South Meadows Caravan Park

Stick to Northumberland or venture further afield: you’ll find castles, historic sites, market towns, animal attractions and active options in all directions. Leave the car behind and walk into Belford: after a suitably large breakfast or lunch, venture a further three miles to reach Holburn and St Cuthbert’s Cave, where Cuthbert’s body was rumoured to have been brought by monks from Lindisfarne.

The area along the coast from South Meadows is designated as the North Northumberland Heritage Coast: jolly right too, we think when considering the endless ancient attractions around here: make definite time on the itinerary to see Bamburgh and its restored castle (join the archaeologists around here in summer to see what you can dig up); the old fishing village of Seahouses, and a trip to Holy Island/Lindisfarne, the final destination on the St Cuthbert’s Way from Scotland.

The walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed is also a must for a squint at Robert Louis Stevenson’s lengthy railway viaduct and the eighteenth century barracks, now a museum; roughly the same distance to the south, you might need more than one day at Alnwick to properly see its awe-inspiring ancient castle (Hogwarts!) and have a decent duke around the Alnwick Garden. About five miles from Alnwick, the popular seaside village Alnmouth has what’s said to be the smallest museum in the country, the teeny Ferryman’s Hut.

Birdwatchers worth their salt will know the Northumberland coastline as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a prime location to see seabirds, waders, wildfowl and other fluttery creatures. Holy Island is a top spot for wildlife watching – the island and its mudflats make up the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve – but most naturalists in these parts take their binoculars to the Farne Islands, the strikingly scenic home of puffins, terns, rabbits and several thousand grey seals (go Farnewards from November to December for the mighty experience of watching them pup).

Inland, both the Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water and Forest Park are sparklingly superior spots for stargazing: the skies above Kielder are the darkest in England and the area and Northumerland National Park were given Gold Tier Dark Sky Park status in 2013. By day, hike, bike or horse ride around either park, land some sea trout among several other scaly species, or just eat your way around Northumberland local produce in the towns and villages...

More urbane pursuits around South Meadows include a bus ride or drive south to shop and shop some more at the Metro Centre in Newcastle, feeling marvellously cultured at Gateshead’s BALTIC Centre, or travelling a little further south to see the sensational cathedral at Durham.