First weekend back at school. Castle in the morning, beach until the light goes.
Early September on the Northumberland coast is often mild and settled, but a sea fret can roll in off the North Sea and sit over Bamburgh while it's sunny five miles inland. The sea is about as warm as it gets all year, which here means roughly 13 or 14°C, so paddling is fine and swimming is for the brave. An onshore wind makes the beach feel a lot colder than the car park, and a big high tide can cover most of the sand, so look at the tide times before you plan any rock pooling. Check the Met Office forecast before you set off.
Sunset 7.56pm in Alnwick on Saturday. Full forecast (Met Office)
Archive edition. We wrote this one for the website to cover the week of Friday 4 September 2026, so it lists what was on then and says nothing about the weather that week. The emails proper started on Tuesday 29 September 2026.
Northumberland's schools went back this week, so the beaches and castles get noticeably quieter from here on. This is what's on for the first weekend of term, checked with the organisers, with one big day out at Bamburgh.
The castle, then the beach: about 1.5 miles (2.5km) there and back along the sand from below the castle to the lighthouse on Harkess Rocks
A full day: 2 to 3 hours in the castle, then as long as the bairns last on the beach
Start: Bamburgh Castle car park, Bamburgh NE69 7DF
The castle is open every day in September from 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm), and with the schools back it's a calmer place than it was a fortnight ago. Inside there's the Tails & Tales sculpture trail, animal characters based on old sayings, plus a Creature Quest to keep small eyes busy through the rooms, and a display of props and costumes from The Last Kingdom (both on until 1 November). Then walk down onto one of the best beaches in the county, with the castle looming behind you and the Farne Islands out to sea. Sunset on Saturday is just before 8pm, so there's time for a long evening on the sand.
Bamburgh Castle is cashless: parking is £6 a day, card only, both up at the castle and in the village, and the Clock Tower Café is card only too. Well behaved dogs are welcome on a short lead in the grounds, but only assistance dogs go into the State Rooms and the café. Wheelchairs and walking aids can't go beyond the King's Hall; there's forward parking and a free shuttle buggy for anyone who needs it. The rocks by the lighthouse are only worth it when the tide is out, so check before you go.
Seahouses harbour, Seahouses £27 listed; check child fares when you book, All ages
Billy Shiel's sunset cruise only runs until mid-September, so this is one of the last goes of the year. You're back at about 7.30pm with sunset just before 8pm, and it's cold out on the water even on a warm evening, so pack proper coats. Sailings are weather permitting. Details and booking
A free, timed 5k round the country park that you can run, jog or walk. Register on the parkrun website before you go and bring your barcode, then there's coffee in the visitor centre café afterwards. Details and booking
The monthly farmers' market, held on the first Saturday of every month in the Market Place. Our tip: give each bairn a few pounds and let them choose part of lunch. Details and booking
Sat 5 Sep, 10am to 5pm (Lilidorei-only tickets 1pm to 5pm)
Lilidorei, The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick Normal Lilidorei or combined Garden tickets; crafts £1 each, Best for younger children
Lilidorei's September theme, with storytime, a Sprite Solver trail that ends in a secret, sand digging and the big slides on Elfin Drin. The play village is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so now the schools are back it's mostly a weekend job. Details and booking
Sat 5 Sep, 10.30am to 4pm; flying displays 1.30pm and 3pm
Kielder Waterside, Kielder Normal admission, All ages
More than 60 birds, including golden and white-tailed eagles, owls and a peregrine falcon. Day tickets let you head off for lunch and come back for the afternoon displays, which go ahead weather permitting. Details and booking
Sat 5 and Sun 6 Sep; entry 10am to 4pm, house 11am to 4pm, gardens until 5pm
Cragside, Rothbury Normal admission; National Trust members free, All ages
The adventure play area is by Crozier car park, halfway round the six-mile Carriage Drive, so drive to it rather than walk it with small legs. Parking is free once you've paid or shown your membership card, and buggies stay outside the house. Details and booking
Sun 6 Sep, gates open at noon; main marquee opens after judging, about 2pm
Etal Showground, Etal Adults £7.50 (£6 if bought online by 31 Aug); under 16s free; free parking, All ages
One of the North East's oldest one-day country shows, with giant vegetables in the marquee, crafts, live music and a companion dog show. The little Heatherslaw Light Railway also runs daily to Etal village (first train from Heatherslaw at 11am), so you could make a day of it. Details and booking
Sun 6 Sep; castle 10am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm), Hermitage 11am to 4pm
Warkworth Castle, Warkworth Normal admission; English Heritage members free, All ages
The Hermitage, a medieval chapel carved into the riverbank upstream of the castle, only opens on Sundays and Mondays. It takes six people every half hour and can only be booked on the day, so go early and book it before you explore the castle. Details and booking
Sun 6 Sep; castle hours vary with the tide, garden open all day
Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island Adults £13, children 5 to 17 £6.50 (without Gift Aid), All ages
Check the council's safe crossing times before you set off, and the National Trust page for the castle's hours on the day, as both move with the tide. It's a mile's walk each way from the main car park, with a steep cobbled ramp and steps at the end, so bring sturdy shoes. Details and booking
Vindolanda, Bardon Mill Normal admission; one ticket covers Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum, All ages
A Roman fort you can walk round, then a museum full of the things the Romans left behind. The 122 Hadrian's Wall bus stops here, and a bus ticket gets you 10% off admission. Details and booking
Free entry and drop-in activities for Heritage Open Days, including lacemaking demonstrations you can have a go at, a 1pm pop-up tour of the Coal Town gallery, and an exhibition for 100 years of the High Spen Miners Dance. No booking needed. Details and booking
Lionheart Station, Lionheart Enterprise Park, Alnwick Free, All ages
Volunteers show you round the engine shed and its steam locomotives, and you can climb aboard a Victorian directors' carriage. The ground is level packed hardcore, so pushchairs manage fine, and there are accessible toilets. Details and booking
Schools close Fri 23 Oct and reopen Mon 2 Nov (Northumberland council schools)
Across the county
Worth putting in the diary now. Bamburgh Castle's Gory Stories run on 24, 25, 30 and 31 Oct at 11.15am and 2.15pm, included with admission, though some tales are too grisly for little ones. Check your own school's dates, as academies and church schools can set their own. Details and booking
Book ahead
Tip. Bamburgh Castle's car parks and café are card only, so leave the coin jar at home for once. If you're heading to Holy Island on Sunday, check the council's safe crossing times before you set off, as the causeway floods twice a day.