A Trip To Northumberland

I recently spent a few days in Northumberland, and took the opportunity to return to Lindisfarne, or Holy Island as it is probably better known.

Locally, the island is rarely referred to as 'Lindisfarne'. The signposts mostly state 'Holy Island'. Following on from the murderous and bloodthirsty attack on the monestary by the Vikings in 793AD, it obtained its local name from the observations made by the Durham monks: 'Lindisfarne - baptised in the blood of so many good men - truly a 'Holy Island'. Its more appropriate title is 'The Holy Island of Lindisfarne'.


Travelling along the A1 south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, you will notice Holy Island signposted. After turning off from the A1, a short drive brings you to the causeway which you have to cross to reach the island.
The causeway is open twice daily, dictated by the tides, so if you are planning a trip there it is essential you look up the times it is safe to cross the causeway. Info can be found at www.Lindisfarne.org.uk.
Tourist Information centres will also provide you with a print-out of crossing times.

On the day of my visit the causeway was not safe to cross until 4pm which meant a late visit, but I witnessed a spectacular sunset whilst there, so that alone made up for not being able to visit earlier in the day.

After crossing the causeway you come to a large car park, where you can park and catch shuttle mini buses to the castle, or you can choose to walk, but it is quite a distance to the castle.
A few minutes walk brings you to the village, where you can visit Lindisfarne Priory.
Building on the Priory began during the late 11th century, and is regarded by many to be the 'taster' for the building of Durham Cathedral. The Priory was built on the ground east of St Mary's Church, where late in the 7th century the church of St Peter stood. Saint Cuthbert amongst other 'northern' saints were interred within the church.
It is also here that the famous 'Lindisfarne Gospels' were produced.
We also visited the Lindisfarne Centre and heritage shop where you can buy souvenirs and find out more about the island's heritage.

Whilst visiting Holy Island you may want to taste the famous Lindisfarne Mead, which is a honey-based fortified wine dating back some 1300 years to a time when mead was first produced by the monks of the Priory. You can also buy bottles of Lindisfarne Mead to take home.

There are cafe's and a couple of pubs on the island, so plenty of places to stop for a drink or something to eat.
We noticed walking around the island there are many signposts reminding you not to leave it too late to cross the causeway before the tide changes. I wondered how many people have actually found themselves stranded after leaving it too late to cross! The tide comes in really quickly and at the start of the causeway it tells you not to cross if water can be seen at a certain point.

We chose to take the mile walk to the castle at the northern end of the island, which guards the entrance to the harbour. The view across the bay to Bamburgh Castle is stunning.
The castle was built in 1550 as an artillery fort during the reign of Henry VIII, it was bought in the 1880's by Edward Hudson and restored as a holiday residence. Renowned architect, Sir Edward Lutyens converted the fort to a home. The walled garden was created later.
It is said that the castle was constructed with stone taken from the Priory, however, the Priory remained standing well into the 17th century when it collapsed through neglect. Also the number of stones comprising the castle is considerable compared to those that would have been available on the site of the Priory.

The castle is now managed by the National Trust, and sits atop a volcanic mound known as Beblowe Craig. The views from the castle are amazing!

If you are a member of the National Trust then entry to the castle is free, otherwise the prices are £5.70 for adults and £2.80 for children. The castle is open daily except Mondays. We chose not to enter the castle on this visit due to it being late in the day, but throughly enjoyed the walk, the views and taking photographs.

Lindisfarne is also a National Nature Reserve whose mudflats, sand dunes and salt marshes are home to a variety of plants providing the habitat for migrating birds and wildlife.

Returning across the causeway the sun was going down and the scenery was beautiful. The reflection of the clouds in the pools of water on the mudflats, and the colours of the sky made for some lovely photographs.
Indeed there were quite a few photographers clicking away at the beginning of the causeway to return back to the mainland.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Holy Island again as it was a number of years since my last visit. It is a place that I feel always has a sense of peace and tranquility no matter how many people are visiting. We learned on our visit that around 160 people live on the island, but 650,000 people visit it each year!

In my opinion no visit to Northumberland is complete without a visit to Holy Island, just make sure you observe the safe crossing times!

