There are some parts of the UK that feel as if they’re somewhat under the tourist radar. Northumberland is one of them. So whilst this far northeastern county - it sits just below the border with Scotland - offers a magnificent coastline, more castles and ruins than you can shake a historical fist at - including one in quite the most staggering location (more about that later) - an island that was one of the most important centres of English Christianity, designated spots where its so properly dark at night you can see the Milky Way, a 405 square mile national park and a section of Hadrian’s Wall, I’m almost hesitant to tell too many people about it for fear it’ll spoil its “look what I’ve discovered” delight.

Then again, after a three day road trip exploring just a small selection of its myriad delights, leaving me determined to return to sample more, it felt too mean to keep it all to myself. So here are the places and sites my lovely sister-in-law and I visited on our three-day road trip. Just don’t tell too many other people please.

It’s a long old drive from London to Northumberland, so we broke our journey with an overnight stay in Stow House, a fabulous boutique B&B in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Quirky and comfortable, its owners, Sarah and Phil, are welcoming hosts and offer a fine breakfast and a fully laden honesty bar from where Sarah dispenses cocktails and chat most evenings.

Having left the Dales in welcome sunshine, the weather grew gradually but relentlessly less clement as we covered the last couple of hours north, so by the time we arrived at our first Northumberland destination - the village of Craster - it was not only pouring with rain but blowing a gale too. Delightful.

Working on the principle that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes, we togged up and set off along the coast-edge path for 1.3 miles towards the historic site that was the reason for our stop.

Dunstanburgh Castle

The castle was built in the 14th century by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the wealthiest nobleman in England. He was later executed for his role in the barons’ rebellion against Edward II, but the castle was extensively modernised in the 1380s and was used as a Lancastrian stronghold in the Wars of the Roses. It fell into disrepair at the end of the Middle Ages and has been unoccupied since then.

Its ever more ruined silhouette, looking for all the world as if someone has taken bites out of it, Dunstanburgh has inspired many artists over the centuries, including JMW Turner. Though possibly not on a day when the wind is blowing at 35 miles an hour (I know that because the National Trust warden in the ticket office had just measured it to check it wasn’t over the limit for them having to close the castle. I was being blown around so much I forgot to ask what exactly that limit was.) Find full opening times and ticket details HERE

Back in Craster we dried out and ate a tasty lunch at the award-winning Jolly Fisherman pub, then headed across the road to L Robson and Sons, a traditional smokehouse built in 1856, which has been run by generations of the Robson family since 1906, the current incumbent being Neil , who works there alongside his father and two daughters.

The Kipper Shop at L Robson & Sons in Craster

In an effort to steer clear of the, did I mention?, driving rain and wind, we decided to spend the afternoon delving into the delights of the interiors of arguably Northumberland’s most iconic and recognisable ancient site

Bamburgh Castle

I’ll get to what makes 3,000 year old Bamburgh Castle, home to a succession of kings from Henry VI to James 1, such a definitive Northumberland landmark a bit further down, but it’s certainly well worth setting aside at least couple of hours to wander through its splendid state rooms, full of interesting artefacts and heirlooms, which include a magnificent medieval great hall and an impressive armoury, with plenty of clever, interactive elements to keep young visitors entertained and informed.

The Armoury and medieval Kings Hall in Bamburgh castle

The castle also incorporates small archeology and aviation museums and has extensive grounds to explore. You can even stay within its walls, in one of two beautifully furnished properties run by Crabtree and Crabtree Cottages

Our accommodation was somewhat less historic, but very lovely nonetheless. A comfortable Airbnb a couple of miles outside Bamburgh Village, where we repaired to the excellent restaurant in The Lord Crewe for a first rate dinner at the end of our first full Northumberland day.

Day two dawned just as blowy but, happily, brightly sunny too, so our exploring, whilst still chilly and blustery was at least dry. First stop, back to Bamburgh Castle, but this time from the vantage point that is that iconic image of Northumberland for most people - the vast sweep of

Bamburgh beach

eight miles of flat white sand bordered on one side by the North Sea and on the other by dunes rising up to the monumental castle at one end.

