As we pass through the village of Craster and pick up a trail that runs along the windswept Northumberland coast, a dramatic silhouette appears ahead of us: the crumbled ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. The medieval castle on the remote headland, looking out onto the North Sea, was built in the early 1300s by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the wealthiest nobleman in England at the time and a cousin to King Edward II. It later became a secure stronghold during the infamous Wars of the Roses in the 15th century.
After an exhilarating walk, with waves smashing onto rocky and sandy beaches, we stand beneath the striking, jagged, remains of the castle’s dramatic towers and walls, which looks today like a fantastical set from The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
Northumberland, in the far north-east of England, is famous for its castles and coastline, including some of the British Isles’ finest beaches. There’s something magical, too, about the light in this part of the country, with long, slow-burning, sunsets in the summer months. But increasingly the area is becoming known for its first-rate food and drink, from seafood (not least the renowned Craster Kippers) and fresh farm produce to whisky, beer, chocolate and cheese. There’s no shortage of appealing places to sample the goods, including Michelin-starred restaurants, cosy bistros, and warming, welcoming pubs, which are now being celebrated with a new Taste of Northumberland scheme.
We stay for a couple nights at The Tempus hotel, which more than holds its own on the foodie front. For nearly 150 years, the 700-acre Charlton Hall Estate, near Alnwick, which the hotel now sits on, belonged to the local Thorp family, before being recently taken over, restored and reimagined. Charlton Hall’s now a distinctive, creative wedding venue, while the main boutique hotel, The Tempus, opened in 2023. Last year, it was named Visit England’s Small Hotel of the Year 2026.
Built on the site of demolished former farm buildings, the main hotel building re-using the original local stone, slate, and timber, original, often playful décor in The Tempus’ interiors - around 50 rooms and suites - draws on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, with patterned wallpapers, bold colours and plush furnishings. But that’s not all: across the estate, there are also private cottages, lakeside cabins, glamping yurts, many with hot tubs or spa-type baths.
Travelling down a long driveway to the main hotel, warm, genuine staff at the reception desk welcome us. We stay in the secluded Stable Cottage, a quiet, two-storey building, just across from the main building. The cottage has the feel of a homely, classic, English country escape, with thick carpets, rugs on wooden floors, and chunky armchairs in the lounge to sink into, but there are creative touches in the decor, including characterful illustrations of wildlife (a pipe-smoking sheep, a crown-wearing owl, a meerkat with a party hat…), and arty, swirly black and white design in the downstairs bathroom’s sink. We have a spacious living room, too, with a fireplace and TV, a well-equipped kitchen next to it, with a bedroom and bathroom on each floor. We also have our own private terrace with a hot tub, spending our first early evening, before dinner, soaking in the bubbling, warm water.
The hotel’s restaurant has also been decorated with plenty of flair, the gleaming bar area and attractive lounge rooms decked out with bright pink sofas, fake trees with bright pink blossom, towering potted plants, abstract art, and patches of geometric patterned flooring floors.
We kick off with the hotel’s welcome drink the Silk Citron, a lemongrass-infused vodka with Prosecco, sweet orgeat syrup and lemon juice, an attentive waiter also bringing fresh focaccia with whipped chive butter. There’s a buzz across the restaurant’s main conservatory, with people celebrating special events or fun, foodie breaks, our own evening helped along with a crisp, subtly fruity rosé from Provence. Like the décor, the food is quite eye-catching too, my wife and I both starting with a ball of soft, creamy burrata set amid an artful, vibrant pink and red bowl of Isle of White tomatoes, compressed cucumber and a refreshing tomato gazpacho soup, which is pretty enough to belong in a gallery. From an appealing, diverse menu, I select the grilled fillet of sea trout with potatoes, peas and fennel for a main, my wife going for the ‘Tasting of lamb’, the two of us sharing sides of salty truffle and parmesan fries and garlic-roasted tenderstem broccoli. Our young son’s treated well here, too, his impressive, crisply battered fish and chunky chips large enough to feed an adult. Despite the waiter’s impassioned recommendation that the rhubarb and custard soufflé is the best dessert he’s ever tasted, we share a neat slice of the white chocolate and cherry cheesecake and ‘The Tempus bomb’, a chocolate brownie with marshmallow, honeycomb and toffee sauce.
Breakfast is served next morning back in the conservatory. Helping ourselves first to the generous buffet, including yoghurts, cereals, croissants and fruit, we order hearty breakfasts: oak smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, and ‘the Full Tempus’ (a classic Full English breakfast). Afterwards, we take a walk in the hotel grounds, cutting through a small vineyard to a peaceful little lake, surrounded by cabins. At the far end, we spend time watching a group of curious horses who come over, keen to be stroked or hoping to be fed.
We spend our day walking along the coast to Dunstanburgh Castle, carrying on past the ruin and over the dunes to Embleton Bay, the curving beach relatively empty. Settling in for a few hours, we explore rockpools, paddle in the sea and wander along the wild, blustery stretch of sand.
There are many other castles along the coast, including the formidable, striking, restored Bamburgh Castle, Lindisfarne Castle across from the mainland on Holy Island (Lindisfarne), and a hilltop fortress in Warkworth, down the coast, where we spend the evening at Bertram’s. The cosy bistro is a lovely find, with friendly staff and a pleasant aroma of seafood drifting through. The waitress-recommended Sim’s Smoked Haddock Chowder, which comes with a big crusty chunk of sourdough, is delicious, comforting and vast. I push through, though, to a main of teriyaki monkfish, coated with sesame seeds and served with Asian-style noodles. My wife opts for their burrata with pistachios, honey and sourdough starter, followed by a flat iron steak with a peppercorn jus, crisp onions and green vegetables, while our son clearly approves of his fast-disappearing bowl of pasta carbonara.
After another night at the hotel, we set out to explore again, stopping to the north of Bamburgh to explore an area of rolling dunes, thickly coated with long grass that dances in the wind. Following faint trails over the dunes, we come out at a spectacular crescent of white sand, the beach constantly changing as clouds race overhead, throwing it into light and shade.
One of my favourite parts of the UK, there’s so much to discover in Northumberland. Spend a couple of days here and it might feel like you’ve only had an appetiser, but it’ll be enough of a taste to make you want to come back for many more courses.
The Tempus, Charlton Hall Estate, Chathill, Northumberland, NE67 5DZ: thetempus.co.uk. Rooms at The Tempus start from £149.00 B&B. Stable Cottage costs from £495 per night and sleeps four people.
For Bertram’s, see bertrams.co.uk
For Northumberland, see www.visitnorthumberland.com
