Other Things to Do While You're Here ......
There is so much to do, see and experience in Northumberland that you will be spoilt for choice - in fact many guests just HAVE to return to try to fit in all the places to see and things to do that they couldn't fit in during their first holiday!
When you arrive at your cottage, you'll find a small library of tourist information to browse through, along with one or more visitors books which are filled with previous guests recommendations and ideas for great and memorable days out. We know many of our guests spend their Friday evenings or Saturdays mornings planning the weekend and following week to ensure they fit in as much as they want to.
Look on our "Families Welcome" page for specific days out for the family, although the vast majority of places to go and things to do are great for the whole family.
As well as castles, beaches, historic houses, quaint villages, interesting towns, stylish cities, national parks, great walks, cycling, boat trips and all the rest, you could actually chill and do something inspirational or totally relaxing.
Walking our Wonderful Coastline and Countryside
You just can't visit Northumberland without walking at least one of the routes the county is famous for, such as the breathtaking scenery on the short walk from Craster fishing village to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. Every one of our cottages has several books detailing walks of all levels of length and ease - including walks specifically aimed at enjoying with children. If you want to plan a walk or two before you arrive however, there are several websites to guide you, a Google search on "Walking in Northumberland" will present several really good ones. Walking Britain is one to start with.
Alnwick Castle and Garden
As well as visiting the castle and award winning gardens, there are lots of different events on throughout the year which you can participate in. Click here for the full programme of events in 2007.
Warkworth Drama Group
Warkworth has an excellent Amateur Drama Group, which presents plays and pantomines throughout the year in the Memorial Hall in Castle Street. Tickets for upcoming performances are sold in the Village Store.
Enjoy painting? Want to improve your painting skills or technique?
The Coquetdale Arts Centre in Rothbury was originally set up, for the benefit of locals and visitors alike, to promote to work of local artists and provide the opportunity to learn from some of Northumberland's finest by offering a range of courses and classes in painting techniques and styles. These take place on Wednesdays from 1pm to 4pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm, which make them perfect to fit into your holiday schedule and allow you acquire a specific skill to take home with you and build upon.
An example of classes held in 2007 are "Joe Hush - Waterfalls and Turbulent Water", "Ken Spencer - Buildings and Cityscapes" and "Coastal Scenes by David Holliday".
They also have dedicated exhibition space with regular events.
Look at the Coquetdale Arts Centre website for more information and forthcoming classes and contact them directly to book a place.
Golf
There are several good golf courses locally, including Warkworth Golf Club, located on the links, just behind the sand dunes at Warkworth. Telephone for information on opening times and green fees. Tel: 01665 711596.
Take a boat trip to the Farne Islands
The Farne islands, a rocky collection of islands located 2 to 3 miles offshore between Bamburgh and Seahouses, are the most famous sea bird santuary in the British Isles. They are home to many thousands of puffins, kittiwakes, auks, gannets, razerbills, cormorants and arctic terns. In fact in 1999, there were 182 species of birds recorded on the islands. Visitors are encouraged to wear a hard hat to protect from dive bombing terns! There is also a large colony of atlantic grey seals. What makes a trip to the Farnes really special is the feeling of being immersed in the natural world. The birds don't seem to have any fear of humans but seem to accept them as "guests" for the day. Trips can be made from Seahouses and Amble. Amble is closer to Warkworth, at just 1 mile south, but the sea trip is longer than that from Seahouses. There are several good operators to choose from and each of our cottages has information on all of them, once you arrive. However, here are the details of one of the boat owners if you wish to make advance enquiries:
Billy Shiel's Farne Island Boat Trips
Tel: 01665 720308
E-mail: ENQUIRIES@farne-islands.com
Web: www.farne-islands.comBoat trips to Farne Islands from Seahouses. Visit the grey seal colonies whilst listening to the commentary. All-day bird-watching trips during the breeding season. Licensed by the National Trust to land on the Bird Sanctuaries.
INNER FARNE BIRD SANCTUARY: This tour lasts approximately 2½ hours including one hour spent on Inner Farne. The tour includes a cruise around all the Farne Islands, viewing the sea birds on the cliff faces, visiting the Grey Seal colonies and also follows the route Grace Darling and her father took during their heroic rescue in 1838. A full commentary is given en-route. For further details see their website.
