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Your Guide to Embleton and Embleton Bay
Your Guide to Embleton and Embleton Bay
Embleton is a small Village just a mile from the stunning Northumberland coast. It is perhaps more famous for the amazing Embleton Bay, a gloriously wide sandy beach that seems to stretch for miles into the distance. The majestic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle provide the dramatic backdrop to this beautiful bay. Access to the bay from Embleton is via a short walk East along a country lane, the beach itself is one of the most unpopulated on the coast and perhaps the safest for families. The Village is ancient and has records dating back beyond the War of the Roses and has a 12th Century Norman Church.
Getting There
Embleton is accessed by car from the Northumberland Coastal Route, which is signposted along the whole stretch of coastline. The Coast route runs right through the centre of Embleton Village and leads North towards Low Newton and Seahouses. Embleton is approximately 8 miles from Alnwick and can also easily be accessed using the A1, which is just three or four miles away. Postcode for your SatNav: NE66 3UY
Embleton is a stop on the Arriva "Newcastle - Morpeth - Amble - Alnwick - The Coast - Berwick" which is the service between Newcastle and Berwick on their X18 route (see link below for more information). Multi journey tickets are available and you can get more information here.
Restaurants, Pubs & Cafes - Eating Out in Embleton
The choice of places to eat in Embleton is restricted due to the size of the Village. However, there are three places where you can get a good meal. The Greys Inn and the Blue Bell Inn are in the Village and offer classic country style bar food. They are both attractive pubs with the Blue Bell attaining a three star rating for their accommodation.
Accommodation in Embleton - Hotels, B&B's and Self-Catering
The Sportsman Inn, the Blue Bell Inn and the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel all offer accommodation in the Village. Camping and Caravan Sites nearby include Dunstan Hill and Proctor's Stead.
Beaches and WalkingWithout a doubt the main attraction for Embleton is the stunning beach, also known as Embleton Bay. The Good Beach Guide describes the bay "The sandy beach is situated in a sheltered bay with rock pools and rocky outcrops. It is popular for water sports and with bird watchers." and recommends it for the highest UK standard of bathing water quality. The bay lies approximately half a mile from the Village and can be accessed on foot along a country lane towards the Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club. All this adds up to Embleton Bay being one of the cleanest, most unpopulated and safest beaches in the UK. At low tide the beach is incredibly wide and reveals a number of rock pools that are perfect for the kids to explore and admire the sea life.
In the sand dunes behind the beach at Embleton Bay you will notice a number of quaint wooden bungalows that resemble beach huts nestling between the hills. They were constructed in the 1930's by golfers who wanted to stay in the area and are now owned by the National Trust. They make look wonderfully romantic and hold a commanding view of the beach, but they offer no mains electricity and only have running water for part of the year! They are accessed via a long walk from Low Newton and they do add a special feel to the bay, but they certainly have their down sides.
The glorious coastline makes Embleton an excellent base for walking. The Telegraph wrote an article about walking from Embleton and praised the beauty and unspoiled nature of the area. The article describes an excellent 7 mile circular walk that includes Craster and Beadnell. Along the walk there are opportunities to stop off for refreshments at the Ship Inn at Low Newton and various places in Craster.
A recent development for Embleton is the Embleton Heritage Trails Project, funded by the Lottery Heritage Fund. There are six trails that can be followed that take in the local history of Embleton and the surrounding areas. The trails vary between the coast and heading more inland for views of the countryside and towards the Cheviot Hills. A booklet about the trail is available from the Village shop and also from local Tourist Information Centres.
Northside Surf School offer beach surf lessons on several beaches along the Northumberland Coast including Embleton Bay. Courses start at 2 hours and go up to 5 days and are run by Jon Nolan, a British Surfing Association Coach and an RLSS Beach Lifeguard so you know you're in safe hands. They operate 7 days a week and 12 months of the year and cater for all needs.
GolfNorthumberland is blessed with many beautiful links courses and this stretch of coast is no different. Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club, just outside the Village of Embleton overlooks the beautiful bay and offers golfers an excellent 18 hole links course with views that just can't be beaten. It is a traditional, 18 hole links course designed by the great golf course architect James Braid and offers a challenge to golfers of all levels and abilities. The Clubhouse has a bar, restaurant and shower facilities. Other courses nearby include Seahouses Golf Club, Alnmouth Golf Club, Alnmouth Village Golf Club and Bamburgh Castle Golf Club. Take a look at our Golf page for a full breakdown of all the golfing in Northumberland.
Watersports
Windsurfing and surfing are both popular pursuits at Embleton with the bay creating some very good breaks for surfers in the right weather conditions. Many years ago when windsurfing was just taking off as a sport, Low Newton and Embleton Bay was one of the first places where it could be seen. Kitesurfing and yachting are also becoming more popular. You will find this beach a little quieter (and some would argue more picturesque) for watersports than the slightly more popular Beadnell Bay, just a few miles North up the coast. Boards and Bikes are a recommended local company where you can hire all sorts of equipment for watersports and cycling, they will even deliver it to the door of your accommodation.
Birdwatching and Wildlife
The area surrounding Embleton Bay and Low Newton are well known for excellent birdwatching opportunities and for wildlife. The beach is backed by huge sand dunes and 80 metres behind these, a little North towards Low Newton, lay Newton Pond, famous for the Newton Pool Bird Reserve. This is a wildlife haven with many seabirds, shorebirds and wildfowl to be seen from the two purpose built hides.
Food Shopping and Supermarkets
There is a Village Shop and Post Office that featured heavily as a set location in the TV series Distant Shores. Moodys Village Shop can be found at 6 Front Street, Embleton, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 3UL - 01665 576215
For a selection of larger supermarkets you will need to head to Alnwick (approx 8 miles). Here you will find a Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Iceland, Lidl and Co-op along with numerous independent Butchers, Bakers and other shops selling excellent quality local produce.
Amenities
The Village Church is a 12th Century Norman Church that has a nearby Pele Tower that was until the 1970's the vicarage. Embleton also has an extremely large and well maintained Village Hall, the Creighton Memorial Hall. The Hall is available to hire for parties, functions and weddings and offers excellent amenities including a large fully equipped kitchen and shower facilities. Alongside the Hall is a large green that can also be hired for marquees. The Hall is named after Mandell Creighton who was the vicar in the Village between 1875 and 1884, until he became Bishop of London. Unfortunately he didn't seem to think very highly of the Embleton folk as he famously wrote:
"I always felt myself engaged (at Embleton) in downright warfare, and strove to get hold of the young ... working through the school, the choir, the G.F.S., any possible organisation of the young, that here and there one or two might be got hold of who would make a testimony. The unchastity of Embleton was terrible - low, animal."
There is a GP Surgery in Embleton at Westview, Embleton, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 3XZ - 01665 576 635
Places and Attractions Nearby
Seahouses, Seahouses' Attractions, Low Newton, Craster, Howick Hall, Farne Islands, Holy Island, Holy Island's Attractions, Alnwick, Alnwick's Attractions, Lindisfarne Castle, A-Z of All Guides
Have we missed something? Can you recommend an attraction, restaurant or accommodation? Or maybe you have a business you would like to be included? Let us know.
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