CRASTER KIPPERS

 Craster kippers. January 26th.

Back to the coast after last week's  slippery moorland walk. A familiar favourite, starting at Seahouses Farm a couple of miles south of Craster, walking up the coast and back across country.

North on A1 to Alnwick, turn east and head for Howick. Pass the entrance to the home of the Grey tea makers and continue to the coast. Park on the the patch of ground near the farm for free.

Maps : OS Explorer 332 Holy Island, OS Explorer 340 Alnwick and Amble.

A team of six today: Brian, Margaret, Ian, Harry, John C and me. The weather forecast is good, cold but sunny which makes a change from the storms that have crossed the islands recently, causing damage, stopping trains and blowing over some high sided vehicles.

Parking near Seahouses Farm, popular starting point.

  W started off walking south on the farm track. (A bit muddy). Reaching Sugar Sands and the mouth of the Howick Burn we turned north and followed the coastal path to Craster, seeing little but a robin.

                     He wouldn't keep still

 At Sugar Sands, on the rocks behind the people there is a freshwater spring that runs into the sea. Too sunny for a decent photo and no filters.

At Craster we headed for the Shoreline Cafe for breakfast to find it had closed. It appeared to have been stripped of fittings and equipment too, a shame, it was a good place. Hope it reopens for summer.

 So we walked on, passing the kipper factory. The Robson family have smoked herring here for generations, producing the famous Craster Kippers, usually eaten for breakfast. Beyond is the harbour, always worth watching but quiet today.

                  Craster Harbour. The stump is all that remains of a loading point for stone brought by ariel runway from the quarry which is now a car park.

He wouldn't keep still either.

Heading north we crossed the fields to Dunstanburgh Castle, built by  Thomas of Lancaster as a "Anything you can do I can do better or just as well" sign to a lordly rival, or the king.

Beyond the castle we walked the edge of the golf course, passing the famous anticline and WW2 bunker.

                     Anticline and bunker.

The tide was well in and we walked some distance on the dunes before descending to the soft sand. Normally the Embleton Burn is shallow enough to cross as it enters the bay but it was overboot deep today so we walked inland to a wooden footbridge.

Some of us continued on the edge of the golf course and through the holiday chalets to Low Newton. Some went back to the beach but we all met up at Low Newton by the Sea, the open square of cottages and The Ship pub, a popular eating place for visitors. But we sat on the benches for a Herbie. (Carrot cake, sweet and savoury from Mrs A)

                         Low Newton. Once fishermen's cottages, now holiday homes

Lunch over we headed back south, passing the bird hide at Newton Ponds, walking the England Coastal Path (Now the King Charles Coast Path), carefully going round the edge of the golf course  and then taking the track to Dunstan Steads. (mile 9). From the farm we took the concrete strip to the farm at Dunstan Square (mile 10) and then the road to the village of Dunstan. 

Near the bus shelter there is a track, but a few yards in a low level sign points out the public right of way.  Taking it we reached Craster Tower (mile 11) through the arch turned left at the next junction and then right to South Farm.

        Arch at Craster Tower

We walked across fields from South Farm to the entrance to Howick Hall, turned left and walked down the road back to the cars.

On the way home we stopped at the Ridley Arms in Stannington, busy and serving several beers which went down well.

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The walk is just over 13 miles, easy going, great sea views.

                            Ladies bathing house near Howick

                 In summer a nesting site for Kittiwakes

                              Dunstanburgh Castle

                          Low Newton Bird Hide

                                           Snowdrops

                          A Lime Kiln!

Five go off to Blanchland

Five go off to Blanchland. January 19th

It's  some time since we walked from this pretty Northumbrian village. Blanchland owes its existence to the Premonstratensian Canons  (the White Monks) who founded an abbey there in 1065. Bashed around by the Scots and dissolved in 1539 the buildings became a house. The village was built using stones from the Abbey in the 17th century by Lord Crewe. The village church of St Mary incorporates the monastic chapel.

From Newcastle take the A69 west, A68 south and watch for signs on the right. There is a large car park at the north end of the village with an honesty box asking for a contribution of £1.

The White Monks tea room in the old village school offers, amongst many things an excellent bacon sandwich in a stottie. (White, round flat bread so called because it was "stotted" off the wall to test it.)

There are five out today: Me, Brian, Margaret, Harry and John C.

The village is on the borders of two maps; OS Explorer 307, Consett and OS OL 43 Hadrian's Wall.

It has been cold recently, -5C we do not expect mud.

