Unbelievably it's only been ten days since we woke up to this glorious sea view from our bedroom window, but already it feels like such a long time ago, a lovely but somehow distant memory of Summer.
I've had a fabulous time this morning looking through all my photos from our week away in Northumberland, and I'm really looking forward to sharing it with you. I hope you're going to enjoy this little taste of an English seaside summer :: cosy cottages and sea views, harbours and boats, castles and playgrounds. Early morning walks and lazy afternoon jaunts, the salty sea breeze and the smoky air, and the sun. Yes, the sun was there, it really was! Not all the time, no, but we were incredibly lucky and thankful for what we had in the way of mainly dry days with big chunks of sunny spells and blue skies amongst the cloud.
Its our fourth year staying at Craster and we absolutely love this little place. I remember reading Jane's Yarnstorm blog last year when she was talking about her annual family holidays to Suffolk, about finding a place that was so special that you wanted to return there year after year, somewhere that gives a feeling of "sweetness and light". I have always felt the same, had a strong desire to find our own perfect place to create layers of childhood holiday memories for the Little People. We are fortunate to have visits to my family in beautiful Dorset which do the job, but somehow our annual holidays in Northumberland give us something extra.
The photo above shows the little row of houses at the end of Craster village, just before you head out on the coastal path to the ruins of Duntsanburgh Castle. The house we stay in is the very last white house in the row, and is called "Driftwood". The house itself is not old, quaint, charming or especially picturesque. In fact it's quite an ordinary little house, with funny mismatched carpets, sentimental nic-nacs and old fashioned pictures. But it is warm and cosy, has a beautiful walled garden, an open fire, modern bathroom and kitchen facilities and views that take your breath away. And quite simply, we have come to love it.
Craster itself is a teensy tiny old fishing village with a teensy tiny little harbour and beach. Every morning we awake to the sound of the first fishing boat chugging out of the harbour at 6am or thereabouts, the lapping of the waves and the cry of gulls. It's a wonderful way to greet each day. The sea calms and stimulates me, relaxes and energises my soul.
When I am by the sea I alternate between wanting to sit idly in my pj's just gazing lazily at the horizon all day, and wanting to run outside and jump up and down in a mad fit of happiness just because I am in sight of some salty water. Its most odd. I am overcome with a sort of sea-induced schizophrenia.
On
the first morning we are there, I awake and get up early, sit by the
wide open bedroom window drinking tea and taking it all in, doing the
lazy-horizon-gazing bit. Then Little Man gets up (it's 7am or so by
now) and I suddenly get the familiar streak of mad sea-induced energy and order
him to get his clothes on RIGHT NOW because I need to go and be as
close to the water as I can get (ie in it) as soon as possible. He obliges with enthusiasm and we pull clothes on and race out. We walk along past the row of houses with their gorgeous little front gardens brimming with late summer flowers, pebbles, worn wooden benches and old lobster pots.
We are now at the little harbour :: we stop and say hello to the familiar Mermaid statue and take a look at the boats. Little Man is as excited as I am and he is talking nineteen to the dozen.
We hold hands as we walk, and he touchingly says how nice it is for the two of us to be together on our own and how we don't get chance to do it very often (note to self :: must make time for regular one-to-one specialness with my Little Man)
We walk right round the harbour and out to the very end of the stone pier, which you can just see on the right of the picture above. We look out to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle in the distance and can see our little holiday cottage tucked at the end of the row there. Eventually we stroll back round to the small beach to do our first bit of beach combing and early morning paddling. I need to feel my feet in the sea on that first morning, and it is bloody freezing let me tell you! We scour the beach for shells and sea glass and are rewarded with a handful to carry proudly back for the first of many beachy show-n-tells.
On subsequent mornings, J takes over the early morning pre-breakfast walk-outs and Little Man gets to go on exciting daily rock-pooling adventures with his Daddy. Me and Little Lady resume the idleness and horizon-gazing, with tea-drinking and crochet thrown in.
Craster has a small visitors centre, a lifeboat station, a village pub, a famous Kipper smokery, a new art gallery and a closed down village shop (such a shame, I mourned the loss of that many a time during the week we were there). And that's the extent of the facilities, unless you are 4 and 5 years old that is. Because there is one particular facility the Little People adore :: the children's playground. It's a delight, situated right on the edge of the small cliff top, overlooking the sea.
Don't you think this has to be the most scenic see-saw (or should that be sea-saw?) you ever laid eyes on?
During our weeks stay in this quiet. sleepy little place, we do venture out each day to explore the delights of Northumberland. It's a beautiful county, with magnificent countryside and coastline and stunning places to visit. Each day we head off to our favourite towns and gardens and woodlands and castles and cafes and shops and sandy beaches. But always by late afternoon we are ready to head back to base. Ready for some local Pottering.
Yes, what we love most of all about staying in Craster is enjoying a good, leisurely potter around the local environs. As a family, we are exceedingly good at Pottering.
Down to the shoreline we go, with buckets and nets and tea and cake (or wine
and crisps, depending on the mood), J and I sitting on the sun warmed rocks
whilst the LP paddle and
terrorize the rock pool inhabitants.
And round the
harbour we go, to The Jolly Fisherman where the beer garden is beautifully situated
overlooking the sea. We spend a late afternoon or two (or three)
enjoying a pint or two (or three) of the local tipple.
