Camping - Northumberland 6-10 August

We spent four nights camping on the stunning Northumberland coast. We based ourselves at the Alnwick rugby club campsite (pronounced "Annick" and home of Alnwick Castle: "Hogwarts", in the first two Potter movies.) The weather was not always as glorious as these photos would suggest, but we did manage to squeeze in a corker day on Bamburgh beach (first five pics below). The area has spectacular white beaches and castles aplenty. It's much quieter (and cooler) than the Cornish or Dorset coast, but definately just as gorgeous and (perhaps unexpectedly) has become one of our top British destinations ever.

Heading to Lindsifarne Castle on Holy Island.

Visiting "Cragside", Victorian home of Geordie inventor, William Armstrong (we didn't have a clue who he was either, but his was the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectricity - don't ever say we don't know how to show our kids a good time).

Adventure playground at Cragside (perhaps just a bit more interesting to Benanna than the hydroelectricity bit).