A wizard break in magic castles

WITH a wave of his wand and the utterance of a few magic words, the legendary Harry Potter slammed his guillotine down on my daughter’s arm.

The watching crowd held their collective breath, some passing children even let out a short, sharp squeal of shock.

Was this really happening? Had the great boy wizard really just blindfolded a nine-year-old girl and then chopped her hand off? Was he Voldemort in disguise? Would there be lots of blood?

Happily for me, for Harry and for Hannah, her arm would soon be removed from this chopping contraption intact and unharmed, her blindfold slipped from her face by a smiling Mr Potter, and he, together with his able assistant and good friend Hagrid, would take a bow in front of an appreciative and spell-bound audience.

The trick just about summed up our magic week on the Northumberland coast.

As Hannah took off with her brother Ben, eight, and sister Charlotte, six, to have their pictures taken with their wizarding heroes in the grounds of Alnwick Castle, their smiles said it all.

This was our final port of call in a week that had seen us explore the delights of the North-East coast. Five days which had already seen us visit two castles, travel overseas (sort of) and explore the stunning beaches and thrilling scenery.

Our base was the Haven holiday park at Haggerston Castle. Ideally placed on the A1, this 5-star park is ideally positioned for such an expedition.

Set among woodlands and lakes, complete with spa treatment rooms, a boating lake, swimming pools and all the entertainment you could expect from a holiday camp, we could have happily stayed on site all day and every day.

We were staying in one of Haven’s luxury caravans which are available to buy as a holiday home. Situated away from the more bustling tourist centres, the homes-away-from-home have a more serene feel about them. Many neighbours have ‘pimped’ theirs to make them more comfortable and knowing we had an excellent base to work from every day enabled us to do some real exploring.

The beauty of Haggerston is its ideal location, and it seemed silly not to take advantage.

First on the agenda was our overseas trip. Okay, so Lindisfarne is about as foreign as fish and chips, but once you have crossed the causeway and stepped foot on Holy Island, you could be forgiven for thinking you had been whisked away somewhere very special.

The children were fascinated, although I sensed their scepticism as we pointed out that our time on the island would be short due to the sea rising up over the road later in the afternoon. Pictures of stranded cars and lifeboat rescues served as a warning that such dangers are very real, and it is foolish not to take heed.

Peaceful, tranquil, heavenly were all words used by the five of us as we made our way through the quaint streets and out toward the castle.

It was a stunning autumn day, the mist was still hanging over the North Sea and the imposing 16th-century castle, built up on a volcanic mound at the far end of the island to protect villagers from invading Vikings and Scots, stood before us. It was quite a sight.

Owned by the National Trust, the castle offers a true insight into life on the island with lovingly-restored rooms and gardens. We could have stayed there all day, but every trip to the Holy Island is dependant on time and tide, so if we were going to see the rest of what Lindisfarne had to offer then we would need to be quick.

The ruined priory, a victim of King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, offers up another interesting visit, while the many shops, tea rooms and pubs give you ample opportunity for refreshment.

We, however, had an appointment with the North Sea. Even for us adults, it was something of a thrill to watch it advancing, slowly cutting off the island. Indeed, we all got so wrapped up in the excitement of it all that – even after reading all the warnings – we still ended up getting our feet and tyres wet through not moving off the causeway quickly enough.

With the sun still shining, we made our way along the coast to Bamburgh for an afternoon on the beach and inside the castle.

The Royal Seat of the Kings of Northumbria, the castle offers 14 rooms open to the public jam-packed with suits of armour, weapons of old, glorious furniture and some truly stunning art works. We spent hours meandering through the corridors with the children, listening on headphones to the guided-tour, eager to see what was behind the next corner, fascinated by the magnificence and the history of it all.

Two castles down, we had one to go, and with no disrespect meant to those that went before it, Alnwick Castle was possibly the one our children were looking forward to the most.

Ever since the castle grounds were used as a filming location for the first two Harry Potter movies, this glorious site, nicknamed The Windsor of the North to some or Hogwarts to our family, has associated itself with all things wizard and magic.

Our tickets entitled us to two days in the castle and, to be honest, that still was not enough time for us to do everything on our list.

Upon arrival you are inundated with myriad things to do. There are guided tours, visits from the characters of the Harry Potter movies, the chance to test your knightly skills with a sword, a walk through the stunning Alnwick Garden and even the opportunity to learn the basics of flying on a magic broom.

When all of that was done, there was chance to rest up and revive with some great food in the stunning Treetop Restaurant – a truly wonderful experience.

Favourites among our three were the garden, being able to dress up fancy dress, the broomstick training and, of course, the chance to meet Mr Potter and Hagrid... even if Hannah did nearly lose an arm in the process.

With three castles, stunning beaches and a trip overseas (sort of) under our belts, we returned ‘home’ to the caravan for a breather, our home-from-home allowing us the opportunity to take a break from a truly magical week.

Owning your home

Holiday home ownership starts at around £14,995 for a brand new caravan – including the first year’s site fees, connection costs and insurance. There are no legal fees or stamp duty and finance can be arranged.

When you become a caravan Holiday Home owner you also become a member of Owners Exclusive, and you’ll enjoy a host of benefits and privileges, including free sports and leisure activities, an Owners Privilege Plus card , Owners-only Health suite with Multi Gym, an Owners-only Lounge and Owners-only swimming.

Haggerston offers a choice of accommodation from the luxurious ‘Platinum’ holiday homes to the more economical ‘Standard’ range. All offer two/three bedrooms, lounge with TV, well-equipped kitchen/dining area, shower and loo. The price includes full use of the park facilities.

If you’d like to buy your own holiday home at Haggerston Castle visit www.havenholidayhomes.com or call 0871 230 1299 for more information.

Breaks in the Easter school holidays start at £399 for a family of up to six in Superior accommodation, based on seven nights from 30th March.

For details, special offers and immediate bookings visit www.haven.com or call 0871 2301900.