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What's this blog all about?

Hi, I'm Nicola - welcome to a blog begun in 2012 about family travel around the world, without leaving the UK.

I love travel adventures, but to save cash and keep my family's carbon footprint lower, I dreamt up a unique stay-at-home travel experience. So far I've visited 110 countries... without leaving the UK. Join me exploring the next 86! Or have a look at the "countries" you can discover within the UK by scrolling the labels (below right). Here's to happy travel from our doorsteps.

Around 2018 I tried a new way of writing my family's and my own UK travel adventures. Britain is a brilliant place for a staycation, mini-break and day trips. It's also a fantastic place to explore so I've begun to write up reports of places that are easy to reach by public transport. And when they are not that easy to reach I'll offer some tips on how to get there.

See www.nicolabaird.com for info about the seven books I've written, a link to my other blog on thrifty, creative childcare (homemadekids.wordpress.com) or to contact me.

Saturday 16 February 2013

GUEST POST: Be an explorer in Northumberland


Northumberland is known to be the most sparsely populated county in Britain says guest poster John Jackson. The beautiful countryside, the sparkling coast and the historic architecture make Northumberland an interesting visit, whether you decide to come for the weekend, or for a fortnight.  Here are some of my top locations to help you make the most of your Northumbrian adventure.
Castles
Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Warkworth, and Chillingham are the most well-known, but Northumberland has many castles waiting for you to explore. See the location on which parts of the famous Harry Potter movies were shot; go trudging in the bountiful rock pools at Bamburgh; walk the Embleton beach to Dunstanburgh; explore the slightly ruined Warkworth; or hunt out the ghosts at Chillingham. The possibilities are endless. If you visit Alnwick, why not have lunch in the treetop restaurant, or take a picnic and visit the Alnwick gardens if it is a pleasant day…

The Coast
Amble marina is famous for its delicious fresh fish, not to mention its fish and chip shop. There are also boat trips out to the Farne islands, where puffins and seals gather, flying and swimming freely. It is a beautiful sight to behold! Further north, if you time it well, you can take a trip over to Holy Island. Make sure you check what time the tide comes in/out though… a tourist gets caught out every week.

Explore Northumberland on line

Traditional Pub Meal
The Angler’s Arms is a personal favourite of mine, offering an enormous variety of delicious food, whether you prefer a traditional dinner or something a little special. There are many other eateries, with several located in Rothbury. Why not go for a lovely walk in the countryside before tucking yourself away with some cold ale and a warming meal?

Kielder
Popular among cyclists, Kielder and Kielder forest is a beautiful destination for a day out with the family. Take a walk, challenge yourself to a mountain bike track, or go for a ride on horseback through the woods. Or pay a visit to the Kielder Water Birds of Prey centre and check out the elegant and majestic birds close-up. As far as food goes, you can pick up a delicious meal, whether it is a light lunch or an evening feast from one of three locations, each offering different options.  Fancying a day of fishing? Not a problem. Pick up your permit on site from £10 and fish one of many locations in the 2000 acres of water. Fully equipped motor boats are available to hire.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay, you can hire a Yurt or a Wigwam for a week, or if you prefer to explore more, check out Vancations (where you can hire a deluxe campervan for your Northumbrian break). There are a number of camp sites for you to pitch up for the night, so do some research before you come. Check out what festivals are on in the area when you visit. There’s always something exciting in the summer, such as a classic car show, a bike show, a beer festival or a food festival with a European market. Most importantly, just enjoy our open air and beautiful scenery!

Info on blog posts - occasionally guest posts are put on this site. The Aroundbritainnoplane family loves Northumberland so that's how this ended up here. Your comments are welcome. Where do you like going that gives you a sense of adventure?

1 comment:

Karin said...

I've never been to Northumberland, but it is somewhere I'd like to go. This post tells me there's clearly more than just Holy Island to visit, too, which would make it much more worth our while going there. We'll have to give it more serious consideration.