Place 6: Hadrian's Wall/Lindisfarne/Bamburgh Castle

It's my 30th birthday in July which is very exciting and I'm trying to figure out what I'd like to do and where I'd like to go. I'm not the greatest hostess as I'm usually too busy worrying whether everyone else is enjoying themselves to have a good time myself. As this year is quite a special birthday, I'm concentrating on having maximum fun and enjoyment for me!

I really want to spend it with both my partner and my pals, so it's just a case of finding something to do that isn't too expensive. I've been toying with the idea of walking some of the wall (not all of it - it's 150 miles!) then heading on to Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne. I've never been to any of these places and I've been dreaming of going to Lindisfarne for so long, now. To keep it cheap, we could catch the Megabus from London to Newcastle for £7 each way and camp. Bargain!

Hadrian's Wall runs coast-to-coast; from South Shields all the way across to Cumbria, and Bamburgh Castle has possibly the most perfect location of any castle in Britain - check it out:

Right on the Northumberland coast, with lots of huge, empty beaches to walk along... perfect.

From there, we can go on to Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne (or Holy Island, as it's also known) is an off-shore island, off the coast of Northumberland, and can only be reached by a three-mile causeway at limited times. Fabulous! I quite like the idea of getting trapped over there for a spooky night or two. There's a castle and a priory on the island - here's
a pic for you:




Usually I feel really fortunate that my birthday's in July. With the exception of the last few years, it's usually sunny and warm, with lots of opportunities for lounging around in grass, glass in hand. However, I'm not sure that I really want to visit Lindisfarne in the summer! This goes back to my pull towards the north and bleak and mysterious landscapes. Lindisfarne is the absolute epitome of this, so how can I go when it's sunny?

Another point is that I've just found out Fever Ray are playing at Bestival. Wah! Very exciting news. I couldn't afford to do the above trip and go to Bestival (tickets alone are £150, before budgeting for travel to the Isle of Wight) so a decision has to be made! Having a car for the above trip would make it so much easier, I think. Although I have a licence, I rarely drive from one year to the next and the prospect of driving on a trip like this makes me quite nervous. Neither my partner or many of my friends drive, unfortunately. I also think that while I still enjoy going mad in a field for three days, I should maybe make the most of it while the appeal lasts! I've been to Bestival twice before and had an amazing time... to be continued!