Cycle Hire
Why not hire bikes for the day? One of the best ways to see and experience the best of Northumberland is on a bike. The breathtaking coast, the magnificent castles, stopping for a picnic on a beach or by a river.....
1 mile south of Warkworth, in Amble is Pedal-Power, where you can hire bikes for the day or longer, for adults and kids. They also have tandems, child seats and tag-alongs, so whatever your ability level or age, there's a cycle to suit you. They will even deliver the bikes to you at your holiday property and collect them when you're done! They also provide helmets, cycle repair kits, locks and maps. We have secure storage for bikes close to all our properties, just tell us you need this when you book.
If you mention to them you are staying in one of our properties, they will give you a discount on the hire charge.
Fishing
Fishing is very popular in the area. Permits are available to buy from the Village Store in Warkworth Village for around £3 per day. More information and day permits are available from The Northumbrian Angers Federation. There are certain stretches of the River Coquet for which there is no charge to fish, including the area directly in front of Coquet View and Sunny Cottage, but all our properties are within a minute's stroll of this section of the river.
Birdwatching
Northumberland is the perfect place for birdwatchers, there are SO many places to go to see some magnificent birds - both local and migratory. Some of our cottages 
are located right on the riverbank, such as Coquet View and Lane End Cottage. Waterside is not only positioned right on the riverside, but also overlooks a Site of Special Scientific Interest. All of our other cottages are just steps away from the river, as it surrounds the village on 3 sides (see photo above). There are seats positioned at many places so that you can just sit - with or without binoculars - and watch the local birdlife; swans, ducks, seabirds, herons and kingfishers, but also watch for migrating birds such as terns, swifts, etc. Most of our cottages have several guide and reference books for birdwatchers - and naturewatchers generally!
Just a few miles away are both Druridge Bay Countryside Park and Nature Reserve and Hawksley Nature Reserve. Both are great places to undulge in a passion for birdwatching! The Farne Islands of course are unmissable! A group of islands forming a National Nature Reserve, boat trips can be taken hourly during the breeding season from Seahouses or nearby Amble (1 mile away). Here you can see puffins, auks, gannets, razerbills, cormorants, kittiwakes, shags, terns and many more beautiful birds, as well as hundreds of seals. In Amble harbour (1 mile south), you can see many eider ducks, this is one of the few places in the UK you'll see them. There are several other special places to visit in the locally, too many to list here, but we've found a really good website which is a mine of information for birdwatchers called Fatbirder.net which gives only a wealth of interesting news and information, but more specific information regarding Northumberland.
Tourist Information Brochures
Of course there is so much to do as a family in and around Warkworth and further afield. There are lots of brochures and leaflets in each of our properties for you to choose where to go and what to do during your holiday. We also have maps and books on suggested walks in the area. See our "PLACES TO VISIT" page for more ideas.
Why not book a long weekend break out of season?
You may not be wearing a swimsuit on the beach in winter, but you can have just as much fun! We have bright sunny days from Autumn through to Spring and there's still plenty to do and see in Warkworth and further afield. Our long weekends are increasingly popular out of season, especially if you can avoid using any more of your holiday allowance from work AND avoid the kids missing any school days during termtime. We have quite a few regular guests who, every year, have a long weekend in their favourite cottage in Warkworth. Everyone, Mums, Dads and kids look forward to it every year. The Warkworth Christmas Shopping Event, held on the third Friday in November every year (exact date t.b.c.) is extremely popular, when all accommodation in the area gets fully booked for the weekend. Every gallery, giftshop, cafe, pub and restuarant is open from 6pm until late and complimentary drinks and mince pies are offered wherever you go to help you get into the Christmas spirit! The Christmas lights are ceremoniously switched on at 6pm and carols are sung in the square all evening. Many of our guests have declared that they did ALL of their Christmas shopping in the one evening!!
Returning for another holiday?
We are very happy to offer a 10% discount on the total holiday price to all guests returning for another holiday with us. We also bake a cake for all our regular guests, you'll find it waiting for you on the welcome tea tray on your arrival. This is our way of saying "Thank You" and that we appreciate your booking. We also offer a 5% discount to any friends or family you recommend our cottages to, just ask them to tell us who recommended them.