It lies near the coast, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of Alnwick, in the similarly named parish of Longhoughton.

The village lies under the spectacular whinstone outcrop, Ratcheugh Crag, near which local point-to-point racing is often conducted.

From the 12th century to recently, the village was noted for its water and corn mills.

[2] There was local industry based on limestone, coal and lead although agriculture was always the main occupation.

Nikolaus Pevsner mentioned the building favourably in his review of Northumbrian architecture.