The castle companion

Daddy, castle?" enquired my two-year-old son. "No darling, that's Northern General Hospital," I replied as we drove through a Sheffield suburb on our way home from a long weekend in Northumberland.

It had been a similar question the entire three-hour drive home after a magical trip to the north-east. My son, Thomas, had been enthralled by the amazing castles to be found on the rugged Northumberland coastline and now for every building above eye level, and with the odd turret thrown in, he was seeking castle status.

Now before our trip, Thomas hadn't been potty about Harry – he was too young for Daniel Radcliffe's movie character or Hogwarts – but I could sense that was about to change as he sat in his car seat weaving his soft-toy sword around like a magic wand. One of the most popular destinations for tourists heading up the A1 is Alnwick Castle, where the Harry Potter movies were filmed.

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But we were heading a little further north to the tranquil setting of Bamburgh, a small coastal village home to one of the most impressive castles you can wish to see. Spanning nine acres of land on a rocky plateau – there's even a cricket pitch in the shadows of the castle – it's a landmark from miles around.

Once a wooden fort, it was first built in stone by the Normans in the 12th century, although today it's still inhabited with 14 apartments helping to offset the running costs of the castle. As one of the helpful tour guides said: "Imagine what your gas and electricity bills are, then add a few noughts on the end. That's how much it costs to keep this place going."

So trying to avoid walking into someone's front room, at one of the most prestigious addresses I can imagine, we walked through the amazing assortment of rooms and displays. History just seeped out of the walls, although my two-year-old wanted more time admiring the suits of armour than the seemingly never ending collections of plates and crockery.

It was an education for all the family as we spent several hours exploring the castle. When you think you have seen it all, you stumble into another room with more hidden treasures, before finally making it to the dungeons. A grim finale, that makes a mockery of TV shows

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like Robin Hood, where their dungeons seem five-star ratings compared to the real thing.

Outside, there are miles of sandy beaches to be explored, so we clambered over the sand dunes and found ourselves with our very own stretch of beach.

That's not hard in Northumberland, as I was quickly finding out, as the lack of crowds leave you feeling isolated if you're used to city living, as though you're missing out.

But this is just the pace of life in this unspoilt part of the world. Thomas was soon kicking his football around to his heart's content, and I was safe in the knowledge that he wasn't about to demolish someone's prized sandcastle or get lost on the crowded beach.

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Litter-free, and just the odd dog walker in the distance, it felt like our own mini adventure and a world apart from the more boisterous, typical seaside resorts like Bridlington and Blackpool. Bamburgh is a great place to base your holiday. Within a short drive you can visit some of the most important historical locations in Britain. Chesters Roman Fort and Hadrians Wall is less than an hour's drive, while just further up the coast is Lindisfarne, known as the Holy Island. Getting to the island can be a bit tricky, as the one road in and out is cut off at high tide, so remember to check the tidal times before setting off.

Although I could think of worse places to be stranded as the island is packed with lovely quaint fisherman pubs offering ale and food aplenty.

While visiting, don't forget to check out the priory, castle and mead brewery, or sit by the harbour, take a blanket and have a picnic in a picturesque setting.

Of course, the key to any holiday is decent accommodation. And as the castle didn't have any spare rooms – apart from the dungeon – we settled for the next best thing, the beautiful Stewards Cottage.

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One of several farm cottages, settled in the countryside just outside of Bamburgh, our cottage was three bedrooms, two bathrooms. A roomy master bedroom downstairs, with two twins upstairs. Packed with full satellite TV, all mod cons, including wi-fi, and a fully-fitted kitchen, it was perfect for a family visit, even if it was several miles to walk for the morning newspaper.

Stewards Cottage was the icing on the cake of a fabulous long weekend in Northumberland, although the final word has to go to a catchphrase which will live long in the memory.

"Daddy, castle?"

PAST AND PRESENT IN THE NORTH-EAST

Northumberland Tourism (www.visitnorthumberland.com) Bamburgh Castle (left): A coastal castle with 14 public rooms and more than 3,000 objects. Prices: adults 8, senior 7, children (5-15) 4, and family ticket 20 (2 adults and up to 3 children). 01668 214 515; www.bamburghcastle.com

Chesters Roman Fort: 01434 681379; www.english-heritage.org.uk/ hadrianswall. Prices adult 4.80, conc

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4.10, child 2.40, members & children under-5s are free. Opening times: Apr 1-Sept 30 (daily) 10am-6pm, Oct 1-Mar 31 (daily) 10am-4pm. Closed Dec 24-26 & Jan 1.

Richard stayed at Stewards Cottage (http://www.gracedarlingholidays.com/); 01665 721 332. Stewards Cottage is part of the Grace Darling Holidays premier range and the guide price is 300 for three or four nights (Mon/Fri or Sat/Tues arrivals)