I have recently returned from a short break in Northumberland and stayed at Purdy Lodge, which is a Travelodge/Premier Inn type hotel, next to a service area on the A1.

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LOCATION
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Purdy Lodge is located right next to the A1 at Adderstone Services, which is located at the turn off for Bamburgh on the A1.
When travelling through Northumberland you cannot fail to miss the hotel. It is in a great position to use as a base to explore Northumberland, which is exactly what I did.

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BOOKING A ROOM
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I had passed the hotel many times, and often thought about staying there. I only live around an hour and a half's drive away further down the North East Coast, but like to visit Northumberland often for days out and short breaks, as there are some fantastic places to visit.

I googled the name of the hotel and was taken to the website www.thepurdylodge.co.uk.
The website is clearly laid out and you are able to book online or telephone the hotel direct to make a reservation.
It states that the room rate is £64.95 per room, per night, but there seems to be a lot of special offers available, such as 3 nights for £135 and 2 nights for the price of one etc.

I was quite keen to book one of the offers, but when I was entering the dates I wished to stay, it was coming up as normal room rates. I noticed that it does tell you to ring the hotel if any rooms/rates are not available for the dates you require, so I decided to do this.
The receptionist was very friendly and helpful as I explained I was looking to stay for 3 nights, and wondered if there were any offers available as the normal rates were showing when I tried to book online.
She told me I could have the 3 nights for £135 offer, which I accepted, and the booking was made. I was given a reference number and was asked if I had an email address. The full booking confirmation arrived in my inbox minutes later.
I had given my credit card details, but no deposit or payment is taken at the time of booking. I was very impressed with the service and helpfulness of the staff when making my booking.

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THE HOTEL
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The hotel is situated to the left of the services area which contains a garage and large shop. There was ample car parking available.
Checking in was quick and problem free. We arrived at 2.30pm and were greeted warmly and given our room key, which was a swipe card.

We were told that hot and cold food is available 24 hours a day in the coffee shop 'Cafe One' which is attached to the hotel. Next to Reception is a bar and also a restaurant which serves breakfasts and evening meals, although snacks are available throughout the day.

Our room was on the ground floor. There are only 20 rooms in the hotel, they are all non-smoking, and they all at the rear of the building facing the coast and away from the busy A1.
On entering the room the first thing I noticed was the huge king size bed! Also in the room were two chairs, a wall mounted 26" flat screen TV, with freeview channels, hanging space for your clothes and shelves, bedside cabinets, hairdryer, telephone and a workspace area. Free wi-fi access is also available.
A kettle was provided along with plenty of tea, coffee, Cadbury hot chocolate and Walkers shortbread biscuits.
The room was spacious enough for our needs, clean and decorated in shades of cream and brown.

The en suite bathroom was fully tiled and consisted of toilet, bath and overhead shower. Towels and little bottles of shampoo, body wash and bars of soap were provided. I used both the bath and the shower during my stay and both were fine with plenty of hot water.

The view from the window was lovely, overlooking the fields down to the coast to Bamburgh Castle which is lit up at night, and a beautiful sight. The hotel was very quiet and you could only hear faint traffic noise from the A1 if you had the window open.

Overall the room was very comfortable and we had no complaints. The room was cleaned daily and towels replaced, as were the tea/coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits.
There is a note in the information file placed in the room which contains useful info and informs you if you wish to stay an extra night, then contact reception and they will try to secure you a discounted rate. So it would seem that whenever you book here it is worth asking about discounted room rates as they will do their best to secure a good deal for you.

On checking out we were given an itemised bill and then payment was taken from my credit card.

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RESTAURANT AND COFFEE SHOP
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The restaurant and bar area has recently been refurbished and looked very cosy with its dark purple and white decor, hardwood floors and candles and floating flowers placed on the tables.
The bar area has the same decor with a large wall mounted flat screen TV, leather chairs, tables and stools.
Drinks were reasonably priced at £2.35 for shorts and £2.65 for beers. Wine was available by the glass or bottle.

If you do not wish to eat in the restaurant you can have your meal in the bar area, but seeing as how I was celebrating my birthday we opted to eat in the restaurant.

