It's no secret that the Northumberland coastline offers among some of the most stunning scenery across the UK. It makes me feel so incredibly lucky to be able to explore what the seaside has to offer.
One place not really spoken about as often is Embleton, a small village just a short walk away from that beautiful sandy beach. So one day I decided to stop off to see what I'd been missing out on.
My first impressions were that it is pretty much a one-street village which boasts several restaurants and traditional pubs which are popular among locals and walkers. There is a small village shop where you can buy local produce and the place has a real sense of community.
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My first stop on this journey of discovery was to The Village Farm Shop, which is owned by sister-in-law duo Grace and Joanna Robertson.
Their family own the nearby Embleton Mill Farm, and decided to expand to a shop of this kind so that they would have a direct way to sell their produce to local people.
The interior of the shop was beautifully decorated, and its clear to see how much work has been put into it by everyone involved. The produce was incredibly fresh and added to the local community feel that the shop possesses.
The Village Farm Shop reopened last Saturday after a three month refurbishment, and Grace spoke about the process as well as what it is that the shop will offer the local community in Embleton.
She said: "It was a no brainer to get this unit when it became available and the support we have had in the first week has been ridiculous. We have sold so much and lots of people who we know from the local community in Embleton have been in too.
"We want to promote our own produce, using locally sourced ingredients and getting to the point where we are a zero waste business is also very important to us. It's great to support local companies and do out bit for the environment at the same time."
Joanna added: "It's amazing to become a part of people's routines, they will come in for their bread and milk on a morning and now they will grab their lunch here too. This has been partly to do with our social media which has blown up in recent weeks. We certainly can't complain, it has been amazing."
After taking a look around the Village Shop (and remembering how tasty the sausage rolls looked for my next visit), I moved on to the nearby Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel where I met Claire Mather, co-owner alongside her husband Paul.
Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel opened in September 2021, after Claire and Paul wanted to expand to a second business, adding to the Sunningdale Hotel in Bamburgh which they also own.
Claire and Paul have refurbished and modernised the hotel since they took over its ownership and the interior is ornately designed with a cosy feel to it. Claire has spoken about the work they have done and why they chose Embleton as place for their next business venture.
"We've worked very hard to modernise the place, and that work is still ongoing," Claire said. "We were keen to buy a new place and we have been able to make parts of the hotel dog friendly, which we knew we had to do after seeing the amount of dog walkers in the area.
"We chose Embleton because it is a nice, family friendly place and it offer a different experience to Bamburgh. I feel like it's very up and coming as a place, maybe in five years it will be a lot more popular. There is a lovely village feel to the place with young families living here.
"I think we have been able to integrate into the community very well so far, as we do a monthly quiz night and have a diner's club, where we send people special offers. We have been very popular so far and hopefully that will continue."
Now being into the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel, I felt like I needed to see Dunstanburgh Castle for myself. Embleton is just a mile away from its famous sandy beach, voted Beach of the Year by Countryfile in 2017 - separated by grassy sand dunes, fields and a golf course. And there's no doubt that this bay is the jewel of this village's crown.
I took the walk from the village down the country road and through the sand dunes down to the bay - and wow! It was jaw-dropping.
The bay stretches for miles with a beautiful golden beach and you simply cannot miss the historic backdrop of 14th century Dunstanburgh Castle. The iconic ruins tower over the coastline and truly are a magnificent sight.
You can go to the National Trust site for a closer look but even just seeing them from a distance in this stunning setting really takes your breath away.
I then decided to make the uphill walk back into the village and stopped by the J R Grieves and Co garage in Embleton, where I was able to chat to John Wilson and his mother Josie, whose family have owned the garage since 1957. The business has grown over the years, for example electric vehicles can now be fixed on the premises.
John gave me his thoughts on the way that the garage has moved with the times and developed from what it was in 1957, and whether he feels Embleton on the whole has developed in a similar way.
He said: "Since I took over the business and long before, it was constantly growing and changing to fit with the times. We now work on hybrid vehicles which is a massive step forward in terms of helping the environment.
"I think that Embleton has moved with the times to a certain degree however there were more shops in the past, local businesses that had everything you could possibly need. We do now have the farm shop which will be great for the village. The old quarry is now a nature reserve so that is an example of modernisation in that sense."
Before I left Embleton, I wanted to take a look at the village green, with the old water pump on it. This was a reminder that a place that is attempting to modernise and grow can still remember its history fondly.
I enjoyed my visit to Embleton, it was nice to be in such a peaceful village, which also showed signs of growth and transformation, and I was able to speak to the people who are making this a reality. Hopefully Embleton will soon be on the map in the same way as other Northumberland mainstays around it.
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