The quietest place to move to in Northumberland.

I was on the beach at Cambois with my grandson yesterday. Gorgeous sunny day and we had the huge beach totally to ourselves. We spend a lot of time there every summer. It's an amazingly unknown place. Not a single house for sale there though!

The river almost encircles it. I love it there, though. The street layout is still medieval. We walked up the centre of the village one day where all the back gardens meet. I never realised the beach was nearby though. I love it by the river. I’m always convinced that I’ll see mole and ratty rowing past me! We’ve sat on benches in the past that have been completely submerged a week or so later!

MayBee70 I didn't know that about Warkworth! A friend of ours has a flat there, which we've stayed in a couple of times - we obviously picked the right time of year!

Chewbacca

Don't know if anyone has suggested Belford yet? Half way between Seahouses and the Holy Island, a little bit inland but close to the nature reserve at Waren. House prices are more reasonable there than in the coastal areas. A good pub too!

Again one part of Belford is prone to flooding. They have the best fish and chip shop in Northumberland, though (imo) and the purple poppy fields are just up the road.

Oldbat1

Caleo

Oldbat, Alnwick and district must be among the most feudal places in England.

Yes it is. Feel some folk still go around tugging their forelocks. The Alnwick castle and the Alnwick Garden are probably the biggest employers locally - most employees however are on zero hours contracts.

I agree. And when people complain about second home owners I think you’ll find that in many part of Northumberland just a few people own many of the properties. A shopkeeper in Alnwick told me that the Duke charged a fortune in rental but channelled all of the visitors to his castle and gardens. I personally love Berwick even though it’s a bit run down since many of the local factories closed down. People are so friendly there and I love the beach at Spitall. I’d be worried about being in a remote village in winter. I do find that everything is run particularly well in Northumberland and when eg we’ve been there and had a medical problem the local healthcare is excellent. Bus service is excellent as well. House prices in Seahouses aren’t too bad.

Squiffy

Warkworth might be worth checking out. It is small, has the River Coquet running on three sides, has a ruined castle and isn’t far from the sea. There are no supermarkets or big stores, which may be a disadvantage unless you do online shopping.

It floods really badly though. Nearby Amble is a very up and coming area I think, though. And Newbiggin by the Sea is very up and coming and great for dolphin watching. It has a very active dolphin watching group.

Loulabel

Help,I'm going to move from North Devon to Northumberland,any ideas as the best place to move that's peaceful and good walking country(I have a very energetic dog.)?

Isn't it a bit weird to know you're moving, especially to a county as big as Northumberland, but not have a clue whereabouts?
What has prompted the move, if you don't mind me asking?
Northumbrian people are very friendly, though - I'm from there!

*Wylam. (Not to be confused with nearby West Wylam).
*Ovington. (Again, don't confuse with Ovingham).
*Corbridge - lovely place, but very pricey.
*Wark - my brother lives there. Been there a good few years but says he couldn't afford if buying there nowadays! There's a hotel with pub, I think 2 more pubs or maybe just one. A butcher shop & another shop that does everything else. LOADS of countryside, pleasant people, need a car but can get to Hexham for better/more shops, Wall, Bellingham, Chollerford, Warkworth Hall (or Castle?), all along the riverside. Haydon Bridge, and now my memory...Otterburn, Keilder....yup memory has given up! But definitely around those areas!
Bellingham has a lovely walk through woods upto a waterfall, and to the boathouse and lonesome pine.
Lots of people with dogs around those areas!

GagaJo

Not Cambodia! Damn auto correct. Cambois

Omg, what a chuckle that gave me. Predictive text has a lot to answer for!
When I was living in Ashington, I asked my other half, "What's in 'Cambwa'?"
Well, it looks like a French name. He chuckled and told me, "It's pronounced 'Cammis'!"
Plessey woods are nearby, lovely woods.

Razzamatazz

It must have changed since you lived there Lucca. Newspaper article reported 'hundreds of people' turned out to cheer the Boxing Day Hunt last Christmas.

It is definitely worth joining the local village community pages to see how they are placed for second homes in your village of choice. Also worth investigating whether the house/flat you like has second homes/holiday lets as neighbours. A very nice woman unsuspectingly purchased a tiny house here and all of the other houses in the close were holiday lets. After experiencing regular late night drunken shouting etc she moved again very quickly.

I am sorry we have just lost a bus a lot of locals that no longer drive used for their weekly shop in Alnwick. 'Not financially viable', sadly.

