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Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
The thriving Northumberland seaside town that escaped the tourist crowds
Long, windswept stretches of silvery sand are one of Northumberland's signatures, but even by local standards, this one is a stunner. With low, wild dunes at the back of the beach and a view out to sea of a lighthouse-topped island, it's as picture-perfect as you'd expect from a county whose coastline is mostly a National Landscape (the new name for our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The thing is, this particular shoreline falls outside the AONB designation. I'm at the top of Druridge Bay, which runs for seven sparsely visited miles from Cresswell to Hauxley, which is just south of Amble, a seaside town beside the river Coquet. The National Landscape runs northwards from the river's other bank up towards Bamburgh (recently crowned – by Which? – Britain's best seaside town for the fourth year running) and beyond. But while the likes of Bamburgh and Seahouses are touristy hotspots, Amble and its surrounds remain considerably more relaxed. 'There wasn't much to recommend Amble back in 2003, when work began to establish the Northumberland Coast Path,' admits Iain Robson of the Northumberland Coast National Landscape Partnership. 'It's very much a working town, but when its herring fishery collapsed and the mines closed down, Amble lost its identity and went into decline.' The coast path – which turns 20 next year – was a catalyst of change. Starting in Cresswell and taking in Druridge Bay (one of Northumberland's best beaches) en route to Amble, it connected this area to the National Landscape, drawing hikers and cyclists to pass through and pause. But it wasn't until the arrival of an enterprising restaurateur that Amble's renaissance really fired up. 'The waterfront was almost deserted when we opened the Old Boathouse, 13 years ago,' says owner Martin Charlton when I pop in for a seafood lunch, 'but since then it's become a destination.' Charlton continues: 'Between this and the Fish Shack, our neighbouring venture, we now employ 75 staff. Things are tougher in winter, but the recent good weather saw a brilliant start to the 2025 season. Both here on the waterfront and up the high street, Amble is really buzzing.' He's not wrong. Barely a table is unoccupied, and the shops in wooden pods outside are also busy. I take a post-lunch stroll to the high street and find that its handsome sandstone shopfronts harbour a butcher, a bakery, a fabric shop, a pharmacy, a hardware store and a couple of dress shops, plus a smattering of cafés and restaurants. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Old Boat House, Amble (@oldboathousefoodgroup) It's not fancy, but nor is it generic: there are neither chain stores nor empty units, and the colourful bunting above adds cheer to a place that feels anything but downtrodden. I buy some bits and pieces and drop them off back at Fisherman's Row, the cute and cosy, thoughtfully equipped three-bedroom cottage where I'm staying for the week. Packed with maritime appeal via lots of seagull and sailboat imagery, it's barely a seashell's toss from the waterfront, so perfect for accessing Amble's offerings. One such attraction is Coquet Island which, complete with its white-painted lighthouse, I'd seen earlier from the beach. Boat trips (£20pp; from Amble's harbour take barely 15 minutes to get there and, although it's not possible to land, a circumnavigation is packed with insight. As we approach, there's so much animal activity that it's almost overwhelming. The first things we encounter are puffins (some 20,000 of them breed on Coquet) bobbing about on the swell, with more dashing overhead with beakfuls of sand eels for their chicks. Inquisitive seals swim as close as they dare before snorting loudly and diving away. And on the island's far side, we pause to admire the acrobatic antics of terns. Of the four species we spot, the roseate tern – sleeker, more elegant, purer white – is notable for breeding nowhere else in Britain. Back onshore, I stick with the wildlife theme and stride south along the coast path. The tide is falling as I go, bringing Coquet Island into surprisingly close proximity; the breeze even carries the haunting sound of the seals howling like dogs. Within an hour, I find myself at Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre (free admission), one of six Druridge Bay nature reserves repurposed from former open-cast mines. 'When we took over Hauxley in 1985, it was nothing but a hole in the ground,' says Alex Lister of Northumberland Wildlife Trust as he shows me around. 'The last of the mines on Druridge Bay closed in 2010 and we've since transformed the landscape into a nearly eight-mile patchwork of habitats: open water, wetlands, reed beds, woodland, scrub and meadows. Hauxley in particular is now a fantastic place for wildlife. It's not uncommon to see 60 bird species in a single day.' We follow the reserve's circular footpath, pausing to meet the habitat managers – a herd of friendly goats – and again to admire a patch of orchids and to look for otters' footprints. We conclude at the visitor centre and its excellent Lookout Café, whose home-baked scones are local legends. 'They're made from scratch every day,' says Alex, 'and together with our events programme of walks, talks and a knit-and-natter, the café has become a community hub. It's all part of our commitment to engage people with nature.' Later, back in Amble, I take an evening stroll on the town's pier, looking upriver to where shafts of sunlight break through clouds to bathe Warkworth Castle's ruins in a luminescent glow. The creaky calls of terns resonate across the water, but the spectacle doesn't end there. Where the river empties into the sea, a dorsal fin arcs clear of the water, followed by five more. A small crowd quickly gathers to watch the dolphin family frolic and splash. In Amble – and indeed all along this coastline – nature never feels far away. How to do it A seven-night, self-catering stay at Fisherman's Row costs from £494 (sleeps five) with Sykes Cottages. bus. More information at .