Now I will mention here that the reason we opted to eat here was that we were both impressed by the decor of the restaurant, and also the fact that we had read a statement by the chef which was placed in our room with the menu. This stated that they pride themselves on providing high quality, well presented meals and an a la carte menu, using locally-sourced ingredients. The names of the local butcher etc were given which they use.

Room service is not available but you can ring Reception and place your order then when it is ready, go and collect it and take it to your room if you wish.

The menu was quite impressive, with starters, mains and desserts available. My partner had his eye on a dish of shelled mussels for starters which he saw someone else having, but opted for prawn cocktail instead.
He fancied the sea bass for main course but changed his mind again and opted for gammon, which was served with mushrooms, egg and hand cut chips.
Everything sounded tempting, and glancing around at the meals other diners were tucking into, they all looked lovely and well presented.
I opted for delicious home-made lentil soup, followed by pan fried chicken with rice, korma sauce and nan bread.
Our meals were well presented also, equal to any meal I have had in a 'posh' restaurant, served on separate little dishes and all cooked to order. Both meals were delicious and at £8.95 for my main course and £10.95 for my partner's, they were very reasonably priced! The starters were £3.95 and £4.95. We had no room for dessert!

The staff were very efficient and friendly, asking us where we were from and chatting about the area.

The coffee shop 'Cafe One' is also very nice and we enjoyed a few Latte's there during our stay. Meals as well as sandwiches, panini's, cakes etc are available 24 hours a day. My partner had an all day breakfast there one day and I had a panini with home made coleslaw which was delicious.
Overall the food served in both the restaurant and cafe is very nice and at reasonable prices.

Breakfasts are served until 12.30pm in the restaurant and 24 hours a day in the coffee shop.

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IN THE AREA
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The Purdy Lodge is a perfect base for exploring Northumberland. Bamburgh castle is a ten minute drive away, with Seahouses a few minutes further south. Dunstanburgh Castle, Ford and Etal estates and Chillingham Castle are all within easy reach.
Holy Island is a 15 - 20 min drive further up the coast.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here, it was an ideal base for us, comfortable, quiet and the restaurant was fantastic. I would recommend Purdy Lodge to anyone visiting Northumberland.

Purdy Lodge
Adderstone
Belford
Northumberland
NE70 7JU

Tel 01668 213000 for reservations or visit www.thepurdylodge.co.uk

My partner fancied trying The Badger country pub as it had been recommended to him by friends. We have drove by it many times, and it may be familiar to anyone who has been to Newcastle Airport, but we had never been inside, and so decided to give it a try.

Situated just half a mile from the airport, on Street Houses road, Ponteland, The Badger Country Pub, which is part of the Vintage Inns chain, looks quite large and welcoming from the outside.
Built in the 1700's, The Badger was at first a gentleman's residence, which was later split into three houses occupied by various farmers, until it became The Badger Country Pub.

We parked the car in the large car park and went inside. Just before the entrance there is a raised decking area under the trees, with tables and chairs which I presumed was the beer garden, However, on entering the pub we noticed another larger beer garden at the rear of the pub, with a patio area and garden area. There were plenty of tables and chairs, with canopies, lights and heaters.

The inside of the pub has a cosy feel to it with low ceilings and dark wood beams. Candles were lit on the tables and there is real log fire, though being August it was not lit of course. It seems quite large inside, but sectioned off into smaller areas and alcoves which enhance its cosy feel.

We were given a warm welcome by whom I presumed was the manageress, and chose our table. There was only a handful of people in the pub, but it was late afternoon at the beginning of the week. I would expect it is very popular at weekends and evenings, as it seemed a lovely place and has a nice atmosphere about it.

The pub itself, and access to it is suitable for disabled people, however, I did notice the toilets are located upstairs. I did not see all areas of the pub downstairs, and they may well have a downstairs toilet for disabled customers which I have overlooked. So it may be best to check with the pub about this if it is important to you.

The menu is quite extensive, with plenty of choice. I would defy anyone to say there was nothing they liked! It was divided into sections of classic pub meals such as Beer battered fish & chips, Toad In The Hole, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagne, Gammon Steak, Burgers, Steaks, Chicken Open Pie, Salads, and a variety of chicken or fish dishes.
Prices ranged from around £6.95 to £8.50 for most of the meals, however it was obviously more expensive for a fillet steak for example.

