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Our Winter Break in Craster

Craster is a picture perfect sleepy fishing village situated in the heart of Northumberland. A stay in Craster has always been on my bucket list, so in December last year we decided to rent a cottage for the week to celebrate my birthday. What a perfect reason for a Winter break in Craster.

Staying in a cottage

Our residence would be Craster Reach Cottage from Sykes Cottages – a perfect bolthole to escape from the world.

Situated over three floors with three large bedrooms and bathrooms, our cottage provided ample space for our family of five. Cosy comforts included a wood burning stove and warm blankets. There was also a basket of Northumbrian treats on arrival, making us feel right at home. As it was December we were delighted to find that our cottage had been given a festive makeover too. It had its very own Christmas tree and decorations which we thought was a wonderful touch.

Exploring the area

Craster is the perfect base to explore Northumberland. Favourites include Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle which are less than 10 miles away. Whilst in Alnwick, you can’t miss a trip to the wonderful Barter Books which is England’s largest second hand book shop. Transformed from the town’s old train station, it has a wonderful children’s section and is full of charm. It also serves delicious homemade cake which can be enjoyed by the fire.

Craster itself doesn’t have it’s own shop so make sure you take plenty of supplies with you. You will however find a fantastic local pub ‘The Jolly Fisherman’ at the heart of the community. Renowned for serving hearty homemade food and providing a warm welcome to locals and visitors alike, it is here we spent most of our evenings. Sitting by the fire listening to tales from the locals as we played a few board games with our children really did make us feel like we were part of a scene from a Christmas movie. In the warmer months you can sit in the pub’s beer garden and take in the spectacular coastal views. You might even spot a few seals and dolphins if you are lucky.

Craster’s famous Smokehouse

A stay in Craster is not complete with a trip to the famous Smokehouse. People travel from all over the world to sample the famous Craster kipper. It was such a treat having the Smokehouse almost next door to where we were staying. There is an attached seafood restaurant open in the summer too. Our children loved peeking through the smokehouse windows and watching the fishmongers prepare their catch of the day for smoking. There is a small smokehouse shop where you can purchase a wide variety of seafood. You simply must buy some kippers for breakfast one morning.

Coastal walks

The main reason that Craster attracts so many visitors is because it’s the best place to start a Northumberland coastal walk. Whether this be the 1.5 mile walk to Dunstanburgh Castle or further on to the tranquil village of Low Newton by the Sea where you can enjoy a pint from the microbrewery at The Ship Inn and let your children play on the often deserted beach, there are walks from Craster for all abilities.

What we thought of our Winter break in Craster

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Craster Reach Cottage and our Winter break in Craster. It was such a special place to spend my birthday and enjoy a slower pace of life for a week. Our children adored the village playground and chatting to the fishermen in the harbour every day as well as walking and exploring the castle via a field of sheep (much to their amusement).

For me, I couldn’t get enough of the views. It was simply spectacular looking out of the master bedroom across the sea and towards Dunstanburgh Castle every morning and the skylight in our bedroom allowed us to see the stars in the dark skies above as we’d never seen before.

You can find out more about Craster Reach Cottage and for a more detailed review please do head over and read Sam’s full post here.

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