A trend at the moment, strengthened by the focus on the climate emergency, is that of environmentally sound holidays. I must admit that, on seeing this idea, I immediately thought of dreary drizzly holidays in the muddy countryside. However, this is not the case!
The Northumberland coast is absolutely stunning, with miles and miles of white sand, ending only by the towering ruins of medieval forts. Going in October half term, we were incredibly lucky with weather we expected to be cold and rainy. It was sunny every day, blue sky stretching out in every direction. Yet even without perfect weather, Northumberland is definitely a place worth visiting. Packed full of medieval history, even on a rainy day you can have a fantastic time. The key places to visit are Bamburgh castle, Lindisfarne and the Farne islands, where you may see seal pups in October and puffins in July.
The endless empty beaches with crashing breakers on one side and rolling sand dunes on the other really transport you to another world. Only 3 hours on the train away from London, it is really the place to visit. With climate change being a growing concern at the moment, this holiday is key for people living in the UK, Meriel Horvath in year 12 at Wimbledon High School told me, 'my family travel within the UK when possible', depicting the necessary changes we must make in order to save our planet. Furthermore, if you want to extend your stay, only an hour away on the train is Edinburgh, another lovely place to visit, especially if you can time it to visit the superb Fringe Festival. Another great way to break up the journey to Northumberland, if travelling by car, is to stop over in the city of Durham. With the famous Durham cathedral and cheerful university students in cosy cafes, this is the ideal stopover location.
