A Northumbrian Holiday

The Forge, Powburn. Our beautiful little holiday cottage.

In July, after a tough couple of weeks, I was lucky enough to bag myself a free trip away to Northumberland with my lovely family. Although I was originally disappointed about having to cancel some pre-existing plans, this was exactly the time away that I needed and my God was it jam packed full of adventure, and lots and lots of laughter.

Pots and Paws, Rothbury.

The summer holidays obviously have to begin with a flurry of horrible weather, however, we didn't let this ruin our time away and started the week with a trip to a pottery painting studio. I am such a perfectionist and ended up spending way too long making sure every inch was up to scratch, forgetting about the actual floral design that I had planned. The shop ended up closing before I managed to finish but I'm still happy with my little bowl. This was a charmingly chilled way to start our holiday, plus I got a homemade souvenir to keep my jewellery in. Win!  

The first few days of rain also brought a fair few rainbows and of course the chance to use the wood burner, which was one huge, toasty plus. No cottage experience is complete without a log fire and we certainly got a fair few uses out of ours. 

We found a holiday home located in the small town of Powburn, just outside of Alnwick. Powburn is incredibly quaint and quiet (it doesn't have any shops ... or a pub) but it was the perfect destination as it meant we were a hop away from all the places we wanted to visit during the week. 

On Monday we took a trip to Edinburgh. Over 70 miles away from where we were staying, it was a bit of a journey, but the weather was beautiful and we spent the day walking round in T-shirts, eating ice cream. This was my second trip to Edinburgh this year and I'm glad I got to see it in the summer sunshine.

 I even had my first taste of haggis, neeps and tatties (hidden inside a shepherds pie, meaning it was strangely delicious). A truly Scottish experience!

Another rainy Tuesday meant a trip to Alnwick. A walk around the Poison Gardens and the Treehouses, plus the most delicious soup, made this one of my favourite days, despite the weather.

My family and I have been to Alnwick Castle quite a few times in the past and as (for a family ticket in particular) it can be pretty pricey we opted to stick to just the gardens for this day. July sunshine had encouraged a bloom of beautiful plants meaning there was more than enough to see.
As usual, after a long day of walking around, my mum and I were especially excited to visit the cafe, discovering that Earl Grey with Blue Flowers is our all time favourite tea. Now we just have to find out where to buy it ...

Alnwick Gardens & Treehouses.

Skipping Wednesday, which was a bit of a write-off due to the weather, (it mainly consisted of eating cake - and I have no photos to show for it)! Thursday was much, much better. Seahouses is a picturesque, coastal village renowned for its boat trips around the Farne Islands. This is something I will never forget and would absolutely recommend if you ever get the chance. I mean who doesn't want to see puffins and grey seals in the flesh? Adorable! 

We spent the remainder of the day playing mini golf, walking around dinky shops and sampling tea and scones in the garden of The Copper Kettle, Bamburgh. Overall a perfect day. 

Farne Islands.

Friday was the last proper day of our holiday and it is safe to say we were all very sad at the prospect of leaving. To keep spirits up we made ourselves busy and took a trip to the Holy Island. Although windy, the Holy Island was a lovely little place to walk around and spend one last day with the family.

 Quickly moving on to avoid being trapped by the tides, we spent our evening lying on the beach of Beadnell Bay, in the sun. Eating tortilla chips and watching my little brother surf on the waves was an absolutely idyllic way to end one amazing holiday.

We are already planning to visit a few stops over the summer that we didn't manage last week, including Hadrian's Wall and Sycamore Gap. I must say - I can't wait to be back!