Join me as I take a tour around the northern reaches of England's most northerly county where, amongst the historical towns and villages, and stunning coastline, there are some rather splendid pubs and beers....
After a great day before in Newcastle, and then following a good night's sleep and breakfast, I left the toon behind, heading out of the city centre late morning and up the Ponteland Road to join the A1 on my way further north. Driving up, the road north through Northumberland was busier than I would have expected, particularly considering it was a Sunday. And I have to say this stretch of the Great North Road is not my favourite, as it alternates between dual carriageway and single track, so traffic would bunch for a while and then speed off, and then converge again, whilst the general drift of the road is not the easiest to negotiate. The countryside was unfailingly pleasant though, with the odd sea view off to the right, and bright blue skies overhead, so I wasn't too bothered. My journey north was taking me the 65 miles to the border town of Berwick-on-Tweed, right at the top end of the county which is in a kind of no-man's land; on the Scottish side of the river Tweed but still in England.
I arrived in the town early afternoon. I was staying at the Premier Inn, and once I had found it, I got parked up close by and with an hour or so to go before I could check in, I decided to go for a pint. It was a short walk up the hill to Foxtons, a smart cafe bar-cum-restaurant which I had called in on my previous visits to Berwick. Whilst it has been in the Good Beer Guide a few times, it is not currently, but there were still two hand pumps on the bar, one dispensing the ubiquitous Landlord, the other Toon Broon from Firebrick, a beer I had only tried the previous day, but as I didn't want to try a Yorkshire beer here, I ordered a pint of it. It was quite good, malty with plenty of flavour, which I rated as a 6.5/10. The bar and restaurant bit were both pretty busy with Sunday lunchers, but I was shown to an empty table with no fuss to enjoy my beer. The procession of plates looked appealing, and with me not having eaten since breakfast, I decided to book to come back a little later for something to eat. And as I had found on my previous visits, Foxtons is a welcoming bar with good beer and food.
I finished my pint and walked back to the car to get my stuff and then checked in at the hotel. The guy on reception told me the protocol with the nearby car park next to the river. It's free for 24 hours but your car then needs to be moved with no return in 4 hours, but if you move it to a different part of the car park you should be ok. As I was planning to be on the beer the following day I decided to get the car sorted after I'd dropped my bag off in my room, and then move it in the morning which should mean I would be ok until I left Berwick the following day!
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| Barrels in Berwick |
I returned to Foxtons and ordered a Sunday dinner from the menu. It had quietened down but there were still several tables occupied by diners. I ordered another pint of Toon Broon along with a medium sauvignon blanc. I didn't have to wait too long for my meal, and I was soon tucking in to a huge plateful of roast chicken and all the trimmings, which was delicious but meant I was full for the rest of the evening. I wandered on to Bridge Street, which was just down the hill and off to the right, and soon arrived at another bar.
This was another one I had visited before, on my afternoon visit last year. I had arrived at the Curfew. Situated in a yard down a covered alleyway it was Berwick's first and is England's most northerly micropub when it opened. Entry from the street takes you in to a pleasant courtyard with several tables, which were mostly occupied, the overhead heaters making it warm and cosy. I walked in to the bar itself, which consists of a long, narrow room with the bar on the left as you go in, whilst the other and slightly lower end of the room is a former storeroom. I met one of the owners, Gemma, last year when I called in, and I have to say that I can confirm again that she and her husband David have created a most comfortable, relaxed, and welcoming place. There are 4 cask beers on the bar, plus three beers on tap, along with cider, gin, wines, and a rotating range of bar snacks. Gemma was not there on either of the times I visited on my two nights in Berwick but the staff on both occasions were very welcoming, and the guy who was working on Monday evening remembered me from my visit to Barrels the previous evening!
Over the course my two visits I enjoyed beers from Fyne Ales, Tempest, and Wylam. I enjoyed Everyone Loves Pink, a 3.8% refreshing pale ale from Fyne Ales, with its juicy peach, ripe melon and pink grapefruit flavours alongside hints of strawberry, honey and wildflowers, and a touch of vanilla sweetness and gentle pine (6.5/10). Even better was Magick, a 4.2% golden blonde ale from Wylam, which was a light, crisp and refreshing ale made with Amarillo hops and pale malt, giving a hint of elderflower on the nose and citrus and spice on the palate with a good bitter finish(7.5/10). Another excellent beer was Cresta, a 4.2% stout from Tempest who are based a few miles away up the Tweed Valley. Made with 4 different malts, it was rich, smooth, and creamy, easy-drinking with dry roasted maltiness and a light bitterness (7.5/10). They all contributed to me thoroughly enjoying myself at this wonderful little bar.
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| The Curfew |
Whilst I was in Berwick I also called in the Pilot, a wonderful traditional pub a few minutes walk from the railway station. This is a solid-looking end-of-terrace building dating from the 19th century in what is a quiet residential part of the town. It has a Grade I-listed interior, with the public bar in particular having much of interest, notably the bar-back, counter, fire-surround, and wood panelling, which date from a refurbishment in the early 20th century. It was very quiet, with the one guy who was here when I arrived leaving shortly afterwards. The landlady served me and then disappeared into a back room, so I was on my own to drink my half of Abbot's Best from Firebrick Brewery. This was a delicious 4.6% best bitter, dark amber in colour, which was in fine condition and rather quaffable (7/10).
