Cambois is on the south east Northumberland coastline with a truly magnificent beach. But while visitors flock to the village for the unspoilt coastline, many are unaware of how to pronounce its name.
I felt like this would be an intriguing place to investigate as I knew almost nothing about it, and I wanted to find out how it got its very French sounding name. I was warned before my arrival to say Cambois as 'Cam-es' to avoid any embarrassment.
But there must be dozens of different ways people have pronounced Cambois over the years, so I decided to stop by and see for myself. It was a brisk winter's morning when I parked up next to Charlton's Bar and Restaurant and was instantly drawn to the main attraction - the beautiful sandy beach.
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Cambois Beach is a relatively hidden gem as North East beaches go, often overlooked for the likes of South Shields and Tynemouth, but it is a more modest, quiet alternative. There is not a massive amount of amenities close by, other than Charlton's, however it seemed like a great place for a winter dog walk, as many seemed to be doing.
I can definitely see myself returning in the future, so I think the beach is a massive plus point for the village.
On my way back towards Charlton's, I bumped into Doug Jarvis, who lives in the nearby village of Guide Post, with his family all being from Cambois.
He said: "I always joke that we don't like to tell the whole world about this beach, although it is in the public eye a lot more now. During Covid-19, a lot of people found this area as they had to stay in the UK due to travel restrictions and there was a dramatic increase of visitors to the village.
"I was born in 1960, so when I was growing up this area was still very industrial and it has kept its character and the lovely people who live here. It is very different now, however, than the pit village that I grew up in. I think Cambois could have been similar to Beamish, such was the style of the village.
"The name to me sounds very French, and I would say nowadays most people pronounce it the right way, although with a stronger accent it can sometimes be said differently."
My next stop in Cambois was Charlton's Bar and Restaurant, which has an incredibly strong football link due to its owner, which you may have already guessed based on the name.
The owner of Charlton's Bar is John Charlton, the son of England's World Cup winning defender and former Newcastle United manager Jack Charlton, a true sporting hero in the North East.
In the pub, Jack Charlton's face is featured on the menus and staff uniforms, to keep the memory alive of a footballing icon, who sadly passed way in 2020. Northumberland Tea, which has now been renamed to Jack's Tea, is also kept stocked at the pub.
Sarah, a staff member at Charlton's Bar told me people often ask her and the rest of the team how the village's name is pronounced.
"We get a lot of people in here asking how to pronounce the name, she said. "We've had every version of it under the sun, which is understandable as it is a very interesting spelling. It happens all the time but we don't mind making sure people know what the right pronunciation is."
After leaving Charlton's Bar and starting to make my way out of the village, I saw a peculiar sight. A row of over a dozen multicoloured houses, the vibrancy of which sticks out from the classic industrial feel of the rest of the town. I felt like this was strange, but it was also a welcome pop of colour.
I spoke to the vicar at the village church, Reverend Ian Hennebry, who told me about the history of the name Cambois and what the community in the village is like.
He said: "Cambois is a Celtic name originally spelt Cammus in the 11th century, meaning a bay. The beach is in a crescent shape and it has always been pronounced this way. It has changed over the years, probably adapted by writers of Norman origin.
"There is a very tight knit community in Cambois, and we have been able to cultivate a great community centred around the church in the village. Everybody knows everyone and they are all lovely people. Cambois is an incredibly special place and I feel privileged to work here."
My final stop on the way out of the village was to look over at the Britishvolt site, where I also spotted some horses grazing in a nearby field. The manufacturing plant's demise before it even got going is the biggest news out of the village for a long time and it was interesting to see it in person. Hopefully the village can start to thrive despite this industrial setback.
My final thoughts as I left the village were that it is a quite poignant reminder of a bygone age, with the pit village being memorialised by the old pit wheel's presence and the people like Doug still remembering those times.
On the other hand, businesses like Charlton's Bar and the multi-coloured houses offer a different view. One which shows a village that is attempting to move forward and, with an attraction like the picturesque beach, it may do just that. At least I now know how to pronounce it correctly!
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