The Wonderful Abundance of Life and Species Richness Around the North East of England.
Dunstanburgh Castle 2 - 3 hours
There is a huge variety of wildlife on this walk such as seals offshore, rafts of eider ducks, seabird nesting cliffs, a good variety of waders, rock-pool life, fresh water pools at Newton with breeding warblers and ducks, diverse insect life and many types of wild flowers. This is a real walk of two halves with coastal grasslands on the walk to Dunstanburgh Castle giving way to a magnificent sweep of beach at Embleton Bay leading to Newton. The best things about this walk are the iconic ruins of the castle, the Ship Inn at Low Newton and the seabird cliffs at Dunstanburgh Castle, that are best viewed from the beach.

There really is something new every time you walk this route. A particular highlight would be witnessing an Osprey drifting over the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle in spring - an image that will remain forever in many. Do bring binoculars if you have them to look out over the sea and the pools, it also may be worth carrying snacks and water for the walk.
Directions and General Information
• Walk towards Dunstanburgh Castle passing Craster harbour. The path takes you through farmland with the rocky shoreline to your right. It's worth looking in the sheltered rock pools for eider duck.
• In the summer it's possible to see roosting swallows swirl overhead and (if inside the castle) among the ruined chambers and staircases.
• After edging around the base of the castle, note the peculiar cliff formation to your right. The "Greymare Rock" was formed by volcanic pressure that folded the limestone. From April to August it is a breeding spot for kittiwakes and fulmars.
• Pass a golf course on your left and descend on to the beach. The concrete bunkers on the sand were built during the second world war. Stroll to the far end of Embleton Bay. Cross Embleton Burn as it trickles into the sea. If you haven't already, you may want to take your shoes and socks off . . . . . .
• Look out for oystercatchers and other shore birds around the Emblestones as you approach the harbour at Newton Haven. Sometimes seals can be spotted basking at the far end of the rocks.
• Climb up from the beach to Low Newton's picturesque village square. Take a break at the Ship Inn or look in at the National Trust information centre. Continue inland via a track that starts behind the village square, cottages and boat park.
• After about 500 yards or so walking next to sand dunes and through a little woodland, you reach two wildlife hides that face out over the waters at Newton Pool nature reserve. The smell of meadowsweet in summer is delightfully strong.
• Continue on this path towards Dunstan Steads. Dunstanburgh's precipitous cliffs loom large again as you pass the golf course.
• After the castle, climb up to your right on a higher level track back to Craster.
• From Craster to Low Newton is about 3 miles and at a leisurely pace will take 60 to 90 minutes. Allowing an hour for a break and refreshments the round trip will take between 3 and 4 hours.
Oystercatcher | Ship Inn | Gray Mare Rocks | Craster Harbour |
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Hethpool Linn 1hr 30mins
Hethpool is situated in the College Valley, North Northumberland on the northern edge of the Cheviot Hills, an area of renowned beauty. The estate extends to some 12,000 acres and lies entirely within the Northumberland National Park. Finding Hethpool from Wooler: Follow the A697 north out of Wooler for approx 2.5 miles. At Akeldturn left onto the B6351, signed ‘Kirknewton.’ Continue along this road for 3.5 miles, passing Kirknewton and on to Westnewton. Turn left here onto the single track road, signed ‘Hethpool’.

Continue along this single track road for 1.75 miles. Just beyond Hethpool the car park is on the left. The walk to Hethpool Linn, an impressive waterfall on the College Burn, is fairly easy but there is a possibility of mud if there's been recent rain. The route back to Hethpool is along St Cuthbert’s Way and takes in some charming northumbrian countrysisde. The painting to the left is by a locally born artist Joe Hush.
Directions and General Information
A From the car park turn right and walk along the road. As the road bears to the left, go through the gate on the right and follow the track signed ‘St Cuthbert’s Way’ down the hill to the stile on the left. Cross the stile and follow the path through the field to the wicket gate in the wall ahead.
B Go through the gate and continue on, cross the boardwalk and bear right up to the corner of the fence, keep the fence on the left and carry on to the next stile.

