Northumberland 2025
In early June 2025 we went back to Northumberland for a two week holiday. We stayed at "The Shieling", 13 East Field Hall, Near Warkworth:
The castle in Warkworth was one of the first places that we visited. It was built in the mid-12th century although it is not clear by whom. King John and King Edward I are both known to have visited the castle. The first Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy, subsequently came to be the owner of the castle and added the imposing keep in the late 14th century and eventually was taken on by English Heritage in 1984.
The nearby coastal town of Amble can be seen from the castle.
We drove down to visit the open air museum at Beamish on one of our days.
We enjoyed walking along the beach at Newbiggin by the Sea - especially as we saw some dolphins making their way southwards whilst we were there.
We also visited Howick Hall which was the home of the 19th century British Prime Minister Earl Grey (of Earl Grey tea fame!).
The Hall was built in 1782 and has not been lived in since 1967 but a visitor centre has been installed and most of the ground floor was restored in 2019.
What became known as Earl Grey tea was blended by a chinese mandarin especially for Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, to suit the water from the spring at Howick, using bergamot to offset the taste of the lime in the water. Lady Grey used it when entertaining politicians in London and it became popular enough for Twinings to start marketing it. The Greys failed to register the trademark and have therefore never received any royalties for it at all.
The main purpose of a visit to Howick Hall nowadays is to view the gardens. The Greys were never great art collectors and the Hall never contained the fine art that might be expected in such an establishment. However, there has been a long tradition in the family as gardeners and tree planters. Howick Hall gardens are primarily the work of Charles, 5th Earl Grey, his wife, Mabel, and their daughter Lady Mary Howick and they follow the informal and natural style advocated by William Robinson in the late 19th Century.
This is the beach at Boulmer
On the last day of our holiday we took a boat trip round Coquet island which lies just off the coast near Amble. There are lots of puffins and seals to be seen on the island or in the surrounding sea.
Here are a few photos that we took whilst out on our bikes.
Finally, this was our accommodation for the fortnight of our holiday:
