The Bugle

Windswept, rugged and with a certain romance all of its own...

This part of Northumberland is a delight to visit at any time of the year.

Uncongested roads, fantastic scenery and a warm welcome all add up to make an ideal holiday area, as it has plenty of accommodation, ranging from tiny B & Bs to large hotels.

I plumped for a self-contained Coach House at Ingram, on the edge of the National Park. A spectacular setting. Cheviot Holiday Cottages are the ultimate in luxury. A selection of houses and apartments all set in and around the grounds of an Old Rectory, this is 5 Star accommodation at its best. Well organised with wood burning stoves, kitchens you would die for and all the latest technology.

A few steps from your door and you are in the rolling hills of the National Park and fighting for the road with sheep that appear in large numbers around teatime.

Not far away is the market town of Alnwick with its famous castle and garden, which eventually will be quite spectacular.

Newcastle has undergone redical changes over the years and can now hold its head up high with the other cities of England, such as Leeds and York. The shopping centre has a wide range of stores. From here, it is a short distance to the river and the famous bridge. A walk over the Tyne across the new footbridge to the newly restored Baltic Flour Mill is invigorating and most enjoyable.

For walkers, the Northumberland National Park is ideal. The paths are well marked and the views are spectacular. There are plenty of parking places where you can leave your car before making off into the hills.

The Northumberland coastline is breathtaking and a good place to start any tour of the coast is Seahouses. A great place for fish and chips, this is the boarding point for boat trips to the Farne Islands. This group of islands just off the coast contains a huge number of seabirds, in particular, puffins, guillemots and terns. Some trips stop at the islands, whilst others go out to the lighthouse where Grace Darling lived, and the scene of one of the most exciting rescues of the past two hundred years. I would recommend one of these trips to anyone visiting the area.

Further up the coast is Holy Island. Only accessible at certain times of the day, it is an island with a rich and colourful history and the monastry ruins are well worth seeing.

The Northumberland coastline is also littered with castles of all shapes and sizes. These include Bamburgh, restored in the 19th century and Dunstanburgh, about a mile from Craster.

Further inland, west of Bellingham, is the delightful area around Kielder Water. A forested region, there are plenty of opportunities to take part in water sports and cruises across this huge expanse of water.

A wonderful part of England, Northumbria contains wide open expanses of countryside and a rugged coastline. Combined with the rich and cosmopolitan feel of Newcastle-upon-Tyne it is an ideal destination for a short break... or longer.