Alnmouth

Alnmouth and on to Craster

Through a rickety gate are the Alnmouth Dunes, protected, like the rest of the coast between Seahouses and Druridge Bay, by the National Trust. The route is rough and steep before it turns 90 degrees inland up a stone-strewn path. After a 1km climb, follow the long slope to the outskirts of Alnmouth, with its picture-postcard pastel cottages and red pantiled 18th century roofs. This little town is also on a peninsula created by the river on one side, and the sea and sand to the east.

A former smuggler's den on the end of the Aln estuary, Alnmouth is now a yachty haven and boasts one of Britain's oldest golf courses and splendid walks up to Foxton Hall and Seaton Point.

There are beautiful beach walks. Church Hill is the site of an Anglo-Saxon church. A huge storm on Christmas Day 1806 led to the river bursting its banks and forever changing direction, pouring out into the sea through a new opening to the north of Church Hill, leaving the old harbour redundant and silted.

Both Alnmouth and Warkworth are perfectly preserved period pieces. They are unlikely to change radically in character because they are circumscribed by water, hemmed into their peninsulas with no room to expand. Indeed the entire Northumberland coast north of Blyth seems timeless. From Alnmouth, go up to the traffic island at the edge of the village and take the second exit, the one beyond the road you came in on. After 1km you fork right towards Boulmer.

At Boulmer you can take the longer original Sustrans route past the RAF station and Longhoughton by following the lane round to the left, or you can take the rough track along the coast, which is also signposted. This is far more worthwhile if you are not in a rush; there are gates, but there are some beautiful views of the pink-tinged sands. When the tide is out the whelkers, winkle and mussel pickers go to work, and the sweet smell of seaweed and salt, ozone and seaspray fill the air. As you resume the path from the beach at Howdiemont Sands, the smell of cattle takes over.

The track ends and an old, little-used road begins, taking you to Craster South Farm. Here you fork right towards Craster and Dunstan, past the 15th century Craster Tower where the Craster family, who have been associated with this corner for nearly 1,000 years, live Craster is another must, if you can afford the time.






back to Warkworth | onward to Craster