                       Icy and fairly empty car park

                    St Mary's, Blanchland

Leaving the car park we turned left and after a few hundred yards took the track on the left to Cote House Farm. (On some maps it's called Coal House Farm). Once through the farmyard we followed a track heading north west. The farm track is well rutted by tractors (Deep ruts the wagons made, as sung by Johnny Cash). The ruts are filled with ice making walking a little difficult at times but we continued on our way to Pennypie House farm. Named because in days of old when carriers drove these tracks the farm sold pies for a penny (1d for us older Britons).

                        On the way to Cote House

          Pennypie house farm

Keeping on a northerly track, still icy, we headed on to the track from High Acton Mill, turned left on a path across War Law then North West to the corner of Slaley Forest. At this point we missed the path, slightly, walked through boot cleaning heather, climbed, with difficulty, a wire fence and were back on a footpath heading south west. The footpath, a narrow one with ice, crossed Bulbeck Common with only one stile to negotiate until we reached the shooters' hut at about 5.7 miles. It made a cosy Herbie Spot,  out of the cold wind. The positive side of our moorland walk is the vast views looking north over Northumberland, Cheviot in the distance.

             Herbie hut, inside and out. Apple pies, sweet and savoury from Mrs A. And seats and a table.

Lunch over we followed good, and ice free, track south towards Beldon Shields. The track turned east and took us to Newbiggin.

                                   Newbiggin livestock.

                             Chapel at Newbiggin.

At Baybridge we turned right and took the footpath on the north side of the River Derwent back to Blanchland.

                        Public toilets in Blanchland

On the way home we stopped at The Fox and Hounds in Wylam, it sells TTL.

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The walk is a bit short of 10 miles, some climbs, some views, well worth the effort.

                               Blanchland

                                   Shooting butt

                                River Derwent

                       White Monks tea room

A walk on the edge

 A walk on the edge. January 12th.

Rothbury is on the edge of two maps: OS OL 42 Kielder Forest and water and.                  OS.    Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble. For this walk you need both, unless you are familiar with the territory.

Go north on A1, turn off onto A697 and at the moment watch out for road closures and diversions to get to Rothbury. Turn down Bridge Street, cross the river, turn right and park in the large free riverside car park.

Breakfast in the Newcastle Hotel then back to the car park. Six out today: Margaret, Brian, John L., John C., Ian and me.

              After the success of m"North East Car Parks 2024" calendar I'm thinking this year could be "Stiles I have struggled with". Above though is a starter, Rothbury Riverside.

We  left the car park, turned left and after a few hundred yards turned right on a road up the first hill of the day. At the top we went through a gate, across a field to another road, turned right, admired the tower and took the farm track to Whitton Farm.

                 Looks like the top needs a bit of attention.

Moving on to Whitton Hillhead , going as requested, round the farm we crossed fields to the road between Great Tosson and Lordenshaws.

       Apparently an animal picture is worth a thousand car parks.

Turning right on the road we headed the short distance to a car park (no photo) and wandered the forestry tracks through the plantation. A couple of years ago, after Storm Arwen, the route was impossible to follow but is clear now.

                                    Stile of the day.

Leaving the woodland we walked downhill, carefully as the path was very muddy and slippy, how useful walking poles can be, until we reached the hamlet of Great Tosson. There is a ruined tower here but we took the road down to the small parking area by the Tosson Lime KIln. There are a couple of picnic tables so we called a Herbie. (Ginger biscuits, apple pies, sweet and savoury from Mrs A)

                                Tosson Lime Kiln.

Lunch over we continued down the road and then followed the muddy footpath across fields to the footbridge over the Coquet near Thropton. Crossing we took the footpath alongside the Weigh Burn, crossed the bridge, up the road past the Cross Keys (still being refurbished), up the steps, through a small estate and on to Physic Lane.

Physic Lane starts bas metalled road then becomes muddy track, and is a steady climb for a mile almost. Eventually we reached a gate and paused for a breather.

               At the very top of Physic Lane.

After a short rest we took a footpath (muddy and not marked) up to one of the Armstrong Estate Carriage drives, a solid surface at last.

We followed the track, walked through Addycombe wood  until we reached a gate on the right.

                        Rothbury from Addycombe woods

The path crossed fields before reaching a muddy track  which became a road. Taking a steep and stepped path on the left we were soon back in the town and at the car park. On the way home we stopped to rehydrate at the Ridley Arms, Stannington. A couple of fine ales.well earned.

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

The walk is a bit over 10 miles (16k) with a couple of climbs