At a glance
- Cost
- £15 permit, online only
- Overnight window
- 6pm to 8am
- Night limit
- One night only
- Booking
- Yes – book a numbered bay online
- Who can stay
- Self-contained vehicles with toilet, sink and waste storage on board
- Everywhere else
- Sleeping in any vehicle is not allowed in any other council car park, and enforcement applies
Not clear from the source
- The page doesn't list on-site facilities such as water or waste disposal at the three car parks.
- Older council papers elsewhere described this scheme at £12 a night. The current official page says £15 – go by the official page.
Book first, then turn up
Northumberland is one of the few councils where you book a specific bay in advance. Overnight sleeping and indoor cooking are allowed only in these numbered bays:
- Amble Braid Car Park, Amble – bays 1 to 3
- Bamburgh Village Car Park, Bamburgh – bays 1 to 5
- Beadnell Overflow Car Park, Beadnell – bays 1 to 4
That's 12 bays in total across three coastal car parks, so in summer it's worth booking early.
The rules in plain English
- A permit costs £15 and can only be bought online.
- One night only, between 6pm and 8am.
- Park in the bay you booked. If it's taken, use another numbered motorhome bay at the same site; if none are free, pick a spot that doesn't cause an obstruction and keeps 3 metres from other motorhomes.
- Staying past 8am? Normal car park charges apply from then.
- Your vehicle must be self-contained, with a toilet, sink and waste storage on board.
- Break the rules and you may get a Penalty Charge Notice.
The strict bit
The council is blunt: sleeping in any type of vehicle is not allowed anywhere else in these car parks, or in any other council car park, and people found staying overnight to sleep, cook or camp in other off-street council car parks will face enforcement. So outside those 12 bays, plan for a campsite.
Other options the council mentions
The council notes that Northumberland Country Parks are suitable for parking large vehicles and motorhomes, and that Druridge Bay has a dedicated campsite you can book.