On the bus again

On the bus again,or not. But always have a plan B. July 19th

Promised a hot day, six of us have opted for a familiar beach walk, hoping for a cooling breeze off the sea.  Brian, Margaret, John H., John L. Ian and I are driving to Seahouses farm south of Craster, walking to Howick village, about a mile, and catching a bus to Beadnell. Then walking back.

Covered by OS Explorer332 Alnwick and Amble and OS Explorer 340 Holy Island the walk follows the newly named King Charles III England Coastal Path. Easy to follow.

Leaving the cars and admiring the Limosins we walked the quarter mile to the hamlet of Howick  and stood waiting at the bus stop. And we waited. A local walked by, we asked how reliable the bus was, he admitted it was a bit of a gamble. There was a road closure nearby, perhaps the bus was diverted. After a half hour we decided on plan B so today's walk starts from Howick, not Beadnell.

                    It is not the start but it is the end

                                 Pedigree Limousin at Seahouses Farm.

We walked back up the road and after a short stretch on the Craster road we joined the King Charles III England Coast Path or St. Oswald's Way. Heading north we reached the familiar fishing village of Craster. The cafe has closed but at the Quarry Car Park the Piper's Pitch makes a five star bacon sandwich. Outside seats only but there are toilets in the old information centre. (Closed).

             You can have a kipper sandwich if you prefer.

Crossing the road by the centre we walked towards the harbour but turned left up a short steep hill through a few houses to join the footpath on the Heughs. Most people cross the fields to Dunstanburgh Castle, this route, being higher gives better view of Lancaster's folly.

                                Looking down on the Harbour

                           Dunstanburgh.

At one point we left the Heughs and followed the footpath round the castle and past the famous anticline.

                    The famous anticline (Graymare Rock).

Instead of heading for the beach as usual we stuck to the path through the dunes. Much up and down and long feet trapping grass and scratchy plants. At The Skait

we left the dunes, walked the edge of the golf course, through the collection of chalets, past he bird hide and arrived at Low Newton by the Sea.

                         The square at Low Newton. The Ship pub in the corner

                                        Embleton Bay

                       Some of the chalets.

Low Newton has several benches so we called a Herbie. (apple pies, cookies and sweet and savoury from Mrs A)

Turning back we walked some distance on the beach, the sand was quite firm but we took to the edge of the golf course again. At the small parking area near Dunstan Steads we took the road to that farm, turned left and followed the concrete strip back to Dunstan Square. 

                        Lime Kiln and WW2 bunker on the concrete strip

Turning left across a field, then turning right on the footpath below the Heughs we were soon back at Craster Quarry Car Park. After discussing the route to take we followed a path signposted Howick which went behind the Craster Houses. At a gate we turned left and were back on the Charles III England Coast Path which we followed all the way to Seahouses Farm.

                    The bathing house, once for the ladies of Howick Hall, now a holiday let.

On the way home we called in at The Ridley Arms, Stannington to rehydrate. It had been a very hot day.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2024

The walk is about 10.5 miles, easy going.

 

Waterloo and cowstand

 Waterloo and Cowstand July  12th

Back on the track after a couple of weeks off. Holidays!

Brian, Margaret, JohnC and I off for a local walk from Stamfordham, a village to the west of Newcastle.

The map for the walk is OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne

Stamfordham is a "long village" with a large green separating the two sides. On the green is a

                   The Butter Cross, built in 1735 as a market area I suppose.

And an

 Early 19th century Lock Up for the naughty folk of the area.

And the church of St. Mary,

             Possibly Saxon origins but mostly 13th Century.

And of course there is car parking, free.

Parking just off the green.

The walk, at last.

We started the day going through the church graveyard on the south side of the building to find the gate at the beginning of the walk. From there we crossed fields, walked farm tracks and slices of road  passing several farms and  missing the ruins of a medieval  village at East Matfen before reaching the slightly more modern village of Matfen.

Although we had only walked about 3.5 miles a bench and table outside the village store and coffee shop seemed a good place for a Herbie. (Apple pies, chocolate biscuits and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.)

Matfen is a very pretty village. A large green being the centre of an "estate village".  Holy Trinity church is 19th century.

                          Matfen village green

                  Holy Trinity Church.

Over lunch we discussed the rest of the day. The original walk was just over 10 miles but it was suggested that we could make it 11 with a little extension. Somebody who shall remain nameless said "Let's go for the biggy" and so we did.

At the west end of the green (mile 4) we had originally planned to walk to Low Hall and then across fields to Waterloo. With a changed plan we took the road north from Matfen and at the first junction found the stile into fields covered in hawthorn so we climbed the fence and  headed across a field full of long grass, much of which was flattened. Following the grass we walked across a field of young swedes, passing the ruin on the map which was one stone house end. We walked round the edge of a field of barley although the official right of way crosses it. Next a field of rye until we reached the road at Ryal. We scambled over a tumbledown wall to get on to the road.