One hunt!

Razzamatazz

It must have changed since you lived there Lucca. Newspaper article reported 'hundreds of people' turned out to cheer the Boxing Day Hunt last Christmas.

It is definitely worth joining the local village community pages to see how they are placed for second homes in your village of choice. Also worth investigating whether the house/flat you like has second homes/holiday lets as neighbours. A very nice woman unsuspectingly purchased a tiny house here and all of the other houses in the close were holiday lets. After experiencing regular late night drunken shouting etc she moved again very quickly.

I am sorry we have just lost a bus a lot of locals that no longer drive used for their weekly shop in Alnwick. 'Not financially viable', sadly.

This is what I was getting at a couple of posts above. Holiday lets and Air B&Bs can kill a village for residents.

Don't know if anyone has suggested Belford yet? Half way between Seahouses and the Holy Island, a little bit inland but close to the nature reserve at Waren. House prices are more reasonable there than in the coastal areas. A good pub too!

I see Rothbury has been mentioned, and I agree. It’s close to countryside but is itself a small town.

It must have changed since you lived there Lucca. Newspaper article reported 'hundreds of people' turned out to cheer the Boxing Day Hunt last Christmas.

It is definitely worth joining the local village community pages to see how they are placed for second homes in your village of choice. Also worth investigating whether the house/flat you like has second homes/holiday lets as neighbours. A very nice woman unsuspectingly purchased a tiny house here and all of the other houses in the close were holiday lets. After experiencing regular late night drunken shouting etc she moved again very quickly.

I am sorry we have just lost a bus a lot of locals that no longer drive used for their weekly shop in Alnwick. 'Not financially viable', sadly.

Oldbat1
"Yes it is. Feel some folk still go around tugging their forelocks"
Too true
My uncle was a tenant farmer in Otterburn (another beautiful village) and once when on holiday there I went with him on business to the Alnwick office..We bumped into the Duke. My uncle showed him great respect and I think I bobed him a curtsey.
But this was about 70 years ago.

Caleo

Oldbat, Alnwick and district must be among the most feudal places in England.

Yes it is. Feel some folk still go around tugging their forelocks. The Alnwick castle and the Alnwick Garden are probably the biggest employers locally - most employees however are on zero hours contracts.

Pretty, quiet places with conveniences such as a PO or a GP, or even a corner shop or library are few and far between these days, thanks to holiday lets and Air B&B. I would check that out before moving somewhere - a village that might look bustling in summer could be deserted in winter, and local groups won't have enough actual residents to sustain them.

lovebeigecardigans1955

What would worry me if a place was very quiet would be, 'is it quiet for a reason?'

Are there no facilities whatsoever? Why? How difficult would it be to get to a hospital/GP/dentist, or simply get a newspaper or a pint of milk?

There must a happy medium between quiet and isolated.

There are a lot of NE towns like this LBC. But I think it's a choice people make (other than the native inhabitants). You trade the useful facilities for the peace and quiet. A lot of the towns used to have them but they've gradually been closed off and moved to the nearest large town.

Razzamatazz

My husband and I looked at Corbridge. Lovely town, but a huge hunting community, not our scene at all.

I was brought up in Corbridge….no recollection of lots of hunting. It’s a lovely village, but not quiet and isolated.

It would be worth joining the Facebook community pages to get a 'feel' for each village.

As I said earlier friends have moved out to Wooler and Rothbury, but they really suffered in the autumn/winter storms, no power for weeks as conditions were so difficult for the engineers. Their water went off too with no electric to pump it. Lots to consider about a remote quiet life.

What would worry me if a place was very quiet would be, 'is it quiet for a reason?'

Are there no facilities whatsoever? Why? How difficult would it be to get to a hospital/GP/dentist, or simply get a newspaper or a pint of milk?

There must a happy medium between quiet and isolated.

If anyone on this thread is already living in the quietest place ( and loving it) …how likely are they to let everyone in on it’s location.
Just sayin’?

Oh right. I had to Google that. I worked in Alnwick for quite some time but that passed me by.

Yes, and not restricted to up here Caleo - I hear he is still trying to force the people off their allotments at Syon Park. No end to the greed.

Another vote for Warkworth here, but is very pricey, Amble is only a couple of miles away and much more affordable, also Corbridge (again pricey but gorgeous) and Morpeth has a lovely town and riverside.