Seahouses

Seahouses is a small town on the Northumberland coast. It is a key tourist attraction and a working fishing port. This travel guide also covers the village of Bamburgh.

Understand

Seahouses is a coastal village with a population of 1800, which is both a fishing port and a visitor destination.

Bamburgh has a population of 450, and has a long history and was a regional centre in 420AD. It is known for its castle and as the birthplace of Grace Darling famous for a sea rescue in 1838.

Visitor information

• Seahouses Development Trust

Get in

The main access is by road. The A1 trunk road provides the main access either south from Scotland or north from Newcastle upon Tyne. However to get to Seahouses you need to leave the main A1 and the town is accessed via the B1340.

There is also access by sea as Seahouses is a working fishing port.

By bus

There are two main bus services which serve Seahouses and Bamburgh. Arriva run the X18 service which operates between Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick-upon-Tweed via Morpeth, Alnwick, and Seahouses. Borders Buses provide additional services on route 418 which covers the main coastal stretch between Alnwick and Belford (using a slightly smaller bus which diverts into more villages along the way).

The X18 operates roughly once every four hours (note that while there are hourly departures from Newcastle, most only go as far as Alnwick). The 418 service is then timed to fill in gaps resulting in buses roughly every two hours between Alnwick and Seahouses.

Get around

Seahouses is small enough to walk around. However it is not entirely flat and the road down to the harbour is quite steep. If you need a taxi then Hunters taxis are local, ☏ +44 1665 720400.

There are buses between Seahouses and Bamburgh, approximately one every two hours weekday daytime.

See

Seahouses harbour, looking north to Bamburgh castle.

• The harbour. Usually very colourful, with stalls, boats and plenty of activity. 
• 1 Bamburgh Castle (3.5 miles NW from Seahouses). Mid-Feb to end of Oct: daily 10AM-5PM; winter weekends 11AM-4:30PM (sometimes closed for filming). The castle's history goes back to 547, but the earliest remaining aprts were built by the Normans in 1095. It was bought by he Victorian industrialist William Armstrong (who also owned Cragside) in 1894 and is still owned by his family. Used as a location for several films. £10.75. (updated Aug 2016)
• 2 RNLI Grace Darling Museum, Radcliffe Road, Bamburgh, NE69 7AE, ☏ +44 1668 214 910. Summer daily 10AM–5PM, winter Tu–Su 10AM–4PM. free. (updated Aug 2016)
• 3 Parish Church of Saint Aidan. A church from the 12th century on the site of a wooden church built by St Aidan in 635. (updated Aug 2016)

Do

Seahouses to Bamburgh castle - the beaches.

• Walk 3.5 miles northwards on the sandy beach leading up to Bamburgh Castle. There are alternative inland routes if you want to return by a different way.
• The sandy beach is a very popular walk for families, dogs and everyone. Sometimes you will catch brave people trying to surf but throwing a frisbee is a more popular and safe sport here.

Buy

Smoked salmon and kippers are a popular present to buy when you visit Seahouses.

• Swallow Fish. The fishmongers is a good place to chose the best of the day's catch. 

Eat

See the drink and sleep listings for alternatives.

• Seahouses offers plenty of food restaurants and even more food stalls.
• The Hut north edge of Bamburgh is a popular beach cafe open Tu-Su 9AM-4PM.

Drink

• 1 Black Swan Inn, 2 Union St, NE68 7RT, ☏ +44 1665 720 227. 11:30AM-10:30PM. Pub and upmarket bistro. mains from £18. (updated Apr 2023)

• 2 Olde Ship Inn, Main St, NE68 7RD, ☏ +44 1665 720 200. food daily 8AM – 9PM. Pub with food (including outdoor tables), 12 bedrooms and 2 self-catering cottages. mains from £14. (updated Apr 2023)

Sleep

Seahouses is very popular with tourists and many of the houses are second homes. There is a thriving market for self-catering in Seahouses and of course there are also hotels.

• 1 The Bamburgh Castle Inn, Main St, Seahouses, NE68 7SQ, ☏ +44 1665 720283. Inn with bedrooms, pub and restaurant (mains from £15). from £110. (updated Apr 2023)
• 2 St Cuthbert's House, 192 Main St, Seahouses NE68 7UB, ☏ +44 1665 720456. Splendid little B&B in a former chapel. No children under 12, assistance dogs only. B&B double £130. (updated Jun 2020)
• 3 St Aidan Hotel & Bistro, 1 St Aidan's NE68 7SR, ☏ +44 1665 720355. Clean comfy hotel on seafront. The restaurant is excellent but not open every night. No children under 12. B&B double from £110. (updated Jun 2020)

Connect

As of July 2021, Seahouses has 4G from Three and Vodafone, but no signal from EE or O2.

Go next

• Farne Islands
• Lindisfarne
• Inland to Ford and Etal, Kirk Yetholm and the Cheviot Hills
• North to Berwick-upon-Tweed
• South to Alnwick and Alnmouth