You may ask yourself if travelling in your motorhome or caravan in the UK during the winter months is worth the hassle or will you be completely fed up with the wet clothing hung everywhere, and more importantly, will you be warm enough? Well, from my perspective the answer is most definitely yes it is worth it, the wet clothes can be managed, and crank up the heating and you'll be toasty. Read on to see if you agree with me.
I’ve visited the Northumberland Coast twice in winter recently, February 2022 and last year in early March. On both occasions I have been lucky enough to have what I’d call mixed weather. Don’t get me wrong it has been very cold on both occasions, but when the sun shone it was most definitely warm enough for me to have my coat flapping like superman's cape while walking on the beach. On the other hand, I’ve also had some wild nights up there, and I don’t mean raving in a field with thousands of other people consuming copious amounts of alcohol. It can also be very wet, but then where in the UK isn’t? If you know somewhere, please let me into your secret.
I absolutely love visiting Northumberland in the winter, mainly because you usually get the beaches to yourself and can walk for miles without seeing a soul; perfect for blowing off the cobwebs and clearing your head. I have visited in the main summer months in the past and in all honesty, it never seems overly busy, which is why I probably love it so much. There are some real hidden gems and I’m hard pressed to find a better beach to walk on with no crowds than the ones in Bamburgh or Beadnell.
Day 1
As I drive up from Yorkshire, my first stop must be Craster to pick up seafood supplies from the famous Craster Kipper Shop – L Robson & Sons Ltd. If you’ve not called in here before then you absolutely must. I usually fill the fridge with fresh crab, kippers, prawns, homemade fishcakes and some fabulous homemade pate. I have been known to also make a stop on the way back to fill the fridge for home, you just can’t beat their seafood and I need my fix!
The car park for the village is a decent size, and I parked my 7m motorhome in the back section with no issues, but there is no overnight parking there.
From the car park you just follow the path down to the harbour/village and you can walk in either direction along the coast path, with some stunning views out to sea. If you get peckish, The Jolly Fisherman Inn serves lovely food at lunchtime, but it can get very busy so if you know you’re going I’d recommend booking in advance, even in winter. You can easily spend the day there if you like walking, or just pop in to pick up your fish and seafood, it is so yummy!
I prefer campsites to wild camping, especially in winter when electric hook-up really does make a difference for leaving the heating on all day and night. Our campsite of choice for this part of Northumberland is Springhill Farm Holiday Accommodation. They have a mix of hardstanding and grass pitches which are perfect in winter, shepherd’s huts, cabins and cottages. I’ve stayed on a pitch in our van, and also rented a cottage with family one year and I have to say they are very high quality. The toilets and showers for campers are immaculate, huge, and very warm inside, with hairdryers free to use. I’m going to stick my neck out here and say they are one of the poshest facilities blocks I’ve used in the UK, especially for the price of the pitch at £25 per night including electric in low season. They open February to November on the camping side, all year round for cottages.
If you don’t want to move your unit once you’ve set up, from this site you can walk into Seahouses via a footpath where you can catch buses along the coastline or walk to other places, or if you take bikes, make the most of the back lanes from the site which are perfect for cycling. Next time we visit we will definitely take our bikes.
Day 2
The hubby and I rose early, well maybe not quite sunrise hour, to a beautiful blue-sky day. We decided to walk into Bamburgh on the beach. From the campsite you walk down a quiet lane approximately 15 minutes to the beach, through the dunes and if the tide is right, you can walk all the way into Bamburgh. If you hit high tide then you can walk halfway on the beach, then drop back onto the path that runs alongside the road. It is a 6-mile round trip back to the campsite including a look round Bamburgh village.
Bamburgh is obviously famous for its castle, and it stands high above the beach looking out to sea, quite stunning especially when it is lit at night. You can now overnight camp in the car park at the base of the castle, there are dedicated motorhome bays for a nominal fee but no facilities other than rubbish disposal.
One of our favourite pit-stops is at The Copper Kettle Tea Rooms where the staff are always so friendly and welcoming. They have the most amazing choice of homemade cakes, and they offer really good value meals and snacks too. They are dog-friendly, with one side dedicated to pets and there is also a garden out back if its warm enough to sit out.