Starters were priced around £2.95 - £ 5.00 and included soup of the day, prawn cocktail pate' etc.

Side orders of onion rings, chips, garlic bread etc were all priced at around £2.00.

There was a nice selction of puddings available from profiteroles, chocolate brownie and eve's pudding to a selection of cheeses, all priced at around £3.95.

A lighter menu is available such as sandwiches served with chips, and also a Sunday lunch menu, and children's menu, which looked like smaller portions of the main menu, with starters from £2.00 , mains around £4.00 and puddings from £1.00.

Offers are available throughout the day such as a selection of meals priced at £5.95 for one course, £7.95 for 2 courses and £9.95 for 3 courses, which is a great price if you can eat that much!

There is a good selection of beers and real ales, which change on a regular basis. A wide variety of alcoholic and soft drinks were available.

When you have chosen your meals, you then order your food at the bar and are given a wooden spoon with a number on it to place on your table.
I ordered chicken open pie with chips and peas, my partner had beer battered fish and chips, and my daughter had gammon steak, which was served with chips, peas, 2 eggs and pineapple.
We also ordered 'summer breeze' drinks which consisted of orange and cranberry juice, priced at a reasonable £1.25 for a tall glass.

The meals were brought to our table after a short wait, and they were delicious. My chicken open pie consisted of a puff pastry crust in a dish with a chicken breast, ham and leeks in a creamy sauce, it looked lovely and tasted even better!
My daughter and partner both thoroughly enjoyed their meals too. The portions were large and very filling.
I had been tempted by the Eve's pudding for dessert, but none of us had room, so we ordered tea and coffee and went outside to sit in the beer garden. It was lovely and relaxing.

Our bill for the three meals and 'summer breeze' drinks came to £25, which I think is very good value. The coffee and teas came to £5.00 and were served in pots which provided a couple of cups each, so again good value.

The welcome and service at The Badger was first class! We were served our meals by a lovely woman who chatted to us, brought sauces etc and was very friendly and welcoming throughout. Nothing seemed too much trouble.
When we went outside, we offered to wait and carry our tea & coffee through to the garden, but were told it was no trouble and they were brought out to our table.

I know we will return here again soon, and wish we had visited sooner! I can highly recommend The Badger to everyone.
When we came out of the pub, the airport itself is only a few minutes walk up the road, so if you were staying overnight at one of the airport hotels then The Badger would be a nice alternative to visit for a meal.

The Badger is open everyday from 12pm until 11pm (10.30pm on Sundays) and food is served all day. There is no need to book. The pub also opens earlier depending on public demand, and you are invited to ring them if you would like to visit earlier.
I understand you can also hire parts of the pub for private functions etc.

The Badger
Street Houses
Ponteland
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
NE20 9BT Tel - 01661 871037

The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland is a really lovely place to visit, as I discovered recently when in the area.
I had decided to visit on the recommendation of a friend who had recently spent a day there, and had spent quite a while telling me about it afterwards. I was intrigued to find out more and visit here myself, as although I live in the North East and have visited many places in Northumberland, I had never visited The Alnwick Garden.

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HOW TO GET THERE
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The Alnwick Garden is situated just off the A1 at Alnwick in Northumberland, and is well signposted if travelling by car.
Buses connect Alnwick to surrounding towns and also Newcastle.
If travelling by train, the east coast line stops at Alnmouth which is 4 miles away.

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THE ALNWICK GARDEN
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The Alnwick Garden consists of a number of themed gardens, water sculptures - some of which are interactive, woodland walks, visitor centre and cafe and restaurant.

Ten years ago the garden site was derelict. Then the Duchess of Northumberland had a vision of creating a garden for families to enjoy, and from this vision, the project began.
To this day, things are still being added to the garden, and it is being created by celebrated Belgium designers Jacques and Peter Wirtz. Their unique approach to garden design is rarely seen in public areas, so this garden provides a unique opportunity to see their work.

On entering the garden, there seemed to be so much to explore and it was much larger than I imagined. We set about visiting the different gardens and features of the park.