Cross the stile and the footbridge and continue straight on along the path, with the wall on the right. At the junction take the path down to the bridge.
C Once over the bridge turn left, cross the stile and turn right up the hill. As the path bears off to the left continue straight ahead to the gate in the deer fence. To increase your chance of seeing the wild goats follow the narrow path down to the left through the gorse. Cross over the burn, go up the other side and over the stile. Continue along St Cuthbert’s Way for a short distance and look for the goats on the lower slopes of Easter Tor on your right. Retrace your steps back to the stile.
Once through the gate turn right and join the well worn track over the hill, recently planted with trees.
D This section of the walk follows St Cuthbert’s Way. Take your time along this path and look up to your left to the lower slopes of Wester Tor. This is usually a good spot to see the wild Cheviot goats too.
E Go through the gate in the deer fence and follow the track through the recently felled area. On leaving this enclosure follow the rough track downhill to the bridge over the College Burn. Turn right over the bridge and follow the road back to the hamlet of Hethpool and the car park.
Hethpool Houses | Lakeside Summer House | College Valley | Footbridge |
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Beadnell, Seahouses and North Sunderland 2hrs 30mins to 3hrs 30mins

Beadnell Village is set at the end of a glorious stretch of beach known as Beadnell Bay. The Village is well known as one of the best equipped places in the County for watersports, with the beach lending itself well to surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving.... the list goes on. The Village's harbour lies at the North end of the bay and from there the beach, backed by huge dunes of sand, stretches South for miles. The sheer volume of holiday accommodation in Beadnell means that it is one of the most popular destinations for visitors on the coast. The Village itself is split, between the area around the harbour and the Village nearer the main road.
Seahouses lies on the Northumberland coast about 15 miles North-East of Alnwick between the beautiful Villages of Beadnell and Bamburgh.

This holiday Town and Fishing Port did not exist until 1889 when the harbour was built in order to improve the local fishing and lime industries. Seahouses is known to many as 'The Gateway to the Farne Islands' and is a very popular place with both locals and visitors. It is probably the most popular holiday resort on the Coast due to it's excellent amenities and attracts huge numbers of visitors throughout the year. The Town itself centres on it's harbour, where you will find fishing boats mixed with pleasure boats taking hordes of visitors over to the Farne Islands. The harbour is also known as 'North Sunderland Harbour' and if you notice on Google Maps North Sunderland actually shows as the name of the Town.
Directions and General Information
• This walk takes us from Beadnell on the Northumbrian coast up to the village of Seahouses and back. Both villages have harbours that service both commercial and leisure boating. Fortunately you don't have to have good sea legs for the walk, though there is the option of a trip across water.
• The walk starts near the Lime Kilns at Beadnell harbour. Beadnell boasts east England's only west-facing harbour. It also features the fine set of limekilns that were built at the turn of the 19th century. Dotted around the harbour are usually an interesting collection of sailing and fishing boats. During the summer the Beadnell Sailing Club organises a regular series of events for those of a nautical bent.
• From the harbour make your way onto Harbour Road past Beach Court. Follow the road to a junction and then continue northwards, following the main road along the coast. Eventually youll reach a cluster of shops next to a grassy triangle. Continue on until you reach the junction with the B1340.

• The path now follows the B1340 virtually all the way to Seahouses. Once past the entrance to the Seahouses Golf Club (which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year) turn right at the next junction, following the signs for the North Sea Trail. Turn left when you reach a T-junction of paths and continue north along the coast and into Seahouses harbour.
• Seahouses is the closest that the Northumberland coast gets to the giddy delights of Blackpool. Unabashedly a tourist trap, the main street through the village is a cheerful mix of fish and chip restaurants, amusement arcades and novelty gift shops. These hedonistic distractions have now replaced fishing as the prime commercial activity of Seahouses.
• The harbour is still busy, though not with working trawlers. Nowadays, boats take visitors to the nearby wildlife haven of the Farne Islands, famed for their seal population, and for breeding colonies of puffins, terns and other sea birds. If you have the time, its well worth a trip across to the islands. As you continue along the harbour the kiosks of the cruise companies are easy to spot and are a colourful part of the harbour area.
• Walk up Harbour Road and turn left back onto the B1340. Cross over and then turn right into Seahouses main car park. Although car parks aren't the most exciting subject to describe, the one in Seahouses does feature a very useful tourist information centre where hotel rooms can be booked and information about local sights gathered.
• Walk along the length of the car park to rejoin the North Sea Trail path at the far end. Turn left where the North Sea Trail path is crossed by a public right of way to pass the top of Osbourne Gardens. Continue along the path until you reach Osbourne Terrace. Follow the road round and then turn left onto Main Street.


