Coastal Adventures in Northumberland with Parkdean Resorts

A couple of weeks ago we had a weekend off football due to half term. We decided to make the most of it, we got in the car and headed down to Northumberland for a coastal adventure. We do love the area and the beaches were calling out to us. It’s about a three and a half hour drive from us as we are not far from Glasgow. Not too bad and lots of entertaining and sleeping were done in the car. We arrived at Parkdean Resorts Cresswell Towers Holiday Park where we were staying for the night at around 3 pm so it was getting on in the day, but that didn’t stop our exploring.

It was pleasantly warm outside, although windy and we couldn’t wait to hit the beach. The nearest beach is Cresswell beach and it is beautiful. Being only a few minute’s walk from the caravan park it’s a perfect one to visit.

We walked along the path through the sand dunes. Lucas had a go at jumping off a few not so high ones. It’s a nice walk and the view is just spectacular when you get to the end of the path.

As I said it was warm, but the beach was quite quiet. A few dog walkers, kite flyers and a couple walking. We pretty much had it to ourselves. I’ve never been to the beach in the autumn months and I have to say, I think I have been missing out big time. It was perfect. I will be back more often now I know what I’ve missed out on. This beach is gorgeous, clean and relaxing. There is something therapeutic about listening to the sea and the waves lapping, isn’t there?

The kids had a great time. The sand was perfect for building sandcastles, sculpting into shapes and for making footprints in the sand. Why not try writing your name with a stick?

The boys bought a frisbee at the onsite shop at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park and brought it to the beach. It provided endless fun and lots of running about.

With the wind getting up, we had to fly a kite, didn’t we? Perfect conditions and space available to have some fun and try out some stunts.

Thank goodness for wellies and being able to splash about in the sea looking for sea life creatures. There wasn’t any about that day, but we did have a lot of fun looking for them.

We collected some shells, which travelled all the way back to Scotland with us. There were so many lovely ones.

The beach is fascinating, with so much to see and do. We found this very interesting piece of seaweed. It’s educational and fun.

We all had such a lovely time at Cresswell beach, we were sad to leave, but it was starting to get dark. I would highly recommend it to anyone staying close by, it’s a gorgeous sandy beach, a real hidden gem.

Before heading back to our home for the night to Cresswell Towers Holiday Park, we went for a wee drive. I came across this beautiful building, Woodhorn Windmill, which is just a few miles down the road. I imagine it looked very different in its day, but it captured my attention and I stopped to get out and have a look around. There really is so much to see and do around this area. Just a drive along the coastal route is gorgeous.

Heading back home to Cresswell Towers Holiday Park we were treated to this stunning sunset. You know me and a pretty sky. With the sea in the background, I could just look at that view forever.

We picked up a takeaway that evening and headed back to the caravan. The kids just love being together with us. Working all week, it was nice to have some family time. Having a bite to eat around the dining room table was fun. Then, we took the short walk up to the Tower Tavern to check out the entertainment and have a drink. There was some kids disco on. My kids aren’t quite as keen on discos yet, but enjoyed watching. We did promise sometime in the arcade section of the complex before heading back to the caravan for a film. All the beach air was tired us out.

Up early the next morning and out for a wander before out next coastal adventure. Cresswell is a lovely, quaint little place. We passed a beautiful little church, it’s bells ringing out to welcome its morning service goers.

We headed a little further down the road to Cresswell Pele Tower. This is literally a stone throw away from the Cresswell Towers Holiday Park. It is a gorgeous 15th-century tower which is in pretty good condition.

You can’t go in the actual tower as it’s locked up, but you can walk around the grounds feeling the history that was made here. The kids had a great time exploring and asking lots of questions about what might have been here in the past.

A seaside visit is not complete without an ice-cream. Unfortunately, it was a little too early in the morning for Cresswell Ices, but we plan to come back, don’t worry. There is also another lovely place called The Drift Cafe close by which seems very popular and a nice place for a bite to eat.

Later on that morning, we headed further down the coastal road, which is a lovely drive, to Warkworth Castle and Hermitage.  It is part of the English Heritage so free if you are a member or if you are a member of Historic Scotland it is also included. Warkworth Castle is a gorgeous castle and has some stunning views. The castle itself is great for exploring and you can do a guided tour with the headsets which my husband did. He found it fascinating, but the kids and I just explored on our own. We didn’t head down to the Hermitage, but I’d like to visit one day. You have to go on a boat to there.

The castle is steeped in history and the walls look like they could tell a story or three. It is very well preserved and was great for taking pictures.

Exploring is what kids do best and this castle has lots of places to explore. There are lots of stairs to climb and different rooms with different information to see. The kids can climb up the hills and walk about the rooms.

The historic fortress is very picturesque, and you can visualise what it must have looked like back in the day. Over those walls is a breathtaking view of the coast.

As you can see it is a vast site and the whole family really enjoyed their visit. There were rooms, nooks and crannies to explore, hide and pretend to be a king or queen.

Aren’t those views stunning? The little village of Warkworth looked so nice, we decided to take a stroll down and have a bite to eat before heading on our long drive home to Scotland.

We finished off our wonderful coastal adventure of Northumberland with some ice-cream.

We created a little video of our adventures if you fancy a watch. I’d love to know what you think of it. It’s my first time doing a video like this. We had a lot of fun.

Cresswell Towers Holiday Park is situated in a nice quiet coastal town. It’s a relatively small park, with a lovely friendly atmosphere. There are loads to do with an onsite shop, Towers Tavern activity centre with a bar, food, entertainment and an indoor heated pool. There is also a lovely kids playpark onsite which allows the kids to burn off some of that energy. There is everything you would need onsite and lots of areas within the park to explore.

The caravans are lovely. Spacious, clean and well equipped for everything you would need. There are all the mod-cons in the kitchen, two bathrooms in the one which had three bedrooms and the living room had a lovely fireplace, tv and lounge area. It was cosy and even with the high winds that weekend it wasn’t cold in the evening.

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It was a bit of a whirlwind tour, but we loved every minute of it and lots of memories were made. We only touched the surface, there is so much more to see and do. If you fancy a coastal adventure, this is where you need to come and stay at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park, it’s the perfect location. A coastal adventure to Northumberland is top of the list for next time. Why not share your own coastal adventure or search for more ideas using the #CoastalAdventures hashtag?

Disclaimer:- This post was done in association with Parkdean Resorts, but we chose what to do and all words and thoughts are my own.