Boden Catalogue Uses Bamburgh Beach

Check out the new Boden catalogue, lots of wonderful images of Bamburgh beach. Our holiday cottages at Bamburgh are the perfect place to enjoy a holiday at Bamburgh. http://www.boden.co.uk

Stargazing on your Bamburgh Holiday

As the nights draw in, we light up. The Northumberland skies are deep with stars from now through to Spring. To make sure you get the best out of our heavenly nights, we have organised a galaxy of stargazing evenings and short breaks with trained star guides. Wheer better than to stay in one of our cosy Bamburgh holdiay cottages.

Stay at Bamburgh and see the most beautiful marathon in the country

Bamburgh holiday at its best Back for its 5th year, join us on the shores of Northumberland’s beautiful Kielder Water for a weekend of exciting events for all the family! Take on ‘Britain’s Most Beautiful’ marathon or one of the popular 10K and Run Bike Run events. Entries still open at kieldermarathon.com, don’t miss out!

What's on in Northumberland

KNIGHTS' TOURNAMENT Date: Sat 23, Sun 24 & Mon 25 Aug 2014 Property: Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens Time: 11:00 - 17:00 Suitable for: Everyone Marvel at our noble knights as they take on the ultimate medieval tournament. Swords will be wielded, archery skills tested and helmets battered as these skilled men are put to the test in each nail-biting round. Who will reign supreme and become champion? Who will you support? Soak up the sights and sounds of medieval encampments as food is cooked on open fires and the past is brought to life as medieval folk go about their daily lives. Try your hand at archery and laugh at our silly jester. And let your little knights feel the weight of real armour and burn off energy in battle drills.

Discover castles, houses and open spaces then lose yourself in the dunes of the Northumberland Coast. There's always something to inspire your day out in the North East.

Cragside Tallest Tree in the UK
This impressive Scots Pine is one of  an incredible seven million trees planted by Lord and Lady Armstrong in the late 19th century at Cragside. It's officially the tallest of its type in the UK at an impressive 40 metres - that's the equivalent of a stack of ten double decker buses

Seaton Delaval's 300 year old Weeping Ash
t nearly 300 years old the hall’s spectacular weeping ash has remained standing through numerous calamities, including the fire which destroyed much of the hall in 1822. Now in its dotage, its limbs have had to be propped up and it prefers a ‘hug’ rather than being swung on.

Hollywood Star at Hadrian's Wall
Do you recognise this lone sycamore at Hadrian's Wall? If you do, it might be from its starring turn on the big screen, in 1991 blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. 

Wallington's Climbing Tree
The 45ft high Nootka Cypress evergreen’s trunk height and branches have made it an ideal tree for climbing for generations of children. Last year our kids council voted it the country's best tree to climb.

Easter in the Alnwick Garden

This Easter, hop into action and enjoy some magical family moments with the Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt. Make this your Hoppy-est Easter ever! The Lindt Gold Bunny has escaped for a hoppy adventure in the The Alnwick Garden . Come and collect your activity pack and explore the gardens to discover where the Gold Bunny is hiding. Follow clues and learn about the other inhabitants of the gardens along the way. At the end of the hunt, hand in your completed clue sheet and receive a delicious Lindt Gold Bunny reward for a truly magical moment.

Castles, Kings, Ghosts and Wizards

Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England. A legacy of its turbulent past, including the infamous Border wars which raged from the 14th to 16th centuries, Northumberland boasts over 70 castle sites. Many have long since disappeared, some, like Dunstanburgh Castle, are romantic ruins. See others in their fully restored glory - like Bamburgh Castle, as seen on Robson Green's Tales from Northumberland. Towering 150 foot above the sea, Bamburgh Castle looks every inch the mighty citadel it once was. The very foundation stone of England, Bamburgh was a royal city during the 8th century and the castle the royal seat of the Kings of Northumbria. In 1464 Bamburgh became the first castle in England to fall to gunpowder during the War of the Roses. Fallen masonry from this onslaught can still be seen on the village green beneath. Falling into disrepair afterwards, Bamburgh was later bought and restored by the innovative Victorian inventor and genius Lord William Armstrong into the mighty castle you see today. Head inland to Alnwick Castle, the second largest inhabited castle in England after Windsor Castle, which stands guard over the River Aln. Home to the Duke of Northumberland, Alnwick has been the Percy family’s home since the Norman invasion over 700 years ago. Alnwick boasts two famous Harrys – the impetuous knight Henry ‘Harry’ Percy, born here in 1364 and nicknamed ‘Hotspur’ because of his readiness to do battle. The other being none other than the boy wizard Harry Potter, a scholar at Alnwick, which doubled as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. If you are planning a fun family day out in Northumberland then look no further than Warkworth Castle with its magnificent cross-shaped keep crowning a hilltop above the River Coquet. For chilly tales of torture chambers and ghosts go to Chillingham Castle, reputedly one of the most haunted castles in England.

Early Return of Puffins to the Farne Islands

The mild weather is thought to be behind an unusually early return of Puffins to the Farne Islands Puffins have been spotted on the Farne Islands this week in what is possibly the earliest ever sighting of the birds in the region. It is believed they have arrived at their Northumberland coast habitat weeks before they are normally seen because of the mild weather the region has been enjoying. Already there have been sightings of over 500 puffins on the Farne Islands It marks an amazing turnaround in fortunes for the birds on the Farne Islands. Last year was a horror story, as hundreds of dead birds washed ashore along the east coast from Northumberland up to Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Scientists feared thousands of puffins may have died of starvation, due to severe weather conditions in the North Sea. It is thought the birds were unable to feed due to storms at sea. The death of such large numbers of seabirds in a single incident is known as a “wreck”. Experts at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said it was more than 60 years since such a large puffin wreck was recorded. It is hoped this mild spell of weather will be a sign of things to come and the Puffins and other seabirds of the Farne islands - which are open to the public from April 1 - have a successful year. The islands are home to 40,000 pairs of Puffins during spring and summer

Hollywood Stars Film Macbeth at Bamburgh

Oscar-nominated Michael Fassbender and actress Marion Cotillard are filming new film Macbeth at Bamburgh Castle Oscar-nominated film star Michael Fassbender is in Bamburgh as filming gets underway for the big screen adaptation of Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth. Taking the title role, Fassbender, recently watched by millions in the widely acclaimed 12 Years A Slave, has been taking in the sights of Northumberland’s impressive coastline. Joining the movie’s cast, alongside French actress Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, is Bamburgh Castle providing the backdrop to scenes as Macbeth’s home. Welcoming the superstars, fellow actors and a crew of almost 200, Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland has been turned into it’s very own shanty town as trailers and marquees have gone up in preparation for this week’s two-day filming. The grounds of the historic venue will feature in the film adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy which also stars Paddy Considine and David Thewlis.