Phil & Barbs "Lightning Tours.": April 2016

On Thursday 21^st April we left home with the intention of going to Northumberland. To break the journey up we stopped one night at the Caravan Club site at Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales. This was a well positioned site for the town pubs and for good walks. We ate in The Crown and I can really recommend the food and Theakstons beer, the only negative was that Jonesy wasn’t on his best behaviour in the pub.

The following day we went to the Camping and Caravan Club site at Dunstan Hill just outside Craster and Embleton. We had 2 great days there, it was cold but sunny and we walked about 9 miles along the coast. We also enjoyed a pint at the Jolly Fisherman Inn at Craster. One evening we went into Embleton and found the main pub full so we ate at the Dunstenburgh Castle Hotel where we were allowed to take Jonesy into one of the comfy lounges. Jonesy became a bit of a celeb here with all of the staff taking an interest in him, the manager even came and sat with us for quite a while talking to and feeding Jonesy some biscuits. On the Sunday we packed up and went visiting Cragside, the National Trust estate at Rothbury.

After visiting the amazing Cragside we went to Seafield Caravan Park at Seahouses. This was another of those large commercial sites that are ideal during the low season. They did an offer of 3 nights for the price of 2 and this included free access to the excellent leisure facilities, a training gym, sauna, steam room and 20 metre pool. Of course we used these on two occasions. Every day we walked at least 8 miles along the beaches and on one day we went up to Lindisfarne and Berwick upon Tweed.

Dunstan Hill site.

Woodland walk at Dunstan Hill

Dunstanburgh castle looking south from beach.

Same beach but facing North.

Dunstanburgh Castle

Craster

Craster.

Benthall near Beadnell bay

Beach at Benthall

National Trust Cragside estate near Rothbury the house, was built in 1863 . It was the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectric power. Built into a rocky hillside above a forest garden of just under 1,000 acres, it was the country home of armaments manufacturer, Lord Armstrong and has been in the care of the National Trust since 1977.