Scottish Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Our village is under threat from ‘Rave King's' plan to save his £2.5m mansion – we don't want celebs partying next door
The music promoter wants to build homes to restore his Dorset mansion PARTY PAD Our village is under threat from 'Rave King's' plan to save his £2.5m mansion – we don't want celebs partying next door Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MUSIC promoter is planning to build 85 homes to save his £2.5m mansion leaving local residents furious. Music promoter, James Perkins, is renovating his 16th-century home dubbed the "Buckingham Palace of Dorset" after it was destroyed by a fire eight years ago. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Music promoter, James Perkins, is planning to build homes to restore his £2.5 million Dorset mansion Credit: BNPS 2 Perkins has dubbed the stately home the 'Buckingham Palace of Dorset' Credit: Rex Perkins bought the Grade-1 listed Parnham House for £2.5 million in 2020. Scaffolding bills have soared to £1.7 million, the snooker room roof is falling in and the walls are crumbling. To fund the renovations, Perkins intends to construct 85 homes on 25 acres of the estate's fields subject to planning approval from Dorset Council. If successful, the mansion could host weddings, parties and overnight guests in sixty bedrooms. But residents, who were already furious with the council granting the venue a 24-hour alcohol license, have formed a group against the application. They told The Times that it would "destroy" local wildlife and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and remove centuries-old footpaths. Locals also say that the site plan drawn up four years ago, which originally proposed 20 homes, has ballooned into proposals for dozens of dwellings across the green space. One resident also added that Perkins stood to benefit from a large capital increase on his private property while the council and villagers lost out. The previous alcohol license application faced so much backlash that the council meeting was forced to run for two days with the local Conservative MP saying it was not appropriate for the estate. But Perkins hopes he will be granted permission to build under "enabled development" laws. Our pretty town has become a ghetto plagued by machete-wielding yobs This means permission will be granted if the project generates funds that outweigh the harm caused by the development. He is confident that he has brought Historic England onside with the plans which initially stated it would not support the application but they are now due to advise the council committee. The application alone has cost approximately £1.5 million to submit. Celebrities such as Noel Gallagher, Kate Moss, Madonna and Bono have all attended lavish gatherings at Perkins' former property, Aynhoe Park. The wild parties at the stately home on the Northamptonshire-Oxfordshire border cemented Perkins reputation as the "rave king". Perkins was just 15 when he began staging home parties in his home town of Cheltenham. He went on to establish the rave music promoter Fantazia and in 1992, aged 22, he attracted nearly 30,000 people to a rave in Castle Donington. Parts of Parnham House date back to the mid-1500s when it was owned by the Strode family who lived at the property for more than 200 years. Over the centuries it has been used as a private home, nursing home, country club and woodwork school. During the Second World War, it was used by the US army as the headquarters for General Patton before the D-Day landings. A spokesman for Parnham House said: 'Through intensive planning and design work involving many consultants, including extensive talks with Dorset council, Historic England, and their subsidiaries, it was acknowledged that Enabling Development is the only solution to save this nationally important Grade 1-listed treasure. 'The enabling development application will raise the equity needed to save and restore the building to the minimum required factor and once again make Parnham something our neighbours and Dorset can be proud of.' The spokesman added that the plans would "increase the biodiversity of the estate" as well as restore nature highways along the River Brit and reopen the original drive and entrance. Both Perkins and Dorset Council have been approached for comment.
