Travel in north Northumberland

CAR
North Northumberland is easily accessible by car.

The A1, London to Edinburgh road, passes through the region close to the east coast. This is the Great North Road. Though, since the 1970's, many of the villages that it used to travel through have been bypassed.

Once you leave the A1 you'll find good roads that are surprisingly quiet even at the height of summer. Visitors often comment on what a pleasure it is to drive around north Northumberland.

BUSES
Most bus services in the area are run by Arriva and Travelsure of Seahouses.

The 505 Arriva service runs between Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick upon Tweed every two hours, passing through Alnwick and Belford. This is a fairly direct bus that travels along the A1 mainly.

The 501 service between Alnwick and Berwick is operated by both Arriva and Travelsure and takes a longer (but picturesque) route along the coast. It passes through popular tourist spots such as Bamburgh, Seahouses, Beadnell, Embleton and Craster and this is a good way to see the coastline...

The 401 and 411 services, run by Travelsure, also cover the coastal route between Berwick and Alnwick. Their 700 bus runs from Belford to Newcastle and the Gateshead Metro Centre, via Seahouses and Alnwick — one service in each direction — but only on Thursdays.

Currently (2011) the 477 service between Berwick and Holy Island is provided by Perryman's Buses and runs on Saturdays and Wednesdays only. This connects with the 505/501 services at Beal on the A1. However, the timetable for the bus to Holy Island is governed by the safe crossing times, which vary according to the tides.

There is no longer a direct bus between Belford and Wooler. Passengers must go via Alnwick or Berwick.

The bus services are quite reliable, but can be delayed due to roadworks, bad weather and picking up and dropping off school-children. They can be busy in the peak season and very hot on the sunniest summer days. On most routes there are no buses after 19.00.

We strongly recommend that you always plan out any journey in advance (to make sure you can get back) and check an up-to-date timetable.

BUS TICKETS

Ask the bus driver which is the best price ticket for your journey, as there are special deals. For instance, you can buy a one-day ticket that gives unlimited travel.

At the time of writing (2011) a Travelsure Day Ticket costs £5.50. While Arriva offers its own Day Saver ticket. An Explorer North East ticket is valid on most bus services in the region (after 9am on weekdays) and costs £8.00 for an adult.

By way of comparison, a standard single ticket between Berwick and Belford ( a distance of 17 miles) costs £4.40.

TAXIS
Taxis are available in the main towns and in some villages. In Berwick you can find them at the rail station and on the main street. The fare usually works out at around £1.50 per mile.

TRAINS
The east coast railway line runs between London and Scotland. This service is one of the best in the UK and pleasant to use. Certainly a more enjoyable way to travel between Newcastle and Berwick than on the bus.

The rail journey takes less than half the time of the equivalent bus trip, but a standard ticket costs more than twice the price.

The main railway station in north Northumberland is at Berwick upon Tweed. Also there are stations at Alnmouth (near Alnwick) and at Chathill. However not all trains stop at these three locations, so you should check this before boarding elsewhere.

The station at Chathill has two services in each direction per day. These leave in both directions at 07.11 and 19.09 and there are plans to extend this service to Belford station (which closed in the late 1960's).

The reopening of a platform at Belford is the number one item on the local transport plan for the next five years. There is also a longer-term campaign to reconnect Alnwick with Alnmouth.

If you are heading to Belford or to one of the villages around the coast, and you are able to fit in with the limited train times, a train to Chathill then a taxi to your final destination could be the best option. It will be a lot quicker than taking a bus from Berwick and could be cheaper too; especially if more than one person is travelling.

Chathill is about six miles from Belford, two-and-a-half miles from Beadnell, three-and-a-half miles from Seahouses and four miles from Bamburgh.

TRAIN TICKETS

It is important that you buy a ticket before boarding any train, unless it is impossible to purchase one at the station. Cheaper tickets can be had by booking in advance. At least a week or, preferably, fourteen days.

East Coast is probably the best website for buying tickets online because, at the time of writing, it doesn't charge a booking fee.

Strangely, there are no reduced price tickets on some routes: Manchester to Berwick upon Tweed being one example (though you CAN get a cheap ticket for Manchester to Chathill). A way around this is to 'split the journey' as far as the tickets are concerned.

For example, buy a ticket for Manchester to Darlington and another for Darlington to Berwick. You may even be able to stay on the train if both tickets are for the same service, although you will probably have to move from one reserved seat to another.

It's barmy that people have to do this to get the best deal, but you can save a substantial amount of money by doing so. The search facilities on the website make it relatively easy to find out which are the best stations at which to 'split' the journey and apparently it's all within the rules.

The information above was correct as of February 2011. But please check up-to-date timetables, prices and any conditions before travelling.

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