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| The Pilot Inn |
On my way back down Marygate towards the hotel I came across another bar which I hadn't spotted before. This was Sammy's Bar & Kitchen, which was converted from a shop and only opened in July 2026. It was the first new licence to be granted on Berwick's main shopping street for 60 years. Its style is rustic modern with an open airy feel where one can sit in relaxed comfort either chilled out on a sofa or sat at a table with a coffee, beer or whatever else takes your fancy and watch the world go by. There were a few in when I arrived and it certainly had a relaxed atmosphere. There were two hand pumps on the bar, one featuring Pale Armadillo from Tempest. This is an excellent and refreshing pale ale, firmly in Jarl/Sonoma territory; 3.8% ABV, with Amarillo hops giving a distinct orange citrus character that combines perfectly with the more punchy tropical notes from Citra and Mosaic (7/10). A lovely little bar that is well worth a visit.
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| Sammy's Bar & Kitchen |
The following day began with another bright and sunny morning. I had breakfast at Foxtons, then checked out of the hotel, and went to retrieve my car which was in its third spot in the car park. I then set off on my journey back through Northumberland. I was making my way to Seahouses, where I was staying overnight, but first I was visiting a fascinating place where I hadn't been for many years. Holy Island (also known as Lindisfarne) is situated a short distance off the Northumbrian coast, and linked by a causeway to the mainland a mile or two from the A1 at Beal. The causeway floods at high tide and tide tables giving safe crossing periods are published by Northumberland County Council and displayed prominently nearby and online. Despite that, cars do get stranded and when I visited the RNLI station at Seahouses the following day the incident log showed that the coastguard had been out twice this month to rescue people who had attempted to cross and got stuck.
It is a magical place when you get there and his its own unique atmosphere, probably due to all the history here. Records date from the 6th century AD; it was an important centre of Celtic Christianity under Saints such as Aidan and Cuthbert. The island was originally home to a monastery, which was destroyed during the Viking invasions but re-established as a priory following the Norman Conquest of England. Other notable sites on the island are St Mary the Virgin parish church (originally built in AD 635 and restored in 1860), Lindisfarne Castle, which dominates the views from its location on a rocky outcrop, several lighthouses and other navigational markers, and a complex network of lime kilns which were used to produce quicklime. Lindisfarne was mainly a fishing community for many years, with farming also important. Today, the island is a hotspot for historical tourism, and like much of the Northumberland coastline, bird watching. The old priory is well worth wandering around and there is a museum there which tells the story of Lindisfarne. The monks used to produce mead at the priory, and that tradition continues today at St Aidan's Winery, which draws many visitors to sample and buy the variety of meads and fruit wines produced here. Since I last went a large visitor centre has been added to the site.
Despite having a resident population of around 150, Holy Island does have a number of pubs. Two are listed in the 2027 Good Beer Guide; I had been to the Ship before, but I had never been to the Crown and Anchor on my previous visits. It is an attractive white-walled pub close to the priory with views over to Lindisfarne Castle. Inside I found a traditional pub with a cosy bar featuring exposed floorboards, wooden tables and benches, and comfortable seating. It was quite busy, with most tables occupied so I perched at the bar and enjoyed an excellent pint of Run Hop Run from Northimbrian brewery Rigg & Furrow, whose beers I always enjoy. This was no exception: a refreshing 4.2% American Pale Ale featuring Simcoe hops which give flavours of pine, citrus and tropical fruits, with a soft bitterness (7.5/10). It was one of three cask beers available on the bar, all of which were fairly local. I decided to have some food and ordered a cheese and pickle sandwich which came with a very fresh and nicely dressed salad. With a soundtrack featuring artists who can regularly be heard on 6 Music, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Crown and Anchor. I also had a most enjoyable few hours on Holy Island, but I needed to go, I didn't want to get stranded on that causeway when the tide came in....
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| The Crown & Anchor |
I got safely back on to the mainland and then made my way southwards down the A1. I turned off after a while and drove to Bamburgh. I was hoping to park up and have a little walk, but as I had found all week up here it was pretty busy and I couldn't find a parking spot. So I drove on the short distance to Seahouses, where I found a space to park in the town's main car park, built on the site of the former railway station. With a resident population of about 1,800, Seahouses attracts many tourists. There are a number of caravan sites and whilst it is still a working fishing port, it is also home to a number of boats which take visitors to and around the nearby Farne Islands which lie a few miles off the coast.
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| Seahouses |
I was staying for the night at the Olde Ship Inn, which has kept watch over the harbour here for well over two centuries. Originally built in 1745 as a farmhouse, it became a public house in 1812. I have been visiting the Ship on and off for well over 30 years, and it never fails to impress. The pub is like a museum of maritime memorabilia and old pictures, which is at its most impressive in the main bar. When I first visited, the landlord was the avuncular Alan Glen, who was a most genial host, but he retired a few years ago, since when the Olde Ship has been run by his son-in-law, David, who used to work behind the bar when I first used to visit. The pub has now been in the same family for four generations, and the same unruffled charm and efficiency with which Alan used to run the Ship is still very much in evidence today. There are 8 hand pumps on the bar dispensing cask ales, featuring a mixture of national, regional, and local brewers.
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| The Olde Ship |
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