North Wales Live
11-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Fury over bid to extend life of 'dormant' quarry in area of outstanding natural beauty
A planning committee will next week debate extending the life of a dormant quarry in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The debate will take place on Wednesday (July 16) when Denbighshire County Council councillors will discuss Tarmac Trading Ltd's Section 73 application, which if granted could allow the company to continue working at Burley Hill Quarry for 15 years. The quarry on Pant Du Road, Eryrys, near Mold, was originally granted planning permission in 1950 until December 13, 2021, and now the company wants permission to continue extracting 3.8m tonnes of limestone. But those against the development cite noise, heavy traffic, damage to the environment, and disturbance as reasons to reject the plans. Others have raised concerns about the damage to tourism. The debate has twice been delayed by the planning committee in March and April, following councillors voting to defer t he application to allow further public consultation. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. But planning officers are recommending the committee grants permission, despite widespread objections from residents and community councils. Llanferres Community Council, Llanarmon-yn-Iâl Community Council, Nercwys Community Council, and Mold Town Council all object to the proposals. So too does the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) joint advisory committee, as well as Madra and Ramblers Cymru. Senedd members Sam Rowland, Carolyn Thomas, Darren Millar, Lyr Gruffydd, Hannah Blythyn, and Mark Isherwood have all raised major concerns. Speaking today (Friday), Darren Millar MS said: 'The reasons for refusing this application are plentiful, and I am not surprised that so many residents are up in arms against the application. Llanferres Community Council have set up a petition against the proposals which has been signed by almost 400 people. The quarry closed 20 years ago, and there has been a lot of change in the area since then with many new businesses, many of which rely on tourism to thrive. 'We need to protect local residents and businesses, from noise and pollution, and safeguard road safety along the route from Pant Du, through Nercwys and into Mold.' He added: 'Opposing reopening the quarry will also protect important wildlife habitats and help to maintain the environment in the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. An extension to this quarry would be severely detrimental to the local area.' A letter sent to Denbighshire from Llanarmon yn iâl Community Council reads: 'As the site is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with narrow roads, a further 15 years of extraction would cause unacceptable disruption. 'The woods were divided into plots, and the offices are now used as holiday accommodation; this holiday accommodation is now too close to the quarry. Since Hendre Quarry (in Flintshire) has gained planning permission for a large extension, it would now enable a good supply of better-quality stone.' The AONB Joint Advisory Committee also wrote to the council. The letter said: 'Reopening the quarry and extending its life for a further 15 years will have a significant adverse impact on local tranquillity through an increase in noise, heavy traffic, and a general increase in activity and disturbance associated with quarrying operations.' But planning officers say that if the quarry is refused permission, 'reserves would remain unworked, and the minerals would be required to be acquired elsewhere', and this would have 'implications for the continuity of aggregate supplies in Denbighshire, northeast Wales, and beyond into the North West Region of England'. A planning statement added: 'It is therefore considered that there is a demonstrable need for the mineral which would outweigh any temporary harm to the tranquillity of the AONB, which can be mitigated. Whilst it is considered that there would be an impact on tranquillity, it would not undermine the natural beauty of the AONB, given the limited time and frequency of the proposed campaign events. 'Furthermore, the proposed operations would be at a lesser intensity with a reduced output level compared to that of when the site was operational pre-2005 when the AONB designation was in place. Therefore, the impact on tranquillity alone would not justify a reason for refusal of this extension-of-time application and as such, on balance, planning permission should be granted.' The planning meeting takes place on Wednesday 16 July at Ruthin County Hall HQ.
