Gadgie Walks

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.