Locations

Amble

Amble ‘The Friendliest Port’

Voted ‘Britain’s Best Coastal High Street 2015’, Amble is a bustling fishing town and working port situated just 1 mile south of Warkworth Village, on the Coastal Route through Northumberland.

With a good range of small, mostly independent shops, including a great little artisan bakery, excellent butchers, an Italian restaurant, award-winning seafood restaurants and one of the best traditional fish and chip shops in the North East on the quayside, it’s a fascinating little fishing port.  There’s a local Sunday market held every week on the old quayside, which is lovely to wander around as well as a little ‘Harbour Village’ with tiny boutique-style independent shops operating out of pods resembling old fishermen’s huts.

The views from the quayside are spectacular – of the estuary, impressive Warkworth Castle, Coquet Island and of course the beautiful sea, and the walk along the harbour front to the interesting Marina is just lovely – follow it with lunch or dinner in one of the super little eateries on the quayside and you’ll truly feel a ‘sense of place’.

Coquet Island

Lying just one mile off the coast of Amble is Coquet Island, an RSPB nature reserve. It is a safe haven for over 30,000 pairs of seabirds, some of whom travel from Africa to nest there. The island is protected under European Law for birds such as the Roseate Tern, one of our rarest nesting seabirds. Coquet Island now holds 90% of the UK’s Roseate Tern population.

Coquet Island has been a place of sanctuary since St. Cuthbert, an early Northumbrian saint who landed there in AD684. The Duke of Northumberland owns the island including its unusual square-towered lighthouse, which was built in 1841.

Read more information about Coquet Island and the boat trips you can take.

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Where to Eat in Amble

The Old Boathouse

One of the best eating places in Amble!  Customers drive for miles to visit this rustic fish restaurant to experience fresh fish and seafood, as well as the other tasty dishes on their menu. With a specials board that changes almost daily depending on what the fishing boats bring into the harbour, this bustling restaurant with a stunning harbour frontage is a must to sample the catches of Northumberland. Booking is essential even during the week, at all times of the year.

Tel: 01665 711 232
Click here to visit The Old Boathouse website

The Harbour Inn

The Harbour Inn new to Amble is a family and dog-friendly restaurant and bar located in the heart of Amble opposite the harbour. On offer for you here is a variety of cuisines with a main focus on seafood, you are in a fishing port after all!  There is also a great selection of meat dishes on offer such as steak and traditional pub classics. We would strongly recommend booking in advance.

Tel: 01665 711664
Click here to visit The Harbour Inn website

 

The Fish Shack

Owned by the local renowned chef, Martin Charlton (who also owns The Old Boathouse), this informal, rustic fish shack is a seaside delight. Offering quick, fresh, local food overlooking Amble Harbour, this is well worth a visit. Opening times vary according to the season.

Tel: 01665 661301
Click here to visit The Fish Shack website

Jaspers

This pretty little restaurant is a hidden gem in Amble. It only covers about 20 customers so is very small and intimate. They serve delicious lunches and even great evening meals, bistro-style. Their food is probably the best in Amble, you won’t be disappointed!

Tel: 07853 449465
Click here to visit Jasper’s Facebook page

Spurelli

If you like ice cream, then you will fall in love with Spurellis. This little Italian ice cream parlour and coffee shop is a gem on Amble’s harbour road. In the summer sit outside and marvel at the harbour front, and in the winter their cosy but contemporary coffee shop serves cakes and coffee as well as their delicious ice cream. Not one to miss, they close at 5 pm each day.

Tel: 01665 710890
Click here to visit the Spurelli website

The Old Customs House Tearooms

Brand new to Amble overlooking the gorgeous little shore is The Old Custom House Tearooms! Grab a spot of lunch here after a stroll around the harbour or after a browse around Amble Harbour Village pods. Lunch here will include homemade pies, quiche, soup, paninis, sandwiches and jacket potatoes. Also on offer are the most delicious cakes and homemade scones. The Old Customs House is also dog friendly, so your canine companions can join you!