                   Not exactly a field of gold but heading that way.

                        The church at Ryal, 12th century chapel of ease, rebuilt in 1870

                                   One of the many horses in the area.

From Ryal we walked east, turned left at the next junction and headed for Ingoe, a hamlet with a bench and table for a mini Herbie. There is a "Warrior Stone " on South Hall farm but we missed it.

From Ingoe we walked the road east to North Fens where the retired farmer showed us his entry for a coming fair.

                  Nora, built from an old motorised grass cutter.

              And he was restoring a convertible Rolls Royce!

Leaving North Fens we walked south to South Fens, turned left at the finger post and headed east towrds Cowstand (mile 10). The footpath through the wood had a welcome sign:

                                 Keep out.

However we walked through the wood which had lost a number of trees recently.

                    It was a bit of a struggle getting through.

At Cowstand we should have turned south, crossing more fields of barley to Westerheugh and beyond. But not wishing to go round more field edges we walked the farm track to the B6309 road, turned south and headed back to Stamfordham,

Contains Os data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2024

The walk is 12.5 miles. Easy going with little climbing but beware of fields of barley

  

 

After a week in the country, a walk on the coast. June 21st.

Back from the Dales Way we are looking forward to a coastal walk in homeland Northumberland. The walk starts at Seahouses Farm near Howick Hall. North to Alnwick, turn east and watch out for signs. A popular walk, done several times before but my job is to record our days out.

The maps for the walk are:

OS Explorer 340  Holy Island and Bamburgh: OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble.

And the team is: Brian, Margaret, Harry, John H. and me 

There is parking at Seahouses Farm for a few cars, and it's  free!

Not one for the calendar, parking at Seahouses Farm near Howick.

Once booted up and wearing, for once, light clothing for a promised hot day, we headed south on a farm track to sweet sounding Sugar Sands, a small bay where the Howick Burn emerges. On the rocks there is a clear water spring too.

                                            Sugar Sands.

Turning through about 170 degrees we headed north on the footpath along the cliffs to Craster, passing Rumbling Kern and Cutternose Point, a setting for nesting Kittiwakes and Razorbills. And the bathing house  too. Originally built for the ladies of Howick Hall as a changing place for daring dips in the pools below. Now a holiday let.

                              The bathing house.

               Kittiwake town.

Arriving at Craster we headed for the Piper's Pitch, a caravan selling refreshments next to the now closed Visitor centre and at the entrance to the large car park in the old quarry. The Seashore Cafe closed some time ago and the Pitch is the only place in Craster selling bacon sandwiches. Good ones too.

                              The Piper's Pitch.

On previous walks we have headed past the harbour and followed the p[opular walk across the fields to Dunstanburgh Castle but today Brian led us up a path almost directly opposite the car park and between houses to a footpath on top of the Heughs. A different, and better view of the castle.

                                Dunstanburgh Castle.

Eventually we dipped down from the Heughs and joined the usual path past the ruin, walked someway through the dunes and then down on to the beach.

                      Can't do this walk and miss out the famous anticline at Greymare Rock

                                   Embleton Bay

About half way round the curve of the bay we left the soft sand and took to the harder path on the edge of the golf course, through the village of summer cottages, past the bird hide at Newton Pond and found benches at Low Newton by the Sea for a Herbie. (Apple pies, cookies, sweet and savoury from Mrs A).

                    Low Newton by the Sea, holiday cottages and the famous Ship Inn.

Fed, watered and rested we headed off behind the square (public toilets on the way) and went back on the path past the Bird Hide (an avocet couple) and back to the golf course. Dutifully following the footpath round the course we came close to the Club House and then the lane to Dunstan Steads (Parking for about a dozen cars). Usually from here we take the "concrete road" to Dunstan Square but after a brief discussion we decided to be a bit more adventurous, turned right up a track towards the camp site at Spitalford. At the end of the track we edged round fields, walked through a wood and round the perimeter of more fields on a path with two foot high grass until we reached Proctors Stead, another camp site.

In the village of Dunstan we took the footpath next to the bus shelter to the road by Craster Towers, turned right then left at the first junction and walked the road to South Craster Farm.

                          Close to Craster Tower.

At the farm we walked across fields to the lane up to the Howick Hall. However before we reached the hall we took a short cut through woodland, going through a gate on the left. We were told about this short cut on a previous walk. The path joined the road to Seahouses Farm and the cars.

  

                Handy little short cut through this gate at Howick Hall 

It had been a hot day, we needed rehydration so we went to the Ridley Arms in Stannington.

Contains OS data, copyright, Crown copyright and data base right 2024

The walk is 13.3 miles, a half marathon!

                                            Now the King Charles III path