A Brew with a
View.
ps :: Very many thanks for all your get-well wishes for Little Lady and good-luck wishes for her foray into school life. I'm pleased to report that she is now fit and well and is so far enjoying her mornings at school enormously. She is happy, and I'm ok. Yes, I'm ok I think xxx
We had a drink in the Jolly Fisherman when we were in Craster a few years back and you're right - wonderful view from the beer garden! I've really enjoyed catching up with your holiday memories. The photos are wonderful.
Sal xx
Posted by: sally | September 22, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Helloooo
The candles are from Cath Kidston. They are quite expensive for white candles with dots on but I do love them - bit mad really considering all we do is set light to them!!!
Love Emma xxx
Posted by: http://lavenderhouse.typepad.com | September 10, 2008 at 11:55 AM
You holiday destination looks great. We went to Cornwall and renting a house is just becoming so expensive. I think we should branch out to somewhere different. Trouble is I like a bit of retail therapy on holiday and love pottering around the galleries and occasionally purchasing something! Love Emma x
Posted by: http://lavenderhouse.typepad.com | September 10, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Fab post Lucy - I just love the photo of the rocks with the castle in the background. Still haven't been to Northumberland, but will one day...
Glad Little Lady is doing well at school and that you are ok too.
Posted by: Ange | September 10, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Craster looks gorgous and what a veiw you had. As ever fab pictures...I slmost reached in and took that pint... I feel that at 8.55am I already need it with the little people arguing since dawn.
Our favourite haunt is a frinds holiday home in Dartmouth, as soon as we arrive and I look out to the boats I feel so happy.
Jane. x
Posted by: jane | September 10, 2008 at 08:58 AM
Such a lovely part of the country. I have so many happy childhood memories of Seahouses - which is not that far away. Lovely pictures
Lisa x
Posted by: periwinkle | September 10, 2008 at 08:46 AM
What a lovely post, and what a fab holiday, I'd be very happy to stay there for a couple of weeks..so relaxing.
Posted by: Gill | September 09, 2008 at 09:59 PM
it looks fantastic, we've had some lovely holidays near there, and if our house ever sells then we might even move near there, which would be just heavenly. xx
Posted by: driftwood | September 09, 2008 at 08:02 PM
Wow Lucy another great post you have such a great way with words and you have such a eye for great photo's.
Posted by: Joanne | September 09, 2008 at 08:01 PM
Wat a lovely post, so nice seeing more photos of Northumberland. We had our first holiday there this June, after having wanted to go for years. It was magic - I spent some time reminiscing whilst I posted about our time there, a couple of weeks ago. We went to Craster, those little gardens right on the edge of the harbour are beautiful, we just sat on a bench and gazed and gazed, and yes, we did buy some Craster kippers, in fact that is why we went there to begin with. I have all our Northumberland photos continually scrolling through on the digital photo frame, great.
Posted by: Helen | September 09, 2008 at 07:44 PM
Hi Lucy
Thanks for sharing some of your holiday with us.
I agree that see-saw is fab!
Do you have a front view of that mermaid, she looks beautiful.
Very pleased to hear both you and LL are ok and school life is going well.
Lisa x
Posted by: Lisa | September 09, 2008 at 07:33 PM
oh it looks lovely there and i so want to find somewhere for our family like that !! we are off to dorset in a couple of week so am very excited !! if you have any hints of good things to do/see then let me know if you dont mind :-)
Lesley x
Posted by: Lesley | September 09, 2008 at 06:58 PM
Thankyou Luce It was wonderful reading today I was absorbed in every word you wrote and felt like I was there with your wonderful photos :-) xx
Posted by: Lisa | September 09, 2008 at 06:51 PM
Ah, Northumberland, the county of my forefathers. It does have it's own very special magic contained in it's sweeping moorlands and rugged coastline doesn't it? It's something tangible, it can be felt in the air. I feel exactly the same way about Cornwall too, it has the same kind of hold over me. Later in life I discovered that my grandfathers family on my mothers side moved from Cornwall to Durham in 1872, at about the same time that the Northumberland folks started to move into Durham too, for the work in the coal mines. I love both counties with a passion and intensity I can't describe Your post has simultaneously left me feeling uplifted and deflated at the same time! Not even sure if that's possible, but that's how I feel right now. Glad you enjoyed your break though, precious time with your family.
Have you ever considered home schooling for your children? Lots more people are doing it these days, I would imagine it takes a lot of dedication, you strike me as the kind of person who could do that though. Then again, perhaps when you're at your little knitters circle enjoying a cuppa and a chat you might decide you're happy they're at school!!!
Posted by: Brenda | September 09, 2008 at 06:43 PM
Hi Lucy,
Fantastic to read your holidaystory; and for me, as a hugh fan of your country, great to get to know new parts of the country !! We have not been on that side of the country yet but now seeing those pictures... who knows !
Greetings, Janneke
Posted by: Janneke | September 09, 2008 at 06:42 PM
I could almost reach in the photo and dip my toe in the rock pool! It is such a shame about the village shop closing down, aren't you tempted to start it up again!
Posted by: simone | September 09, 2008 at 06:03 PM
OOO! I can almost smell it! That salty seaweedy smell, that gets in your hair; and the inch of sand left in the bottom of the bath when the day is over! Ah! happy days!
Posted by: Fi | September 09, 2008 at 05:10 PM
We a simialr thing bout Fowey in Cornwall. Some places just have that feeling about them.
Posted by: Joanna | September 09, 2008 at 05:07 PM
Absolutely stunning photos! I'd love to visit Craster; it reminds me of Crail...
Laura
Posted by: Laura | September 09, 2008 at 04:50 PM