Our Local Area

The towns and villages dotted around Alnwick span a scale of contrasts from cosy coastal hamlets to remote hillside communities. Head eastwards to the sea and you'll feel like you've travelled back in time to traditional fishing villages where a warm welcome always awaits. There's Embleton, High Newton and Low Newton-by-the-Sea - three geographically close but distinct communities. Embleton's beach still sports more than 80 old-fashioned wooden beach huts, whilst High Newton and Low Newton (the latter of which is nowadays owned by The National Trust) both still boast traditional yet lively and now extremely popular gastro pubs. The Joiners Arms at High Newton is well renowned for its family friendly real ale and extremely good value for money cuisine, whilst the Ship Inn at Low Newton (originally known as the Smack Inn) now has its own micro-brewery with real ales brewed on the premises.

There's picturesque Craster, home to the famous Craster Kipper and renowned for its historical herring fishing past and more recently the Jolly Fisherman pub, which boasts cuisine to satisfy even the finest of palates. You can walk or cycle a mile north from here to ancient Dunstanburgh Castle, which was last occupied during the War of the Roses.

The Alnwick coastline also takes in Warkworth Castle, noted for its arts and crafts, whilst nearby Alnmouth boasts superb sandy beaches and two memorable golf courses nestling just next to the dunes. Further South there is Amble - a traditional fishing port with a modern marina and a busy seafront.

This stretch of Northumberland's Heritage Coast is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and you can see grey seals, dune flowers, over-wintering birds and summer seabird colonies galore.

Inland, you will discover the Alnwick countryside is a great landscape for walking Short and long hikes, cycling, fishing and in fact every kind of country pursuit one could wish for. There are untouched hamlets and villages like Ingram and Glanton nestling on the edge of the picturesque Northumberland National Park, whilst to the South of Alnwick you can experience quiet hamlets like Guyzance, that boast one of the finest 18th Century damns in England.