p>\n

Warkworth Beach can be reached by a small road that leads off the\u00a0coastal route before entering Warkworth village. It takes you down to\u00a0spectacular sands that run north to Buston Links and Alnmouth Bay.\u00a0Warkworth itself is a pretty village unspoilt by modern development\u00a0and the main street is dominated by a medieval keep. A stroll down\u00a0the street reveals interesting shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. The\u00a0Hermitage is a chapel, confessional and dormitory hidden by trees half\u00a0a mile upstream of the castle, on the north bank of the river Coquet. It\u00a0can be reached by following the footpath ion the south bank until\u00a0coming to a boat landing where your can hire a boat to cross.<\/p>\n

Coquet Island RSPB Reserve lies just one mile off the coast at Amble,\u00a0and has been a place of actuary since AD684 when St. Cuthbert landed\u00a0there. It is a safe haven for over 30,000 seabirds, some travelling from\u00a0Africa to nest on the island. Species include the roseate tern, the UK\u2019s\u00a0rarest seabird and declining globally. 80 pairs nest here and represent\u00a0over 90% of the UK population. Thousands of puffins arrive March\/April and nest underground, often in old rabbit burrows, each rearing\u00a0a single puffling. A boat trip around the island can be arranged from\u00a0Amble. Amble’s also good for fish and chips and delicious ice cream\u00a0made by Spurelli<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Druridge Bay is a long sweeping beach fringed with dunes. Ladyburn\u00a0Lake in the adjacent Country Park provides facilities for windsurfing\u00a0and dingy sailing.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]\"\"<\/p>\n

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