Tracking round Rothbury

 Tracking round Rothbury. February 7th

In an effort to keep on good tracks today's walk is a familiar one starting in Rothbury which has a large car park on the south bank of the River Coquet and a trendy cafe named Bewick's for a breakfast bacon butty.

The walk is covered by two maps: OL 42 Kielder and OS Explorer 332 Alnwick.

A team of ten, an embarrassment of cars, five, not exactly saving the planet but we all had our reasons. And the weather forecast promised us a cold dry day with an east wind offering some chill.

For regular readers, all three of them, this is a familiar car park.

Once ready we walked over the River Coquet using the footbridge. A few hundred yards up the street, next to the church we headed for Bewicks cafe to stoke up with bacon sandwiches, tea or coffee. 

                        Coquet from the footbridge, looking west.

The cafe is close to the church, All Saints. A Victorian building on the site of a pre conquest place of worship.

Once we had warmed up we set off west on the main street, taking the right fork at the first junction following the sign for Pondicherry, a string of houses named for a city in India that was controlled at different times by the Portuguese/Danes/ French? British/French/British/French and finally, in 1954 India. No idea why this hamlet is called Pondicherry perhaps someone stationed in India came home to Northumberland.

Beyond Pondicherry we followed a track for a short distance then a path across fields.

          Another opportunity for Dave to say "You can call me AL". I'm sure one of them muttered "And I can call you Betty".

After a couple of stiles we reached the Physic Lane and walked down to Thropton, crossed the Wreigh Burn, crossed the road and followed the Wreigh Burn to the footbridge over the Coquet.

From the river a footpath took us across fields to the road near Tosson. There, just before the hamlet, is a well preserved Lime Kiln and a couple of picnic benches so we called a Herbie, after only 3.2 miles.

Cherry Bakewells, almond slices, cookies, ginger biscuits lemon drizzle cake and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.

After the feast we walked past the few houses and the remains of the tower to a gate on the right.

Tosson tower, 14th C Next to it was a large car advertising a Mole Hunter. There seems to be more moles about this year.

The track through the gate  climbed steadily through woodland which had suffered in storm Ewon, longest uphill part of the day. Eventually we reached a junction, turned left and staying on a forest road came to a small car park and notice board.

Bonus car park today.

Staying on the forest track we soon reached the road and after a few hundred yards (at mile 6) went through a gate, through a wood and along a path to Whitton Hillhead and then Whitton Farm. From here we walked a good track, passing Dr. Sharp's philanthropic tower and finally reaching the car park.

                    Yes there is a tree growing on the roof.

      Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and data base right 2025

The walk is about 8.5 miles. Easy going apart from the woodland climb! Great views.

 

 

Canada comes to Craster

 

Canada comes to Craster. January 31st.

For today's  walk we have been joined by my niece Sarah who has come all the way from Toronto to join the gadgie team for a day out.  And Margaret is out again, broken arm protected by a sling. Poor Brian has to carry her sandwiches and flask as well as his own. Six gadgies and two gadgettes off for a well known walk from Sea Houses Farm, south of Craster.

Two maps: OS Explorer 332 Holy Island and OS  Explorer 340 Alnick and Amble But not essential.

             Parking at Seahouses Farm south of Craster. The farm boasts its herd of Limosin cows.

Once all eight were ready and introductions had been made we set off down the path from the car park to the coastal path. At this point it is called St. Oswald's Way/ Charles III Coast path /England coastal path. Regardless it follows the coast on fairly high cliffs some of which are home to Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Fulmars or even plain everyday gulls. Too early in the year for the breeding pairs to arrive.

                 The famous bathing house for the ladies of nearby Howick Hall. A path leads down to the sea and in the rocky shore there are several pools for the ladies to bathe in. 

The path leads on to  Craster, Sadly, the old cafe remains closed and so too is the "caravan" the Piper's Pitch near  the quarry car park. No bacon sandwich here, so on we went. Walking pastt he harbour we took the footpath across the fields towards the castle.

                  Craster harbour. The block of stone is the remains of the terminus of a wire system that brought stone from the quarry to be exported. Now there are fishing boats.

Soon we reached the castle ruin.

Dunstanburgh Castle Gatehouse and the Lilburn tower. The castle was built in the 14th century by the Earl of Lancaster. After the Wars of the Roses it fell into ruin. Built on the dolerite Whinsill it remains a magnificent ruin.

Beyond the castle we walked carefully round the edge of the golf course, observing, of course the famous anticline.

The famous anticline, officially named Greymare Rock. The most photographed anticline in the blog. Possibly the only one.

Close by is a WW2 bunker:

                                              WW2  bunker. 

And shortly after we descended to the beach on Embleton Bay. The sand was quite soft today.  At a gap in the dunes we left the beach and headed for the Dunstanburgh Golf Club House. They did bacon butties! Some of us enjoyed this delicacy as others ate there sandwiches and sharings at the benches outside. (Herbie time: Double Deckers, Cherry Bakewells and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.)

Lunch over we moved on, walking the perimeter of the course to the small car park at Dunstansteads. From here we took the "tank road", a concrete strip to Dunstan Square and turned left to the Heughs.

The "tank road" passes a lime kiln and WW2 bunker which is an unusual one.

                                     Lime Kiln

                     Unusual WW2

                             Happy horse?

The footpath behind the Heughs comes out at the Quarry Car Park and Piper's Pitch. From here we walked the footpath to Craster South Farm and across the fields to the car park at Howick Hall. A little known path going through the hall woods cuts off a corner but still reaches the road back to Sea Houses Farm.

Surprisingly, on the way home we stopped at The Ridley Arms in Stannington!

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2025

The walk is 10.5 miles, easy going great sea views and pretty country too.

Our Canadian guest has sent a photographic record of her day in Northumberland. She thought we had picked a beautiful walk and enjoyed the free lessons on History, Ornithology and Geology, And the bacon butty. For some reason, known only to the computer, the photos have got out of sequence but Toronto will love them.