Click here to visit The Old Customs House Tearooms Facebook page

Lilly’s Landing

Situated on Amble’s quayside, Lilly’s Landing offer top-notch seafood, flatbreads and delicious breakfasts. With fantastic views of the sea and Warkworth beyond, Lilly’s Landing is the perfect setting to enjoy a glass of wine on an evening.

Tel: 01665 713001
Click HERE to visit their Facebook page

Radcliffes Cafe Bar

This European-style cafe bar offers a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch or a late-afternoon bite to eat. From coffee and homemade cake to their XXL German sausages, Radcliffes Cafe Bar has something for everyone!

Tel: 01665 712134
Click HERE to visit their website

The Amble Inn

Located as you’re heading into Amble, The Amble Inn is a gorgeous dog-friendly restaurant serving up breakfasts, pub grub lunch and tasty seafood dishes. If you don’t feel like cooking Sunday lunch, they have a great carvery with a choice of hand-cut meats and all the trimmings.

Tel: 01665 613333
Click HERE to visit their website

La Famiglia

If you’re looking for Italian food, La Famiglia won’t disappoint! From pizza and pasta to steak and seafood dishes, their extensive menu offers plenty of choices, and make sure to check out their daily specials too!

Tel: 01665 713159
Click HERE to visit their Facebook page

Dry Water Arts Centre Amble

Dry Water Arts Centre is a wonderfully restored former joiners workshop in Amble’s historic area, with parking and a friendly welcome. Visitors may register for a variety of regular classes while on holiday, including yoga, watercolours, sketching, meditation, jewellery making, textiles, and printing. You may also schedule customised classes such as sea glass silver jewellery, relaxation or yoga nidra sessions for family and friend groups. Tea, coffee, and delectable sweat treats are included in bespoke sessions. Yoga classes are conducted in their lovely attic studio, and all necessary equipment is provided. Visit the Dry Water Arts Centre website for details and phone or email to discuss your unique holiday experiences – the Dry Water crew is always pleased to help.

Walks Around Amble

 

Walk into Warkworth

With Warkworth only a mile north up the road, stroll along the side of the beautiful Coquet Estuary and see stunning wildlife as the Coquet river turns into the sea.  As well as several herons, otters can sometimes be seen and often you can see seals chasing the salmon upriver.

Just bear in mind though there are no street lamps along the side of the Estuary so make sure you walk home whilst it’s still light – or bring a torch!

 

Druridge Bay

Druridge Bay is a living landscape, rich in wildlife.  The bay is a stunningly beautiful seven-mile stretch of sand running from Amble down to Cresswell and is a popular place to ride, cycle, walk, paddle and surf. Today there is just the sound of the surf and seabirds, but the beach has a fascinating and varied past. Within the park, you will also find a series of smaller nature reserves home to everything from a resident herd of swans to rare birds like the Golden Eye Snipe.

Druridge Bay Country Park has all the amenities you will need to enjoy a day at the coast with toilets, a cafe and a children’s play area. The park is centred on a lake with surrounding meadows and woods which have been restored from an old opencast coal mine and are maturing into a very pleasant landscape for walks and picnics. In addition, over 7 miles of high-quality beach and sand dunes offer ample space to get away from it all. Facilities include a visitor centre with information on the park and surrounding area, toilets, a cafe and gift shop (open most weekends and school holidays), activities, water sports, bird-watching, walks, orienteering and cycling.  Car parking charges apply throughout the year, so do remember to take some change.  Druridge also has events throughout the year, such as a Vintage Car Rally, a VW campervan Festival, the legendary Skinny Dipping Morning and the Tough Mudder challenge.

Shopping

There are some quaint shops and cafes on Amble high street, such as independent clothes retailers, hair and beauty salons and butchers, bakers and greengrocers. The main supermarket is Morrisons – which also has a daily shop within its fuel station, and there is also a Co-op at the top of the high street and there is a smaller Tesco at the very bottom of the high street.  There are also some national chains such as The Post Office and Boots the Chemist, as well as banks and takeaways.

