Gadgie Walks

GREY FRIDAY (NORTHUMBERLAND) NOVEMBER 27th

It's Black Friday again, another import from the US along with trick and treat at Halloween, school proms and going to the movies instead of the cinema or the pictures. In the North East of England it's a very grey day, cold and overcast but hardly any wind. Seven of us are off for a walk on the coast, passing through Craster. As we exceed the recommended group size of six during Covid we have split into two groups, four and three. Who am I kidding.

The walk starts at a farm called Sea Houses (Not Seahouses, a town further up the coast) . To get there A1 north to Alnwick, turn off for Denwick and follow signs for Howick. Go past the entrance for Howick Hall and head for the coast. Near the farm there is off road parking for about a dozen cars and it's free.

The map to use is OS Explorer 332, Alnwick and Amble.

Like good citizens we arrive in our separate cars.

Once booted up and wrapped up as it is cold we set off. Near the car park is a path to the coastal walk, see the sign post in the picture.

At the coastal path we turned south and walked past Rumbling Kern and Howick Haven to Sugar Sands, famed for the fresh water spring that bubbles from the rocks.

Sugar sands, the spring is below the headland across the footbridge.

We turned into Howick Burn dene on the north side of the footbridge. The footpath enters the Howick Hall arboretum which is open for free between November and March but is part of the Howick Hall experience the rest of the year. Many of the trees have labels attached telling the type of tree and its origin.

Howick Hall arboretum

We left the wood near the entrance to Howick Hall.

Howick Hall entrance. The home of the Grey family one of whose ancestors gave the world Earl Grey Tea, a beverage flavoured with bergamot. Personally I prefer proper English tea. Earl Grey, in the 19th century, was responsible for the Great Reform Act which expanded the electorate (male only) by about seven.

Close to the entrance is a track which leads downhill to fields behind Hips Heugh. At the road near Craster South Farm we turned left then right towards the arch across the road. Immediately after the arch we took the footpath on the left.

Turn off left at the archway above. Hips Heugh below.

The footpath leads to the hamlet of Dunstan, where we turned right. A house on the corner is called Old Ale House and just beyond it is the entrance to a couple more cottages. But hidden from view in a corner and without a finger post is a tiny stile which carries the knowing walker into a very narrow footpath between the houses. No room for fatties. The footpath meets a road and almost directly opposite is a post pointing the way. We took the path and crossed fields well behind The Heughs until we came to the farm at Dunstan Square.

From here we walked "the tank road", a concrete strip rumpured to be laid for rapid movement of tanks when the country was invaded in WW2.

It passes an interesting pill box made of fossilised sand bags and a lime kiln.

Pill box

Most walks have a lime kiln it seems.

The concrete strip ends at Dunstan Steads farm and we walked down to the golf course, declaring a Herbie by a hut there.

Stonechat

Herbie time: Club biscuits ,mince pies, ginger biscuits, almond slices and savoury flapjacks lemon drizzle cake from Mrs A.

John demonstrates catching the tiger, a Tai chi move.

Lunch over three of us (me, John L and John H) and for separate reasons decide to head back to the cars. The other four, Dave, Harry, Margaret and Brian headed north for Low
Newton by the Sea, extending the walk by about 4 miles.

The three of us took the footpath alongside the golf course, taking advice and watching out for flying golf balls even though there was nobody on the course. The footpath eventually joins the one on the landward side of Dunstanburgh Castle, passing the famous anticline too.

The famous anticline

The equally famous Dunstanburgh gatehouse.

Walking across the fields to Craster we remarked that this was the only time any of us could remember that there were no other people around. The village was empty too, John L thought it was like a scene from The Triffids. (John Wyndham scary scifi tale). So I closed my eyes in case there was a flash of lightning and we were all blinded.

Deserted Craster harbour.

The three of us walked the coastal path back to Sea Houses, passing the Bathing House,

Seventeenth century Bathing House, remodelled in 1840 and built for the ladies of Howick Hall, providing a place for changing and paddling in the pool below the cottage. A set of steps down to the pool was cut in the rocks. The cottage is now a holiday let.

Back at the cars we changed and went home as pubs are still closed.

This lovely walk is just over 10 miles, easy going too although the paths can be muddy.

The four who extended the walk to Low Newton made it a stroll of 13.3 miles, but returned part of the way in the dark.