After a refreshing night’s sleep, we set out for Bamburgh Castle, located along the eastern coast of England in Northumberland. “Due to Northumbria’s history of hostility against the Scots, there are more strongholds and castles there than in any other part of England. Most were built from the 11^th to the 15^th centuries by local warlords, as was Bamburgh’s red sandstone castle. Its coastal position had been fortified since prehistoric times, but the first major stronghold was built in 550 by a Saxon chieftain, Ida the Flamebearer. 

“In its heyday between 1095 and 1464, Bamburgh was the royal castle that was used by the Northumbrian kings for coronations. But by the end of the Middle Ages it had fallen into obscurity. Then, in 1894, it was bought by Newcastle arms tycoon Lord Armstrong, who restored it. Works of art are exhibited in the cavernous Great Hall, and there are suits of armor and medieval artifacts in the basement. Its interior, lined with well-described history, feels lived-in because it still is—with Armstrong family portraits and aristocratic-yet-homey knickknacks hanging everywhere.” The Armstrong Museum, featuring inventions of the industrialist family, are showcased in the converted stables. My husband, a lover of aircraft and other war machinery, enjoyed wandering through this exhibit. 

Rolling dunes crisscrossed by walking paths lead to a vast sandy beach beside Bamburgh, where lots of families frolic in the summer on holiday. Looking out across the sea, you can view the Farne Islands.