North East England tourist information & travel guide

Walking, cycling, friendly pubs, sandy beaches - visit Northumberland!

Holiday cottages no matter what!

View all self-catering holiday cottages in North East England

Family holidays, visiting relatives, half term break touring North East of England, looking for wedding accommodation, a walking holiday, cycling vacation - so many reasons to rent a house in North East.

self-catering ready accommodation

Arrive to find your holiday let vaction ready! A turn key retreat clean and well equipped house.

Location is very important - proximity to holiday activities, shops, pubs or restaurants (if you want a break from self-catering).

Look for facilities that you may enjoy on holiday, for some people the size of the beds matters - others want to be able to dine outside.

  • Well equipped kitchen
  • Walk in showers
  • Wood burning stove
  • Real fire
  • Games rooms
  • Indoor gym
  • Sauna
  • Swimming pool
  • Pet friendly

You will know your self what equipment you need to bring for holiday activities - write a check list:

  • Hiking - walking boots
  • Tennis - rackets and balls
  • Dog - lead, dog bed, dog bowl, dog food
  • Cycling - road bike or mountain bike
  • Angling - fishing rod
  • Bird watching - binoculars
  • Cooking - food!
  • Reading - books
  • Beach - swimming costume, bucket and spade

Walking holidays in Northumberland

Country Walking Magazine said that Northumberland is 'the best place for walking in the country'. Based on the sheer variety and quality of its footpaths, bridleways and walker-friendly self-catering holiday cottages in the area, this is not an idle boast!

And it makes no difference was level of ability you have, whether you are a serious walker or a confirmed amateur ambler, whether you want a quiet, romantic stroll along one of the award-wining sandy beaches or a full day out to include clambering and climbing, you find it all in this terrific walkers' county.

There is a wide-ranging network of excellent footpaths throughout the county. This network crosses open country and farmland to connect villages, towns and hamlets in the county, providing both easy short distant rambles and the more demanding long distance trails. However, you'll find an ample supply of welcoming pubs and inns offering the best in home-cooking, to supplement your self-catering.

And there are ample opportunities for educational guided walks where you have the opportunity to learn about the region's history, heritage and wildlife.

Included in the much longer option is what has possibly become the most iconic walk in the UK - the 73 miles of Hadrian's Wall. The main Pennine Way starts at Hadrian's Wall, crosses the Cheviot Hills and the Northumberland National Park, finishing in Scotland.

The Northumberland National Park starts at Hadrian's Wall and the Cheviot Hills, through Breamish and Coquet Valleys, on to Wark Forest down to the edge of Kielder Reservoir. Many of the holiday cottages are along this famous route. There is a multitude of terrain types from woodland to moorland and valley to hill country. There are plenty of day (or less) routes, many of them signposted, and especially if you have the convenience of self-catering accommodation, you can try out different mini routes over the course of several days without having to worry about annoying timetables for meal times. Perhaps take a picnic or pop into one of the many welcoming and cosy hostelries along the way.

And your walk is not just confined to walking! You can try otter spotting in the Harthope or Breamish valleys - the wildlife is amazing. Or maybe you might like to take an archaeological trail through the Cheviot Hills and trace the Roman heritage of the region back to the fiery Empire days.

Northumberland's Heritage Coast offers fins, spectacular views, great beaches and very impressive scenery. For example, the short walk (approximately three miles) from Seahouses to the Castle at Bamburgh presents quite wonderful views of the Farne Islands, noted not only as the most famous Sea Bird Sanctuary in the British Isles (they also have a large colony of Atlantic or Grey Seals), but also for perhaps one of the most famous islands in the area, Holy Island or Lindisfarne. Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle is an even shorter walk of one mile, providing equally wonderful vistas. So you don't have to expect a walk in Northumberland to be an all-day (or longer) effort.

walking up to Dunstanburgh castle on the coastal path in Northumberland

Hand-picked quality self-catering cottages

Quality self-catering cottages - WhichCottage

Berwick-upon-Tweed England most northerly town

Just 2.5 miles (4 km) south of the Scottish border, Berwick-upon-Tweed is the northernmost town in England, often referred to both nationally and internationally as the “definitive border town”. It’s a very historic, yet traditional, market town – although it is walled - and has been a very busy trading centre and international port from as far back as the 12th and 13th centuries. Between 1120 and 1482 it changed hands between Scotland and England no fewer than 14 times. The town is noted for its architecturally important defence ramparts and barrack buildings, now maintained by English Heritage.

The town is ideally placed for the self-catering holiday maker who wants to benefit from a twin-country holiday – you can enjoy typical Northumbrian hospitality one day and Scottish Borders hospitality the next!

Dining on holiday - eating and drinking in North East

The North of England and Scottish Borders are well know for welcoming pubs and very good restaurants, taking pride in the high quality of the fresh, locally-sourced produce increasingly being used by chefs and bakers across the Borders region.

The national good food initiative has been taken to heart by all involved in the food business in the Borders – producers, produce sellers, cooks and chefs alike. Between them all, they are positively improving the standard of food in the region and continuously encouraging the use of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. So much so, that many food establishments proudly display their Certificate of Commitment to prove they have attended seminars on the subject of using the ‘Food and Flavours of the Border’.

And this is what makes a self-catering stay in the Borders region – whether you choose accommodation in Northumberland or the Scottish side – such a pleasure. The visitor has an incredible choice from both worlds – either fine, locally sourced fresh produce for making their own meals (self-catering kitchens are well equipped), or superbly cooked and presented meals in the region’s restaurants and cafés, with chefs and cooks using an extensive variety of this high quality, fresh, local produce - beef, lamb, fish, game, vegetables, fruit and cheese.

Whether you are out shopping for the ingredients to prepare your own local gourmet extravaganza, or you are dining out in one of the many excellent restaurants, cafés or inns, ensure you order some of the local specialities. With no less than two champion haggis-makers in the region!

Regions in North East

Alnwick castle and gardens

Alnwick

Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited stately home and castle in England after Windsor castle. Familiar to many because it was used in the filming of Harry Potter's Hogwarts school of wizardry, Robin Hood, Downton Abbey, Star Trek and The Fast Show. Alnwick Gardens are very contemporary - gardeners from all over the world rave about it - there is also an amazing tree-house restaurant, please visit and review it for us!

Beach in Northumberland - flat and sandy

Coastal beaches in North East England

Beaches and coastal towns and villages of Northumberland, English sandy seaside holidays for families. Tees Valley Heritage Coastline, Hartlepool, Tynemouth Priory and Tynemouth Castle, Bede’s World, The Leas, Littlehaven Beach, Marsden Rock and Bay and Sandhaven Beach

Durham Cathedral artefact

Durham

Durham Cathedral with the The River Wear looping past is a must see attraction during a short break in Durham. A top University town in England with a Botanic Garden, it's a very popular city break destination in North East England.

Bamburgh Castle

Islands off Northumberland Coast

'England’s Galapagos Islands' are a birdwatcher paradise, situated near Bamburgh castle just 2-3 miles off the coast of Northumbria.

Tyne bridge Newcastle and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Newcastle upon Tyne

Stay in Newcastle - visit Newcastle and Gateshead and stay in city break accommodation. Great for nightlife, eating out, culture, football and the Great North Run. Newcastle is linked to its south-bank nieghbour, by the award-winning Gateshead Millennium Bridge. The only rotating bridge in the world.

Holy Island, Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland and Hadrian's Wall Country. Northumberland joins the Scottish Borders to the north, County Durham and Tyne and Wear to the south, and Cumbria to the west - it's the most northerly county in England.