Gadgie Walks: Going Green where the crows camp

Monday, 2 May 2022

Going Green where the crows camp

Going green where the crows camp (Northumberland) May 1st.

A walk with the Greens, a friendly group who attend a gym (I think) and walk together a couple of Sundays a month. Brian, Margaret and I are joining them for a coast and country stroll from Sea Houses Farm. This starting point is not to be confused with the seaside town of Seahouses which is further north. The farm is a few miles south of the village of Craster and is best found by using the Northumberland Coast Route to Howick Hall and driving down to the sea. There is off road parking for a dozen cars and it's free.

The map for the walk is OS Explorer m340 Holy Island and Bamburgh.

Car park and friendly car park warden.

Once the ten had gathered we set out south on the farm track (National Cycle route to Amble) as far as Sugar Sands where the Howick Burn enters the sea.

Sugar Sands area where there is a fresh water spring trickling off the rocks.

We then turned north and walked along the coastal path to Craster (Camp of the crows). Lovely walk on the edge of cliffs which are a popular nesting site for a variety of sea birds, busy raising and feeding chicks at this time of year.

We walked through the fishing village and continued across the fields to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.

Craster harbour and Dunstanburgh Castle. Built by Thomas of Gaunt before he became Duke of Lancaster.

On the north side of the castle we settled down on a grassy bank for lunch (mile 4.5), as did many other visitors to the place.

Not a day for sharing, ten sweet things would have been a bit much. Lunch break over we continued north, past the WW2 bunker, the famous anticline and golf course before heading down onto the beach, The sand for once was firm, walking was easy.

We did not walk far on the sands of Embleton Bay but at a break in the dunes headed inland to the farm at Dunstansteads.

We walked through the farm yard and took the track heading south west which morphed into a footpath through the Mosscrop plantation. The woodland floor was almost covered with patches of primroses, very pretty.

Leaving the plantation the team continued on the edges of fields to Proctors Stead, a caravan site and a smart little hamlet.

We walked the road to the village of Dunstan and then took the footpath which is sign posted near the bus shelter, crossing more fields to the road at Craster Tower.

Turning right on the road, then left, we reached Craster South Farm. From here the path crosses fields to the entrance to Howick Hall, home of the Grey family, inventors of flavoured tea and presenters of the Great Reform Act 1833 which gave the vote to 17 more men.

From the entrance to the hall we walked the straight road back to Sea Houses Farm.

On the way home we called in at the Widdrington Inn. Very busy it being a holiday weekend. The pub had Timothy Taylor's Landlord on offer and a beer called Yorkshire Blonde. The TTL went down well.