JANE SHERWOOD finds a tower by the sea in rugged Northumberland is the perfect spot for a St Valentine's break

THE  RUGGED beauty of the Northumberland coast had long captivated my partner and me, alas only from a train window on our regular journeys north to Glasgow to visit Barry's parents. So when booking a Valentine's Day break, I knew just where to head.

We again travelled by train from London King's Cross but this time hopped off at Berwick-upon-Tweed, w here our hire car was waiting.

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Finding our destination proved remarkably easy. The Outchester Ducket is an 18th-century, Grade II-listed tower that sits in splendid isolation at Spindlestone, about 12 miles south of Berwick. Ducket is local slang for dovecote. Locals think it may have been a windmill or just a folly before it was used to keep birds and then lovingly renovated by landowners John and Heather Sutherland.

We arrived as the sun was setting. The path to the door lit up automatically with each step we took, a magical welcome to our fairytale love nest. The 65ft, gently tapering tower has five singleroom floors with a spiral staircase that winds around the wall like the giant mythical worm that local folklore says wrapped itself around the outside of the Ducket.

The floors offer increasingly stunning views across to the Cheviot Hills and down to the coastline of Budle Bay and, beyond, the Farne Islands. The ground-floor bathroom boasted under-floor heating, a shower big enough for two, bath and matching fluffy robes for the "Duke and Duchess of Ducket". One floor up, w e found the bedroom with its kingsize bed and canopy.

Above the bedroom, the kitchen is fitted with every mod con.

A snug bench hugs the wall for side-by-side dining, perfect for sharing a romantic meal. Keen to relax on our first night, we took advantage of a service offered by local farmer's wife Fiona Burn, w ho cooked us an early Valentine's treat, a hearty, candlelit dinner served in our kitchen.

We started with creamy fresh oysters farmed in nearby Ross and followed this with a rack of Northumberland lamb with a ruby red confit. After dinner w e dragged ourselves up to the living room, flopped on the sofa and snuggled up in front of the flat-screen television.
The top floor of the tower is an intriguing library. Here, the next morning, we devoured tea and our bacon sarnies and rummaged through the books and curios highlighting the history and legends of the area.

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OVER THE next few days we divided our time between lazing around our unique hideaway and visiting deserted beaches, castles and hostelries. Hand in gloved hand we strolled along a stretch of pure white sand to rival any in the Caribbean, under the guard of Bamburgh Castle. The blink of Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands was just visible.

Another day we walked from the fishing port of Craster, home of the kipper, to the imposing ruins of 14th-century Dunstanburgh Castle. Our return was helped by a strong wind, which blew us into the door of the Jolly Fisherman pub. By a roasting fire we tucked into crab soup and crab sandwiches. As a fisherman declared: "We're more likely to run out of bread than crab round here."

Our final visit was to the walled town of Alnwick, whose castle was used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

We arrived in the wet and took refuge in Barter Books, probably the largest secondhand bookstore in the country, complete with model railway chugging along the shelves.

Sitting in the cosy café with our purchases, including a book on local folklore, we resolved to come back to Northumberland in the spring. Sharing our romantic beach walks with others might be a bit strange though.

GETTING THERE:

Ross Cottages (01668 213 336/ www.rosscottages.co.uk) offers seven nights' self-catering at Outchester Ducket from £550.

East Coast Trains (0847 522 5225/ www.eastcoast.co.uk) offers returns from London King's Cross to Berwick-upon-Tweed from £33pp.

Berwick Car Hire (01289 307 611/ www.berwickcarhire.co.uk) offers rentals from £33 per day.

Fiona Burn (01289 388 223) offers a three-course romantic meal, delivered and served for £50pp.

Visit Northumberland: 01670 794 520/ www.visitnorthumberland.com