Five reasons Bamburgh was voted the UK's favourite seaside town for the fourth year running

A village which many consider the jewel in the Northumberland coast has been voted the UK's favourite seaside town for the fourth year running - though its size means it's more of a village..

Bamburgh once again came top of the annual Which? survey of the best seaside destinations in the UK, beating Portmeirion in Wales into second place. North Tyneside favourite Tynemouth came in fourth place.

With the school summer holidays underway, many will be planning a trip to Bamburgh. Whether that's for a day trip or a weekend, here are five reasons you should visit the village and its surrounding areas in the coming weeks.

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Bamburgh Beach

Recently named one of the best beaches in the UK by The Times, the cat was let well and truly out of the bag on Bamburgh Beach years ago. Despite that, there's more than enough space on the beach for everyone to enjoy it even on the hottest days of the summer.

More of a wild, windswept, walk-the-dog beach than a sunbathing spot, the long swathe of golden sand is dotted with rockpools packed with hermit crabs. The water's clear too, though it's up to individuals if they want to brave the chilly waters of the North Sea.

Though Bamburgh Beach always has plenty of room, Budle Bay, a little further north, offers even more chance of seclusion.

Bamburgh Castle

It's impossible to visit Bamburgh Beach without at least seeing the huge castle as a backdrop. However, the castle is still a family home, and visitors can even stay in the clock tower apartment there.

One of Northumberland's most popular attractions, there are themed events throughout the year. Visitors can explore the state rooms, king's hall, armoury and the keep.

And for those from outside of the North East, it may still look familiar, due to several TV and film appearances in recent years. Not only have the Hairy Bikers cooked looking out over the beach, but the castle has starred in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Transformers: The Last Knight, and as the fortress of Bebbanburg, home of Uhtred, in The Last Kingdom.

Superb seafood

Bamburgh may be small but it's quality over quantity when it comes to eating out. When ChronicleLive reviewed the Potted Lobster in 2017, it was still considered a bit of a secret.

After five summers of staycations, it most certainly isn't now - and you'll need to book in advance to get a table. But that's to be expected if you want locally-sourced seafood from a restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide for four years in a row.

For a completely different experience to the Potted Lobster that also revolves around locally-sourced seafood, head to Creel and Reel in the car park on Links Road, south of Bamburgh Castle. It's a food van like no other, with a superb selection of seafood - just make sure you get there early as once ingredients are gone, they're gone.

Museums

Bamburgh is home to two award-winning museums. The RNLI Grace Darling Museum tells the story of the local heroine, who risked her life to rescue stranded survivors of a shipwreck in 1838.

The museum is packed with personal items and portraits of the Darling family, including the boat that she and her father used during the rescue. Her grave is located in the churchyard of St Aidan's, which is where the second museum is.

The digital ossuary of the Bamburgh Bones project tells the story of 120 skeletons which were dug up from the Bowl Hole burial ground in sand dunes close to the castle. Visit the church and the crypt below to see some of the bones for yourself.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights have continued to grace the North East coast (as well as other parts of England) in recent years, and very little light pollution over Bamburgh makes them a good spot to see them. They're much harder to spot in the summer, but visit the village in the winter on a clear night when the forecast is good, and there's a high chance of seeing them.

It helps that local landmarks like the castle, Bamburgh Lighthouse, and Grace Darling's grave all look spectacular with the aurora as a backdrop.