We stayed with our friends who live in Morpeth Northumberland and travelled with them around the area by public transport using our bus passes. This tranquil part of Britain has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Being England’s most northernmost county, on the border with Scotland, it has a wealth of historical landmarks and castles, which bear witness to long fought over battles.
Morpeth itself is a picturesque town with a well-cared for park overlooking the river. Our first stop on the tour was Alnwick (which we had explored on a previous visit) This market town is famous for its huge castle and the unique Barter bookshop. Our bus journey then took us to the little seaside village of Alnmouth with its painted cottages and narrow streets overlooking the North Sea. From the coastal path you can watch a myriad of seabirds.
Not to be missed is the village of Warkworth with its 12th century castle perched on top of a hill. The castle is managed by English Heritage and at certain times of the year some rooms are open for visitors. They also hold events such as falconry and knights’ tournaments. The Norman church of St Lawrence is built on the site of an even earlier church. At the north end of the village is the old medieval bridge with its 14th century stone gatehouse. For the more adventurous you can hire a rowing boat and visit the ancient Hermitage on an island in the River Coquet.
Two miles south east on the coast is the harbour town of Amble . It is famed for the Puffin Festival and you can join a boat trip over to Coquet Island to see the puffin birds nesting. Our friends own an Airbnb house in Amble and Dave is listed on the website as a “superhost”. So naturally I can recommend this place to stay!
I’m sure our friends will invite us again to stay in Morpeth as we have a mutual interest in drinking the finest real ales. There are so many other places in this beautiful area, which we have yet to visit, such as Bamburgh Castle, Lindisfarne and Hadrian’s Wall. We look forward to it!
