Vanessa's travel blog: North English castles

*From the archives 2014*

Hey everyone! So, as I sure is the case with all of you, this past week has been incredibly hectic in terms of papers and exam preparation for me! Unfortunately, then, I didn’t get up to anything too exciting, so I’ll be sharing with you my experience of visiting some amazing sites in northern England on a day trip I took a couple of weeks ago! 

Coming to the United Kingdom for exchange, I wasn’t holding out any hopes for myself in the way of encountering beautiful, sunny beaches – especially in the middle of Autumn. Man was I certainly proved wrong! On this day trip I got to tour Bamburgh Castle, which is situated above a beautiful beach that completely exceeded my expectations for UK beaches during fall! I also visited Alnwick Castle (a site used in various Harry Potter films), and Lindisfarne castle on Holy Island.

Bamburgh beach was jaw-droppingly stunning, what you’d imagine when you think of quintessential windswept English coastlines – except some how brighter and bluer. The photos I’ve taken attempt to do it justice, but you really have to see it for yourselves! Alnwick Castle was our next stop, a beautiful castle surrounded by English countryside at the head of the town Alnwick. The castle is only open to tourists – Harry Potter fans and history buffs alike – from late March to late October, as it is inhabited by the Percy family for the rest of the year.

Touring its vast, stately grounds and the main state room with its multiples Vandycks, finely carved fireplaces, and gilt-wrought ceilings, it was hard for me to imagine anyone actually living among such opulence. Our last stop was to see Lindisfarne Castle situated on Holy Island, which is only accessible by a causeway during low tide. Afterwards, we headed back to Glasgow, driving along a lovely coastline and over the border into Scotland. I hope I get the chance to explore more of England soon - but next week I’ll be jetting out of the country to somewhere really exciting. Stay tuned!