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Flanking a triangular green in the lee of its castle, three miles north of Seahouses, the tiny village of BAMBURGH is only a five-minute walk from two splendid sandy beaches, backed by rolling, tufted dunes. From the sands Bamburgh Castle (April-Oct daily 11am-5pm; GBP4.50; ) is a spectacular sight, its elongated battlements crowning a formidable basalt crag high above the beach. This beautiful spot was first fortified by the Celts, but its heyday was as an Anglo-Saxon stronghold, one-time capital of Northumbria and the protector of the preserved head and hand of St Oswald, the seventh-century king who invited St Aidan over from Iona to convert his subjects. Rotted by centuries of seaspray and buffeted by winter storms, Bamburgh Castle struggled on until 1894, when its new owner, Lord Armstrong, demolished most of the structure to replace it with a cumbersome castle-mansion. The focal point of the new building was the King's Hall, a soulless teak-ceilinged affair of colossal dimensions, whose main redeeming feature is an exquisite collection of Faberge stone animal carvings. In the ground floor of the keep, the stone-vaulted ceiling maintains its Norman appearance, making a suitable arena for a display of fetters and man-traps. Bamburgh is also the home of the Grace Darling Museum (Easter to Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm; donation requested), which celebrates the daring sea rescue accomplished by Grace and her lighthouseman father, William, in September, 1838. It began when a gale dashed the steamship Forfarshire against the rocks of the Farne Islands. Nine passengers struggled onto a reef, where they were subsequently saved by the Darlings, who left the safety of the lighthouse to row out to them. The Times trumpeted Grace's bravery, offers of marriage and requests for locks of her hair streamed into the Darlings' lighthouse home and for the rest of her brief life Grace was plagued by unwanted visitors - she died of tuberculosis aged 26 in 1842. The museum details the rescue and displays the fragile boat the Darlings used; in the churchyard of thirteenth-century St Aidan's opposite is the pompous Gothic Revival memorial that covers Grace's body. A regular bus service links Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed with Bamburgh, stopping on Front Street by the green. There are several places to stay and eat , including the highly appealing Lord Crewe Arms Hotel , Front Street (tel 01668/214243, ; GBP60-70; closed Dec-Feb), a comfortable old inn with oak beams, open fires and a moderately priced restaurant. Nearby Green Gates , 34 Front St (tel 01668/214535; no credit cards; GBP40-50), offers three rooms with castle views, superior breakfasts and bicycle rental. At the top of the village green, the Victoria Hotel (tel 01668/214431, ; GBP70-90) has been tastefully refurbished, and operates a brasserie with a varied Modern British menu and a pleasant conservatory. Other food options comprise a couple of tearooms - including the very twee and traditional Copper Kettle - a small deli for picnics and a bucket-and-spade general store.
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