MICHELE BIANCO CERAMICS

The Northumberland Coast

The weather had taken a decidedly Autumnal turn before the start of my walk up the Northumberland coast and the day I set out from Acklington was a murky grey ‘atmospheric’ one. The walk took me along the final stretch of the Coquet river to the sea, passing through the historic village of Warkworth before emerging through the dunes to the wide expanse of sand north of Amble. From there my route followed the coast north as far as Boulmer, with an inland detour around the salt marsh and river at Alnmouth.

The coast becomes rocky around Boulmer with the planar intrusions of the Great Whin Sill disappearing into the stormy waves of the North Sea. A series of coves with pristine sand punctuated the dark, gnarly rock formations as the path followed twists and turns defined by tidal erosion, at one point passing a house precariously perched above the churning waters. Evocative names of the places en route aptly describe their characteristics – “Sugar Sands”, “Rumbling Kern” and “Black Hole”!

A stop to pick up a picnic lunch of crab sandwiches in Craster before I headed north again towards the remains of Dunstanburgh Castle sitting atop its crag of Whin Sill. To the north side of the castle the Whin Sill ledge abruptly plummets into the sea showing the exposed columns of dolerite, home to the circling gulls and richly coloured vivid green by algae.

From there I continued up the coast across the wide sandy expanses of Embleton and Beadnell Bays, backed by dunes and salt marshes as far as Seahouses.

Starting out from Seahouses in the early morning sun, I walked along the beach towards Bamburgh, dawdling to look at the amazing patterns in the rocks and enjoy expansive views out to the Farne Islands, eventually arriving at Bamburgh Castle, tucked behind the dunes.

From there, onto the pristine and empty beach at Budle Bay with views towards Holy Island and an invigorating northerly wind picking up the dancing sand. I ended the day with a detour inland around the river mouth, walking among ancient horse chestnuts, the wind rustling through their Autumn tinged leaves, before heading back coastwards to Ross Sands. 

Another early start the next morning in order to make it to Holy Island before the tide covered the causeway. A very blustery but spectacular walk along Ross Sands as the sun came up – waves crashing and sand shifting as the sun lit up Bamburgh Castle on the southern horizon and Lindisfarne to the north. A highlight was a sighting of a large colony of seals with their young at the northern end of the beach and being followed along the beach by a curious snow bunting.

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By the time I made it to the causeway to Holy Island, the tide was higher than usual because of the full moon and strong winds so I only made it halfway across before turning back – a couple of walkers had made it across but only by removing boots and socks and wading through knee deep water. Even if I’d been prepared to risk hypothermia and dodge the spray from cars crossing the causeway I think the chances of convincing Flora to paddle in the North Sea in late October would have been extremely low!

Continuing northwards the next morning along the edge of the mudflats and salt marshes, I saw geese, oystercatchers and a beautiful egret take flight from the swaying grasses. Further north I crossed the dunes to emerge onto the wide sands of Goswick and Cheswick, continuing until the rocks cut across the sand.  The rocks in this section were amazingly diverse in their textures and patterns – in parts heavily pitted and pock-marked, in others forming smooth curved lumps and in others a perfectly delineated flat pavement – almost impossible to believe that it wasn’t manmade. 

I finally left the rocky shore and climbed onto the headland path at Cockburnlaw and enjoyed the wonderful views south back to Holy Island and north to Berwick upon Tweed. I arrived in a very sunny Berwick across the beautiful old bridge and watched the tide rising below the ramparts where Lowry sketched.