After filling our boots with tea and cake, we decided to head back via the more direct route to the campsite which knocks around ½ mile off. Head up the village passing the Deli (nice cheeses and chutneys from here). You turn up by the butchers (very nice tomato sausages, bacon and pork pies from here), then just follow the lane straight back to the campsite. If you cycle to Bamburgh this is the route I’d recommend, the lane barely has a car drive on it.
Back at the campsite we tucked up in our cosy van with the heating ramped up to 22 degrees and enjoyed a peaceful evening eating our way through the supplies from Craster and Bamburgh.
Day 3
Another sunny day, today’s walk led us down the lane onto the path to Seahouses, this takes 10-15 minutes. We had a quick look around the harbour then picked up the coast path to Beadnell which is flat and runs alongside the road but is set back just above the beach so not much traffic noise. Again, it’s around 6 miles from the campsite to Beadnell and back. There is a bus from Seahouses to Beadnell which follows the coast road, easy to walk one way then catch the bus back if you can’t make it both ways.
We stopped off at the Salt Water Café for a spot of lunch, highly recommend this place, or the Craster Arms opposite the café, they are owned by the same people, excellent food at both. You may have noticed a pattern forming here; I am happy to walk for miles but there must be a good grub stop along the way that the hubby has previously researched to entice me along! In the summer we love a good picnic from our rucksack but when its cold it has to be a nice café or pub.
You can overnight park in the beach car park at Beadnell which is charged at the ticket machine. Dedicated spaces are marked out and there is a bar/café in the car park that opens some evenings. There are toilets in the car park but I’m not sure if they get locked overnight, plenty of bins for rubbish but no other facilities.
By the time we were heading back, the tide had gone out sufficiently that we could walk along the stunning beach back to Seahouses. You could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Mediterranean if it wasn’t for the howling wind around your ears. Although the sun is out, I can assure you that the temperature does not match the blue sky in the photographs! Another fabulous day in the fresh air, back to camp to continue our feast of goodies whilst snuggled in the warmth of the van.
Day 4
A disappointing start with rain pattering on the roof of the van. However, by the time we were showered and ready for action, the rain was nothing more than a light drizzle (not the type that wets you through) so we donned our walking boots and waterproof coats and headed to Seahouses where we caught the bus to Budle Bay. The friendliest of bus drivers asked where we were heading and stopped the bus right at the end of the lane to the bay and Eric’s Campsite so that we could walk straight down onto the beach.
The sun came out briefly for photos, and from here we walked back on ourselves along the beach, up and over the golf course, coming out at the far end of Bamburgh where, you’ve guessed it, we had to stop for lunch at the Copper Kettle Tea Rooms. I did get my cake to go though as my crab salad was huge, but I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity for homemade cake! The walk was around 6 miles in total which is why we took the bus there, as 12 miles would have been pushing it for a round-trip.
Despite the day’s drizzle, we enjoyed the walk through the dunes and over the golf course but were happy to get back to the van and settle in for the night with our food supplies and a nice piece of cake for afters. Our wet gear dried out overnight hung in the bathroom with the heating on. Unfortunately, that is a downside to winter camping, often you have lots of wet gear hanging around. On Springhill Campsite they have a heated drying room where you can hang your wet gear. This is unusual but quite a welcome bonus if you don’t have anywhere to hang it in your unit.
Day 5
Today we were homeward bound, so we packed up the van and 30 minutes later we were on the road back to Craster, well it just had to be done as I’d eaten my way through the seafood supply we’d bought on the way up. It is only a 10-minute detour from the A1 after all and I don’t like to waste an opportunity to buy fresh fish and seafood.
If you’ve not been to Northumberland in the winter, then I can highly recommend it. There is so much more to see and do in the area, I’ve literally scratched the surface in this blog choosing my favourite places that we re-visited on this trip. We only had a short window of opportunity, and this campsite is perfect for a few days leaving your outfit on site while you visit the local delights.
I asked, "is it worth going away in winter?"
Well, I hope after reading this you agree with me that it absolutely is worth it, and you can have some enjoyable days away especially if you are lucky enough to get good weather like we did on this trip. Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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Safe and happy travels in 2024!
Very eloquent description and wonderful photographs. Keep up the good work. 👍🚙