Daily Mirror
06-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I stayed on a historic estate and fell in love with the place'
I lost my heart to this beautiful part of the country and now I can't wait to return Tucked away in the undulating hills of Suffolk, The Wilderness Reserve offers a quintessential English summer experience. I recently had the pleasure of spending a weekend there and was utterly charmed by this tranquil corner of the county, bathed in the glow of a June heatwave sun. The walled garden was a riot of colour as I watched a couple tie the knot, and while enjoying elderflower cocktails, I felt like I'd stepped into a Merchant Ivory film. But it wasn't just the stunning venue that captivated me to be honest, the entire region truly stole my heart. Suffolk, with its gently rolling hills, expansive skies, and patchwork of fields, meadows, and ancient woodlands, epitomises rural England. The 8,000-acre private estate near Saxmundham is just one of many highlights in the area, with attractions such as Framlingham Castle, Sutton Hoo, RSPB Minsmere, and Yoxford Antiques Centre and Gardens all within easy reach. Scattered with picturesque villages, timber-framed cottages, medieval churches, and quiet lanes, much of Suffolk is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Then there is the stunning Suffolk coastline with its mix of sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and pretty seaside towns. Southwold is known for its beautiful beaches, iconic lighthouse and Victorian pier, while Aldeburgh Aldeburgh offers a more artistic atmosphere with its historic high street and rich cultural heritage, including the famous Aldeburgh Festival. Nearby, there lies the 12th-century Framlingham Castle, while the town of Woodbridge is home to the impressive Tide Mill and a charming blend of Georgian buildings and independent shops. While a visit to the Wilderness Reserve was a delicious treat, there are so many other ways to explore the region, along with a multitude of places to stay. Take Winkle Cottage for instance - a fishermans cottage bathed in Aldeburgh's seaside charm. This classic fisherman's cottage offers snug living spaces and can comfortably accommodate five guests. It has been praised by visitors as "a great place to stay." The village of Campsea Ash also hosts an ideal spot for larger family reunions, offering a glorious barn conversion on a private estate. Quill Farm Barn is touted as a "delightful" holiday home, nestled away in "the perfect setting." Then there's the Sea Tower, a chic apartment boasting sea vistas that has earned accolades as "a special place" or the grand Holly Lodge - a robust five-bedroom countryside house capable of hosting group getaways for up to 10 individuals. For something completely different, the Pound Farm Mirror Houses in Framlingham offer contemporary dwellings in the heart of the countryside. An upscale alternative to traditional 'tiny homes' each house comes with its own hot tub. boasts a diverse array of accommodation options in Suffolk. The Swan Hotel in Southwold, a four-star establishment nestled within a historic building just 200 metres from the seafront, is one such gem. For those seeking a more traditional vibe, The Ship at Dunwich serves up home-cooked fare and real ales in an authentic inn setting. Adventure-seekers drawn to RSPB Minsmere will find Moonlight Lodge an ideal retreat close by. Available through it's set against the backdrop of Dunwich beach and surrounded by woodlands - a nature lover's dream. For a touch of grandeur, The Great House in Orford stands as a majestic Grade II-listed holiday home right in the village's heart. This quintessential country haven sleeps 12 and has been hailed as "a stunning house" and "absolutely perfect for larger parties" by visitors. The tranquil beauty of Suffolk has garnered thousands of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor from enamoured visitors. One tourist said: "Loved our afternoon in Southwold especially the pier! Such a pleasant surprise to have a clean characterful pier with a brilliant quirky water fuelled clock at the end! The beaches looked amazing, beautiful clean sand and so pretty with the huts behind!". Another visitor, charmed by Aldeburgh, shared: "It was a dream in July to swim in the early hours of the morning and have fish and chips looking out to sea." Of course, the accommodation is key to any memorable holiday, and Sykes Cottages are dazzling holidaymakers, boasting a 4.6 out of five-star rating. One chuffed guest remarked: "We wanted a quiet weekend getaway and we found exactly that in Suffolk. Perfect for young and cottage we booked we know it's a fabulous place and beautifully presented." Another satisfied customer shared: " Suffolk in the sunshine. This was an important family holiday following my dad being very unwell last year, our holiday with Sykes gave us the quality time we needed and the chance to make some wonderful memories." However, not all feedback was glowing. A less impressed guest posted a three-star review: "Sykes offer a vast range of holiday accommodation. From experience so far, the description and photos of accommodation are fairly accurate, however, the cleanliness of the accommodation is another matter. It is difficult to get hold of anyone from Sykes by telephone." But praise continued with another beaming five-star critique: "We were looking for pet friendly cottages in Suffolk, Sykes cottages came up with the goods. A nice cottage plenty of details about the cottage giving us all the details we needed. So many thanks looking forward to our holiday."
Cambrian News
16-06-2025
- General
- Cambrian News
Grassroots charity campaigning to protect the Cambrian Mountains celebrates 20 years
One of their biggest achievements was gaining 21,000 signatures on a petition to recognise the Cambrian Mountains as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), debated in the Senedd in 2022 - something they continue to campaign for today.
