FROM VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE in England, Northumberland is a journey. Well, it would be, wouldn’t it? It nuzzles up against Scotland. It’s also one of the least populated places in the country which, if you like a bit of quietude, makes it an ideal holiday spot.
Especially if you’re an outdoorsy type. There are Roman remnants to ramble over, a load of old castles (just north of Newcastle) and, if you’re into star-spotting, you’ll love the fact that Northumberland has the darkest skies in the land.
Beach life
The beaches alone are worth the journey. We carried our shoes along Cresswell, Howick and Druridge Bay but there are loads more to kick sand along.
From Druridge Bay, you could do a lot worse than drive 20 minutes inland to Felton for a really tasty lunch at the Northumberland Arms.
Which is where I was just a few days ago.
Photographing the outside of the building wasn’t ideal. For starters, there was a row of cars right outside the front door (it’s a popular place at lunchtime). Yes, it is possible to edit cars out of a photo. But A) that’s quite finicky so it adds to client costs and B) the results are rarely ideal.
Sexy angle?
And though it may sound contradictory, full frontals aren’t always a building’s sexiest angle. Square-on façade shots often look amateurish, partly because that’s precisely how an amateur would photograph a building.
There are other possibilities for photographers prepared to look for different perspectives.
Felton is a gorgeous, stone-encrusted village cut through by the River Coquet. The B6345 that can be seen in the top photo straddles the river, which meanders for another seven or eight miles eastwards into the North Sea.
Village life
The river’s curves are mirrored by the winding road that brings visitors into the village from the A1. Including the tree-lined road in the first photo, along with the wintry branches in the foreground of the image below, leaves people in little doubt as to what kind of place Felton is.
Brimming with characterful buildings, accessed via a snaking B-road, surrounded by woodland… people, we are very much not in central London.
When you’re trying to attract visitors to your country pub for a drink or a bit of lunch, you want to appeal to people who are fond of natural surroundings and historic buildings, preferably with a waterway whispering alongside them. Otherwise, everyone is going to be a tad disappointed.
Taste the difference
What visitors are unlikely to be disappointed with are the five-star, en-suite rooms or the food on offer at the Northumberland Arms. I can say from personal experience that if you’ve enjoyed a long walk on a breezy northern beach, the pub’s sticky toffee pudding feels like a warm cuddle afterwards.
Weight-watchers beware: the Northumberland Arms’ sticky toffee pudding is hard to resist
I got some great shots of a couple of the rooms you can stay in (honestly, I’m not on commission for the former coaching inn, though maybe should be). See the shot below to see where you could rest your weary head if you fancy it. In all honesty, I was sorely tempted to throw my tired bones onto that capacious bed.
Please drop me a line if you have any questions. I’d be happy to chat to you about photographs that help market your property.
Let’s create content with even more kerb appeal.
– Lucas