Our Guides

Christmas and New Year in Northumberland

Luxury Festive Breaks

Northumberland is beautiful in wintertime – what better time to experience Christmas and New Year in Northumberland?

The shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs of Northumberland embrace the season with wonderful displays of decorations and a cheerily festive atmosphere.  The towns and villages are extremely pretty after dark with lots of twinkling fairy lights laced from tree to tree and highlighting the historic buildings.

We particularly like to walk along the beach or riverbanks and castles on a clear, crisp and sunny winter’s day and follow it with delicious home-made soup in a little cafe or traditional Northumbrian pub – mmm!

All our luxury cottages are beautifully decorated for the Christmas season with pretty decorations, as well as a festive welcome pack.

You may not want to holiday over Christmas itself, but a Christmas or New Year break in Northumberland is the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! Imagine a weekend away in a cosy Northumbrian holiday cottage, getting wrapped up and exploring some of our lovely Christmas markets and shopping evenings – perfect for finding those last-minute gifts!

“What a wonderful cottage. When we drove up and saw the Christmas tree there were lots of ooh’s and ahh’s and when we got inside it got even better. We have absolutely loved our holiday here and can honestly say that we don’t want to leave! A huge thank you again and when we come back we’ll definitely give you a call!”

– Guests at Coquet View

Christmas in Northumberland

There is something very magical about Christmas and New Year in Northumberland, and you’re never far away from some great community spirit and Christmas cheer through winter!  Many of the pretty Northumbrian villages such as Warkworth, Alnmouth, Bamburgh, Corbridge and Alnwick have Christmas shopping evenings in the run-up to Christmas.  Christmas carolers, the ceremonial switch-on of the Christmas lights, mulled wine and cold, frosty nights – heaven!

The Alnwick Garden hosts Christmas-themed days and nights throughout the whole of December, including meeting Santa, and their winter light trail. Keep an eye out for tickets being released for their Christmas events, as they book very quickly! At Whitehouse Farm in Morpeth, you’ll find a fantastic Christmas grotto where you can meet Santa and enjoy a festive day at the farm.

Cosy Cottages Decked out for Christmas

We make a big effort to ensure that our luxury cottages are beautifully decorated for the Christmas season with festive decorations. Where space permits, decorated and illuminated Christmas trees are provided. In the smaller cottages where space may not permit, there are still festive decorations, but we leave the style of decoration up to the individual owners.

Your Christmas and New Year in Northumberland is guaranteed to create memories of a very special time!

Christmas in Northumberland

What's on over the Festive Period?

Visit Edinburgh Christmas Market

From Alnmouth Train Station, we’re lucky enough to have what is arguably the best Christmas Market in the UK just 1 hour away – Edinburgh! The Christmas Markets are made up of stunning wooden huts, offering handcrafted gift ideas, delicious food, and mulled wine stalls. The display of Christmas lights is magnificent, particularly in George Street. Furthermore, there is an outdoor ice rink with pop-up bar and some impressively high swings for kids and adults alike.

The Christmas Markets in Edinburgh run from around the 3rd week in November right through until the end of the first week in January. Trains usually run every hour (from 7am-10pm), every day of the week from Alnmouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed railway stations. Book your train tickets quickly and easily using the Trainline website.

Check out the Edinburgh Christmas Market website to find out what’s on and extra ideas for making the most of your trip. We recommend a trip to the theatre for the children to see the pantomime of the season!

Amble Festive Fun in November

Amble is a small but lively fishing town, and shows off its reputation as ‘The Friendliest Port’ on the 3rd Sunday in November (please contact us to check the date for the year you’re going to be staying). The pavements of the main street of the town fill with locals and holidaymakers of all ages, while a procession of kids from the local schools, local bands, dancers, and floats made by the local businesses flow down the middle of the street to the Town Square.

The square is filled with delicious food stalls and entertainers! You’ll find Santa sitting in his coastal grotto, and the lovely wooden pod shops all lit up and open for business. The procession usually begins at 4pm – be sure to get a good spot on the street and join in behind after the floats have passed. Pre-book dinner in one of the local restaurants or bistro’s to round off the night in style!

Wallington Hall Christmas Evenings

Another fantastic estate is opening its gates for some after-hours festivities, as Wallington Hall hosts Christmas evenings every weekend through December. This includes seasonal treats in the cafe, Christmas shopping, and some festive stories told by Mrs Christmas. Just seeing the house lit up and beautifully decorated is enough to get anyone in the festive spirit, and the gift shop has some stunning decorations and present ideas for you to take away.

Alnwick Garden Festivities

The Alnwick Garden host an array of events over the festive season, from around mid-November right up until Christmas Eve. From light shows to Christmas markets, they have something for couples, families and friends. Tickets book up very quickly for these events, so we advise following The Alnwick Garden on Facebook or sign up to their emails to find out when tickets are released.

Welcome the New Year in Style

Whether you like a big celebration at New Year or a quiet evening in front of the fire, we have lots of gorgeous cottages that will suit your type of celebration. From cosy cottages for 2 to 5 bedroom cottages fit for a New Year feast, Northumberland is a beautiful place to be to welcome the New Year in style.

cottages at christmas for couples pet friendly, pet free holiday cottages for couples at christmas

Planning your Christmas or New Year break?

We know all of our cottages inside out, so if you have any particular queries, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. We’re more than happy to help you enjoy the perfect Christmas and New Year in Northumberland!

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

Celebrate in your holiday home

If you would like to celebrate the run up to Christmas and New Year in your holiday home with a top-quality meal, there’s plenty of dining in options! From private catering to take-away from local restaurants, we’ve put together a list of recommendations here.