Beautiful Beaches: Bamburgh

Magnificent Bamburgh castle provides a backdrop at this beach, which has been popular since the Victorians first 'invented' the seaside. The sands run almost unbroken between Seahouses and Bamburgh, with dunes and just a couple of rocky areas that always prove popular with the children.

The area of beach in front of the castle is quite sheltered, so usually gets busy when the weather is good with, of course, sand-castles galore! The dunes at this point used to be home to a number of private beach huts but they have all but disappeared now.

A short distance away to the north there is a small white lighthouse on a rocky outcrop and, beyond that, a huge sandy bay that tends to be quiet even during the main holiday season. This is probably because it isn't easily accessible from the main road.

The best way to reach the bay is along the small road that leads to the Bamburgh Golf Club, then down a path to the sand. When the tide is out, the expanse of beach is tremendous and it is a good place for a quiet walk, paddling in the surf.

Continuing northwards, a few ancient wooden posts mark the site of an old jetty. It's difficult to imagine that centuries ago this area was a busy port for Bamburgh which, for nearly 100 years, was the capital of Bernicia - a kingdom that encompassed what we now know as Durham, Northumberland and the Borders Region.

The coastline curves around into the mud-flats of Budle Bay, which is a popular bird-watching spot and the scene of many an impressive sunset.

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