Words by Tom.
Sometimes it's nice just to wander somewhere different.
Lucy needed to return a couple of online purchases, so we decided to make a morning of it and head south to Morpeth. We don't venture into towns very often—certainly not cities—but if we can arrive early before everywhere gets busy, we're easily persuaded.
A Market Town with Character
Morpeth has been an important Northumberland market town for centuries. Sitting on the banks of the River Wansbeck, it grew from a medieval crossing point into a thriving market centre, serving the farming communities of the surrounding countryside. While much of today's town feels modern and practical, there are still plenty of reminders of its long history tucked between the shops, riverside paths and handsome stone buildings.
Arriving just after the shops opened proved to be a good decision. There was plenty of free three-hour disc parking right in the centre of town, although by the time we returned to the car later in the day every space had disappeared.
Coffee First… Obviously
The first question was an easy one.
Coffee?
We're creatures of habit and almost always choose an independent coffee shop over one of the larger chains if we can, so instead of Costa we wandered into The Central Bean inside Sanderson Arcade.
It turned out to be exactly our sort of place.
Good coffee, fair prices and plenty of locals coming and going. We found ourselves with a perfect people-watching seat overlooking the arcade—a pastime we both secretly enjoy far more than we'd probably admit.
Sanderson Arcade
One of my strongest memories of visiting Morpeth as a child was a rather tired old shopping arcade.
That memory disappeared the moment we walked into Sanderson Arcade.
The whole development was rebuilt and reopened in 2009, something we discovered from a plaque on one of the walls, and it has been done beautifully. The architecture feels sympathetic to the town while creating a relaxed shopping environment filled with quality retailers including Hobbs, Crew Clothing, FatFace, Mint Velvet, M&S and several independent boutiques.
It's the sort of place where browsing is almost as enjoyable as buying.
Beyond the Arcade
Outside Sanderson Arcade, parts of Morpeth felt a little more familiar.
Like many market towns, there's the usual collection of charity shops, Turkish barbers, nail salons and practical chain stores that seem to have become part of every high street.
There were, however, two places that really stood out.
Rutherfords is exactly the kind of department store you hope still exists. Clothing, homewares, gifts and cosmetics all wrapped up in a traditional country-town atmosphere.
Then there was Tallantyre Gallery.
Part art gallery, part interior design showroom, it's one of those shops where everything looks effortlessly stylish.
I eventually had to drag Lucy away before she started reaching for the credit card.
Following the River
By late morning the sun had decided to make an appearance, so we swapped shopping bags for a gentle riverside walk.
Before leaving home I'd read about the nearby ruins of Newminster Abbey, although despite our best efforts we somehow managed not to find them. We did, however, come across Morpeth's Clock Tower, which was built using stone recovered from the ruined abbey—a nice reminder that history often survives in unexpected ways.
The walk along the River Wansbeck turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.
Tree-lined paths followed the gentle bends of the river while families fed ducks and swans drifted quietly through the water with this year's cygnets close behind. I mentioned to Lucy that I was fairly sure swans mate for life, although I'm sure someone will happily correct me if I'm wrong.
The path loops naturally into Carlisle Park, and it's remarkable just how much is packed into this green space right in the middle of town.
Children were enjoying the huge adventure playground and paddling area while others played tennis nearby. There are bowling greens, cafés, beautifully kept gardens and plenty of shady benches simply to sit and watch the world go by.
Eventually we wandered up Ha' Hill for a lovely view back across the town before making our way back towards the shops.
Time for Lunch
By now we'd earned something to eat.
Lollo Rosso caught our eye first. It looked lovely, but every table seemed to be occupied, which probably tells you everything you need to know. We made a mental note to return another day.
Instead we called into The Corbridge Larder for toasted sandwiches, coffee and, naturally, cake.
No complaints from either of us.
Just One More Shop…
Back at the car I noticed we'd already overstayed our parking disc.
Lucy smiled.
"Can I just pop into M&S?"
Those six innocent words should probably come with a warning label.
I offered to wait at the car.
More than an hour later she finally emerged carrying enough shopping bags to suggest she'd been far more successful than she'd planned.
Apparently the store was much bigger than expected, with clothing spread across two floors, a café and an excellent food hall.
We also passed Morrisons on the way out.
Thankfully I managed to persuade her that perhaps we'd done enough shopping for one day.
With that, we pointed the car north once more and headed back towards the sand and sea.
Our Verdict
Morpeth surprised us.
It's easy to think of it simply as somewhere to shop, but spend a few hours exploring and you'll find a town with genuine character, excellent independent businesses, beautiful riverside walks and one of the nicest parks we've visited anywhere in Northumberland.
Will we return? Almost certainly.
Lucy still hasn't finished browsing M&S.
Tom & Lucy's Notes
- Parking: Excellent. Free 3-hour disc parking close to the centre (arrive early if you can).
- Coffee: The Central Bean gets our vote.
- Shopping Highlights: Sanderson Arcade, Rutherfords and Tallantyre Gallery.
- Don't Miss: Carlisle Park and the riverside walk.
- We'll Return For: Lunch at Lollo Rosso... and apparently another visit to M&S.