THE PAVILION AND VISITOR CENTRE - this contains places to eat, drink, shop and enjoy some nice views of the garden. In the cafe, both hot and cold food is served. You can enjoy a meal or a sandwich whilst overlooking The Grand Cascade.
Locally produced pies, puddings and cakes are available in the garden's shops to take home. Also a range of plants and David Austin roses for your garden.
Drinks and snacks are also available from the Visitor Centre, and it is possible to enter the Visitor Centre and shops without buying a ticket to visit the garden.

THE GRAND CASCADE - This is a huge cascade water display which is the largest in the UK. There are four different displays every hour and half hour. Kids will have a great time here dodging the water jets which spray across the pathways and also high up into the air from the 162 water jets.
It is advisable maybe if you are visiting with children to bring a change of clothing as they may get wet!

THE SERPENT GARDEN - This is a great interactive water sculpture garden. This is another area which is great fun for kids as they can collect water in the mini tractors, paddle and explore the many ways the water moves in the serpent shape.

THE ORNAMENTAL GARDEN - This garden contains over 16,000 European plants, which is the largest collection of European plants in the country. There is a pool in the middle of the garden where water flows down open pipes to the two secret gardens either side. There are some really nice quiet places to sit in this garden, and also it is a great place for children to play hide and seek.

THE ROSE GARDEN - Over 3000 roses are contained in this garden, so as you can imagine it smells lovely! It is also very colourful.

THE BAMBOO LABYRINTH - This is a maze of twisiting pathways through tall bamboo, designed by one of the world's top maize designers. Great fun for both children and adults.

THE POISON GARDEN - This is an intriguing and fascinating garden, behind locked gates with a skull and bones sign warning these plants can kill. You are only allowed access to this garden with a guide, who will take you round and tell you all about the deadly plants here, such as belladonna, cannabis, mandrake, tobacco and deadly nightshade. We were informed that the Home Office grants a licence to Alnwick Garden in order for them to be allowed to grow the deadly plants.

THE CHERRY ORCHARD - This is a recent addition to the garden and contains 350 Tai Haku cherry trees.

THE TREEHOUSE - This is one of the world's largest treehouses. There are walkways and rope bridges, linking together a series of smaller houses, and at the heart of the treehouse is a restaurant. The treehouse was one of my favourite places here at the garden.
It is also possible to book a table for an evening meal at the restaurant and it offers an a la carte menu in the evenings.

THE WOODLAND WALK - This is a mile-long woodland walk, which offers some lovely views along the way of Alnwick Castle and the river.

We spent a lovely day here, and it is obvious there has been so much thought gone into the planning and development of the garden to ensure it is a place to be enjoyed by both adults and children.
There is something for everyone here, which I had not realised prior to visiting. I think I assumed it would just be a garden, and maybe not very interesting for children, but how wrong I was!
It is both an ideal place to relax and also to have fun with your children, and I will return again. I am looking forward to seeing the new developments which are planned.

I would also say that I noticed the garden is accessible for disabled visitors, including access to the Treehouse. Wheelchairs and scooters are also available to hire.

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INFO
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The garden is an evolving project, and there are many more features to be added, including a skating pond and more adventure play areas. There are also plans for five more themed gardens.

Workshops, tours, talks and courses are all held at the garden, as well as planting workshops for children. Many groups and schools take advantage of these.
A varied programme of events and activities are offered through the year, with music, performances, exhibitions and more. Spooky family activities are held for Halloween, and there is a great Christmas programme with lantern parades, trails, and of course Father Christmas!
Much of the programme is free for visitors.

Admission to the gardens is £8.00 for adults, and this includes an optional £1 donation to the Alnwick Garden Trust. Concession - £7.50, but please remember to deduct £1 if you do not wish to donate the extra £1. Children aged 16 and under the admission charge is only 1p!

It is possible to buy a Friend of The Alnwick Garden pass for £20, and this gives you unlimited access all year, as well as invitations to special events.

Alnwick Garden is open 364 days a year ( closed Christmas Day) from 10am - 6pm Apr-Sept, and 10am -4pm Oct-March. The Treehouse is open for evening dining. ( Tel. 01655 511852 to book a table).