And from the top of the sand dunes further along the 8 mile stretch of sand

Another view of the huge beach overlooked by the massive castle

Dragging ourselves away from the glories of the windswept beach, we walked back into town to pay a visit to the RNLI Grace Darling Museum, a delightful tribute to the 22-year old Victorian lighthouse keeper’s daughter, who, along with her father, rescued nine survivors from the wrecked SS Forfarshire in atrocious conditions in 1838, becoming a national heroine in the process. This petite museum houses artefacts from Grace’s life, most memorably the rowing boat in which she and her father carried out their daring rescue.

The rowing boat used by Grace Darling and her father to rescue the shipwrecked survivors of SS Forfarshire in 1838

Grace was just 26 when she died and her grave and monument are in the grounds of the pretty church, St Aidan’s, opposite the museum.

Grace Darling’s monument in the graveyard of St Aidan’s church

The second half of our day was spent on an island accessed via a causeway which is so literally at sea level that it’s only passable at low tide. So if you plan to follow in the footsteps of generations of pilgrims and visitors to

Holy Island, or Lindisfarne

you’ll need to check the times of the tides. Not just to get onto the island, but also, crucially to get off it again!

Holy Island, also known by its ancient name, Lindisfarne, was the centre of Celtic Christianity in the 7th century AD when an Irish monk, St Aidan (sound familiar?) established an abbey there, becoming its first Abbot and Bishop. St Aidan was later followed by St Cuthburt who became Lindsfarne’s greatest monk-bishop and the most important saint of the region in the Middle Ages.

We limited our explorations on the island to the attractive Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin on Holy Island

the impressive ruins of the 11th century version of Lindisfarne Priory - the 7th century original was raided by the Vikings

and a windy walk along the sea front to Lindisfarne Castle, originally built in the 1540s as a defence against border raids by the Scots. Leased in 1901 by Edward Hudson, founder of Country Life magazine, and converted by famed architect Sir Edwin Lutyens into a private holiday home the castle has recently been restored inside.

Unfortunately I can’t comment on how the refurbished rooms look as they had already closed for the day by the time we got there (the tide times don’t always work quite as well as they might with site opening hours).

But I can report that the small walled summer flowering garden in the grounds, designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1911, is a delightful, sheltered spot to sit and enjoy the variety of plants and flowers planted there, views of the castle and the sea beyond.

The Gertrude Jekyll garden in the grounds of Lindisfarne Castle

Having made it safely off the island and back to Bamburgh, we ate another delicious meal, this time at The Potted Lobster where, like all the other restaurants we ate at, the fish and seafood was, unsurprisingly, outstanding.

On our final morning we turned the car southwards towards home. Before starting the long trek back to London timings forced us to choose between visiting Alnwick Castle and its spectacular gardens. We settled for the latter - figuring we’d seen quite a lot of ancient buildings in the previous 48 hours - and could easily have spent longer than the hour and a half we had (a full day would have really done it justice) revelling in its enormous cascading ornamental fountain with periodic dancing water displays

The Grand Cascade ornamental fountain at The Alnwick Garden

it’s cherry orchard where over 300 trees were just beginning to lose their dazzling display of petals which visitors can enjoy from wooden swing seats dotted amongst them

Swinging around in the Cherry Orchard at Alnwick Garden

its beautifully planted formal walled ornamental garden

its unusual bamboo labyrinth

Get lost in the unusual Bamboo Labyrinth at The Alnwick Garden

its curvaceous serpent garden which housed a collection of sleek modern water sculptures

Water sculpture in the Serpent Garden at The Alnwick Garden

and its memorably terrifying poison garden where the display of deadly plants is accompanied by descriptions of how they can cause all manner of unpleasant deaths by the knowledgable guide. Details of opening hours and ticket times for The Alnwick Garden HERE

Not having enough time to do both the Garden and the castle has given me yet another reason to have to return to this magical part of Britain. Not that I need even one.

Other memorable historic sites in the UK to visit

Petworth and Petworth House

Studeley Castle

Burghley House