The Harbour Village

 

A new addition to Amble in early 2015 is the ‘pods’ at the Harbour Village down by the Quayside in Amble. 16 little wooden pods operate as small businesses such as a small art gallery, an old-fashioned sweet shop, a bakery, gift shops, a coffee shop and even 2 ‘designer’ shops for dogs!  It’s worth having a wander down towards the seafront with a coffee as the Sunday Market is just on the other side of the harbour. Click here to visit the website for Amble Harbour Village.

Sunday Market

 

The classic Amble Sunday market has been running for years. It’s a market for locals rather than tourists, but fascinating nonetheless and full of bargains! There is also a fresh fishmonger selling the day’s local catch; butchers; bakers and coffee stalls. Definitely worth a visit on a Sunday morning. If you visit in winter though, remember to wear your thermals – the north wind on the Harbourfront can be chilly!

Local Events

The Puffin Festival

On the last week in May, Amble celebrates everything Puffin! A full week of fun and activities takes place at the best time of the year to see the Coquet Island Puffins as they care for their newly hatched pufflings. The festival includes guided nature walks, bird watching, local history tours, arts and crafts, water sports and live music in the evening. There is something for all age groups held in a variety of locations throughout the town. Click here to visit the Puffin Festival website for the event.

History of Amble

Amble was originally located well to the south of the mouth of the River Coquet, however, in March 1764, the river below Warkworth changed its course due to heavy rain. This event changed the fortunes of Amble.

Today Amble lies at the mouth of the River Coquet on the North Sea coast in mid-Northumberland. It is located nine miles south of Alnwick and a mile southeast of Warkworth. The town was built on a peninsula, providing extensive views of the surrounding coastline.

For a short time in the 1980s, Amble was officially known as Amble-by-the-Sea, however, this was dropped in 1985 and the town reverted back to being called Amble.  Amble also holds the title ‘Friendliest Port’.

It is believed that this comes from the 1930s when the RMS Mauretania was heading on her last voyage to the breaker’s yard at Rosyth in Scotland.  Amble Town Council (Amble Urban District Council) sent a telegram to the ship saying “still the finest ship on the seas” and the Mauretania replied with greetings “to the last and friendliest port in England”.

The Wellwood Arms pub is one of the oldest buildings in Amble and was originally a farmhouse for Link House Farm – one of the three farms, which made up early Amble (when the population was a mere 152). The 1842 Tithe records for Amble show that Link House Farm and surrounding land were owned by Mrs Maria Wellwood – which may be one explanation for the name The Wellwood Arms.

Today, Amble is Northumberland’s most important fishing centre north of the River Tyne. The fishing industry survives, although with reduced numbers of vessels, as does a small marine industry – mainly concentrated around the construction and repair of yachts and other pleasure craft. Leisure sailing has also become important and, as well as the marina, the town has a vibrant yacht and boat club.  The outer boundary of the marina incorporates one of the original timber jetties from the early harbour as part of the old river bed that was reclaimed during construction.  A small industrial estate is located to the southwest of the town, whose clients include interior designers, vehicle repairs and telecommunications companies. Amble also has a number of good shops including Morrisons, Tesco and Boots, gift shops, and many restaurants, pubs and fast food outlets.

Tourism now forms an important sector of Amble’s economy and the town has much to offer the day visitor particularly, although there are also several caravan parks, guest houses, B&B’ and self-catering cottages catering for the numerous visitors to the Northumberland coast.

Amble also offers walks along the River Coquet to Warkworth and south past the harbour and Little Shore, following the coastline to Hauxley with views of Coquet Island.  There are nature reserves at Hauxley and Druridge Bay. The Braid is a popular open space adjacent to the marina and nearby Druridge Country Park has a lake, visitor centre, picnic areas and access to a huge yet quiet sandy beach.

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Still not quite sure where to start?

We know Northumberland all of our cottages inside out, so if you have any particular queries about a property or a location, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. We’re more than happy to help!

Telephone: 01665 710 700 or click here to email us your enquiry.

Just a few of our cottages in Amble

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Roseate House

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Swansdown at Amble

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Bay View - Cottage with Sea Views

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VIEW ALL OUR COTTAGES IN AMBLE