CASTLE COAST
With dramatic castles, wide beaches and warm hospitality, is Northumberland’s Coast Path one of the most distinctive walks in the world? Travel writer Peter Elia laces up his boots – and packs a pair of flip-flops – to find out
Set off on a seashore adventure with Peter Elia, taking in ancient castles, wide sandy beaches, salt-kissed villages and a wealth of wildlife – plus a kipper or two – on a hike along the wild Northumberland coast.
“I COULD SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ON THE HORIZON, SWIRLING WITH DARK ORANGE AND YELLOW HUES”
The Northumberland coast may not be Britain’s best-known seaside destination, but the locals are fully aware of its beauty. When one resident,
Dale, referred to the nearby Farne Islands as “the Geordie Galapagos”, we laughed, but it wasn’t just banter – we soon realised that he had a point.
This is a really special landscape.
The light-hearted nature of North umber landers such as Dale would provide an intermittent warmth throughout our journey – 62 miles of pathways along the North Sea coast between the village of Cresswell in the county’s south and the spectacular border town of Berwick-uponTweed on the Scottish frontier. And the locals have many reasons to be cheerful, whether it’s the rugged mix of romantic ruins rising above the golden-duned beaches or a surprise guest visit from a grey seal popping its head above water. The Northumberland coast has a beguiling nature, and comparisons can be drawn to the Cornish coast – but without the crowds.
Hiking along paths less travelled has been a passion of mine for many years. My previous adventures in Kyrgyzstan, Greenland and Peru may seem a world away from the Northumberland coast, but my high hopes of a connection with the landscape remained the same.
DUNES AND DYNASTIES
From the cosy outpost of Cresswell’s Drift Café, Lisa – my hiking buddy – and I set off along the beach, each armed with a slab of chocolate tiffin. At least if it rained, we’d have something sweet to lift our spirits.
A wall of cloud greeted our first sandy steps along Druridge Bay, a broad, sweeping beach that stretches for seven miles to Amble. Rugged dunes and long blonde marram grass lay to the left and the formidable North Sea – although less angry than usual – on our right. Immediately, I felt myself relax: everything lay ahead of us, and with the sea always to the right and signs to mark any twists in the route, there would be little demand for navigation skills.
As the tide came in, we turned from the hard sand at the shoreline and climbed the dunes to join the official Northumberland Coast Path. At the attractive village of Amble, on the mouth of the Coquet River, I bagged a couple of pies for lunch from master butcher Peter Forsyth. I chose his celebrated ‘Northumbrian’, filled with lamb, turnip, onion and haggis, a delicacy they have eaten in these parts at least as long as the Scots. We ate them by the waterfront. When were pies ever this good?
The coast path crosses the Coquet a mile inland at Warkworth. After 20 minutes beside the busy A1068, we found ourselves gazing at the impressive 12th-century Warkworth Castle, moated by a loop of the Coquet. Once a stronghold for the Percy family – the dynasty that dominated this county from the 14th century – the castle provided the setting for several scenes from Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays.
Soon the path rejoined the coast, giving a distant view of our destination, Alnmouth village – its brightly painted houses clustered on a steep hill cradled in a bend of the river Aln and surrounded by sand dunes. Fortunately, we arrived at Alnmouth Bay at low tide, when the Aln was shallow enough to ford.
Our first night’s accommodation was in Shoreside Camping Huts, an off-grid, solar-powered cabin just a pebble’s throw from the beach. Inside, I fired up the log burner while Lisa set the outside table for dinner. The sun finally began to peek through, briefly illuminating the flowering