Amble: Surprise Visitors & Warkworth

Amble: Weekend Wonders and Warkworth's Majestic Echoes!

Our plan was to settle into Amble until Monday, hoping for a clear weather window, but in the meantime, the weekend stretched out, ripe for local exploration. Tracey's oldest school friend, Tareena, and her partner Darren were staying about 1.5 hours away, and while we'd initially aimed for a North Shields rendezvous, our northern shift made it a longer trek for them. The weather was also a wildcard; with Pepper and Tareena's two dogs, Milo and Leo, a soggy boat or a futile search for dog-friendly indoor spots was less than ideal. We'd put up the cockpit tent when we arrived anticipating rain around 2 am, and throughout the night, the drumming of heavy rain on the deck, accompanied by the howl of the wind, confirmed its arrival. Morning dawned with dark, threatening skies, promising more of the same. We resigned ourselves to a boat-bound day, a perfect excuse for Tracey to catch up on the blog and edit photos – there’s always something to do on Halcyon Sea! Tareena checked in a few times for weather updates, and to our delight, they eventually decided to brave it and head to Amble. We quickly prepped to greet them, excited to explore somewhere new together.

After a swift tour of Halcyon Sea for Darren, who hadn't seen her before, we decided to venture into Warkworth to take a look at the castle. It was about a 25-minute walk along the river and the road until we reached the truly magnificent structure. Warkworth Castle is a classic motte and bailey design – a "motte" being the artificial hill built for the castle, and a "bailey" the courtyard protected by a stone curtain wall, exactly what most people imagine when they think of a medieval stronghold. Thought to have been founded by Henry II in 1157, it's one of the most historically significant castles in the North East, having weathered countless sieges. The Percy family has owned it for centuries, and it's still officially held by the 12th Duke of Northumberland, though English Heritage now manages the site. With the dogs in tow, we didn't go inside, but we thoroughly enjoyed walking the grounds and perimeter, capturing some fantastic photos of its imposing presence before heading back to the coastal path. We found a lovely spot where the dogs could finally run free, and Darren even got his drone out for some aerial footage! We then popped into The Hermitage Inn for some much-needed refreshment before making our way back to Amble.

Seaside Feasts and Unexpected Sunshine
Fish and Chips, or chips with curry sauce, called our names, and we headed to the Harbour Fish Bar, a spot Darren had heard good things about. Tareena and Tracey secured a picnic bench near the beach, eagerly awaiting our delicious dinner. Once devoured, it was time for farewells. The day had flown by, but despite the ominous start, we'd remarkably missed most of the rain, and the sun had even made a welcome appearance. We parted ways, heading back to the boat, our limbs feeling the pleasant ache of a long walk and great company.

Sunday greeted us with blue skies and sunshine, though it remained quite breezy. We decided to try the sailing club for a Sunday roast, but alas, we just missed out, with the last available dinners being served to the family who arrived just ahead of us. Still, we enjoyed a refreshing drink on their balcony, a perfect sun trap overlooking the river. With the tide out, the intricate sandbanks became clearly visible, offering a striking visual explanation for why we'd needed to hug the south side wall on our way in. We then walked into town for lunch, finding a hearty meal still being served at The Schooner Pub. Full and content, we returned to the boat. With so much still to explore in Amble, and after checking the latest weather forecast, we've decided to extend our stay until Wednesday. There's plenty more to see and do in this charming coastal haven!Leia mais