The Alnwick Garden is a charity, and all profits are channelled back into the garden's development.

For more info regarding all the activities please visit www.alnwickgarden.com, or email info@alnwickgarden.com. Alternatively, you can telephone 01665 511350.

Standing majestically up here on the North East coast is Bamburgh Castle.

To anyone visiting Northumberland's beautiful coastline, Bamburgh Castle is a beautiful site, and there surely are few castles that can claim a more dramatic setting.
It sits on an outcrop of rocks overlooking the long sandy beach, and is a place I have visited many times over the years, as I love the remoteness of the coast here, and I also love to visit castles and cathedrals.
I can vividly recall one of my earliest visits, sitting on the huge canons here, and having my photograph taken with my Mum and Dad when I was around 5 years old.

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HISTORY
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There is evidence to believe that this fortress goes back to the Iron age, but the present castle began as a Saxon stronghold, and was later developed by the Normans and became one of the most powerful castles of the North Country.
During the Saxon period it acquired fame for being the resting place of the head and right hand of St Oswald!
Not much remains of the original Norman castle developed by the Earl of Northumberland in the 11th century, other than a portion of the mighty keep.

In 1095, the Earl of Northumberland fell out with William II, and Bamburgh was laid siege by the king, but this was unsuccessful. The Earl of Northumberland was eventually captured fleeing to Tynemouth and his wife surrendered the castle.
The castle remained a 'royal' castle for much of its life, however on one occasion it was taken by Scotland, but then regained by Henry II, who it is said completed the great keep, and the castle's three baileys.

During the War of The Roses, the castle was held by the Lancastrians, then in 1464 it was battered by canons after being captured by the Earl of Warwick, and it remined in ruins for over two centuries.

In the 18th century, Archdeacon Sharp restored the castle by investing his own money into it.
The castle saw further restoration throughout the Victorian era, followed by more work in the early 1900's, by Lord Armstrong.
Lord Armstrong is a Newcastle-born inventor, and maker of the renowned Armstrong gun, and bears most of the responsibilty for creating this awesome sight today that is Bamburgh Castle.

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VISITING BAMBURGH CASTLE
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Visitors to the castle are able to view a number of the castle's rooms, by taking the public tour.
Walking around the castle both inside and outside, with its breathtaking views over the beautiful coastline and nearby Farne Islands, is a great experience.
Inside, I particularly like the King's Hall with its medieval character, wood carvings and vaulted ceilings.
Also included in the tour is the Cross Hall, the Bakehouse, the Scullery, the Armoury and the Dungeon, as well as reception rooms. There are displays of armour, tapestries, arms and furniture throughout.
Whilst I was on the tour guides were very helpful and happy to answer any questions.
In what was once the Laundry room, is now a museum dedicated to the life and work of Lord Armstrong.

Walking around the outside of the castle along its mighty 150ft curtain wall and battlements always takes me back to my visits when I was younger. I have always loved visiting Bamburgh Castle, and although the inside is very interesting, the outside of the castle is my favourite part, and it also looks lovely when floodlit at night. I love views and scenery!
Walking along the beach below and looking up to this imposing structure is an awesome site. Don't forget your camera!

If you are lucky enough to visit on a warm summer day, then you may also wish to spend some time on the beach here. The Northumberland coast has beautiful beaches, with long stretches of golden sand, as it is here at Bamburgh.

A cafe and gift shop are also located inside the castle.

The castle is open daily from 1st March - 1st November from 10am - 5am.
Admission prices are Adults £7.50, Children (5-15yrs) £3.50 and Senior Citizens £6.50.
Group rates are available, contact 01668 214515 for details.

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GETTING THERE
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Bamburgh Castle is easily reached from the A1 in Northumberland, and is clearly signposted. You turn off the A1 at the B1342, where it is signposted and the castle is 4 miles down the road.
The postcode for sat nav is NE69 7DF.

Also nearby in the area is Holy Island, home to Lindisfarne Castle and Priory which is reached via a causeway at low tide.
I would throughly recommend a visit here too.

Bamburgh Castle remains one of my favourite places to visit, and I have never seen another castle in a dramatic setting as beautiful as this.