• Though theres no reason why you should have noticed, youve now passed out of Seahouses and into North Sunderland. The village of North Sunderland actually pre-dates Seahouses. There is evidence of medieval farming in the area, with traces of ridge and furrow ploughing still visible at nearby St Aidans Dunes. However, it was the herring trade and the building of a harbour that spurred the growth of the villages. This growth prompted the building of a community of sea-houses on the coast for the fishermen and their families.
• Cross over Main Street and then turn right almost immediately down South Lane. Take the first left turn and then turn right when you reach a public footpath. Follow the footpath south along the edges of several farm fields and then cross over Annstead Burn using a footbridge. Follow the burn to a farm track. Turn left onto the track and follow it through a farm and back onto the B1340.
• Follow the road south back towards Beadnell. Continue along the road as it curves gently around in a westerly direction. Turn left into Beadnell when you reach The Wynding. If you look to your left as you pass The Haven you'll see St Ebbas Church, named after Saint bbe, daughter of thelfrith, a seventh century king. He was the first great Anglo-Saxon leader among the northern English; he united Bernicia and Deira into the kingdom of Northumbria.
• At the junction, follow the road south until you come to a footpath. Follow the path until you reach the edge of a caravan park. Bear left and continue on until you reach a road that eventually leads to Beadnells main car park. If you came here by car and this is where you parked, you can end the walk here. If you arrived in Beadnell by boat good for you walk across the car park and onto the beach to find your vessel. Just don't forget to turn left as you leave the harbour.
Hareshaw Linn 2 hrs
An easy 3 mile walk up a wooded valley to a beautiful waterfall.

Bellingham has its roots in the 12th Century when St Cuthbert’s Church was first consecrated.
Its heyday was in the 19th Century when it was a centre for iron. Hareshaw Linn was the site of two blast furnaces established in 1833 by Messrs Bigge and Partners. At the peak of its operation it also contained 70 coke ovens, 24 large roasting kilns for calcining the iron ore, a range of coal stores, a blacksmiths shop, wagon shed, stables and stores. The iron works were in continuous production until 1848.

Ten years later the plant was auctioned and many of the buildings demolished. The dam that you pass on the walk supplied water to power the Hareshaw iron works.
Nature recovers quickly - you would not believe that this wooded valley once raged with noise and smoke! Today Hareshaw Linn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), designated for its rare ferns and lichen. Over 300 different types of mosses, liverworts and lichencan be found.
The ‘Linn’ is also home to red squirrel, great spotted woodpecker, wood warbler, spotted flycatcher, badger and Daubenton’s bat.
Directions and General Information
A Start at the Northumberland National Park carpark Hareshaw Linn in Bellingham. This area was once the site of an iron works in the mid 1800’s.
On your right is the stone terrace of ‘Foundry Farm’ that once housed the
offices of the foundry managers. As you pass the farmhouse look opposite the
sheds for the bubbling water of the ‘well’, a spring that appeared whilst people
were drilling for coal. Following the footpath you climb up mounds made from
the spoil of 70 ovens that once supplied coke to the ironworks.
B Walk through the gate, you will see an old dam on your left. Continue
along the path to an open area overlooking a small waterfall. The hummocky
ground is the spoil from an old quarry, which produced stone used for building
the miner’s houses.
C Climb up the steps. On your right is one of the blocked up mine
entrances. Walk through the kissing gate and into the ‘Linn’ proper.
This is an ancient woodland with oak, hazel, elm and ash.
D Carry on up the hill past a curved stone seat. Walk over the first bridge
to ‘Cupid’s Bower’ seat overlooking the waterfall.

Continue on over the
second bridge, on the left are the entrances to two old mine shafts.
E Carry on over the third and fourth bridges, where you will see tall
Douglas firs planted by the Victorians. Walk over the fifth and finally the sixth
bridge. This is where the Victorians built a ‘bandstand’ for picnics, music and
storytelling.
F Wander on to the waterfall, but take care. The depth and dampness
give the feel of an ancient rainforest - ideal conditions for the 300 species of
mosses, liverworts and lichens.
Return the way you came.
Hareshaw Steps | Red Squirrel | View near Bellingham | Forest Flora | Tea Room |
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East Allen Riverside Walk 1hr - 1hr 30mins
A special place... visitors tell us they had no idea how, beautiful, peaceful and relaxing the Allen Valleys are. Throughout the year we have a great mix of things to do and see, welcoming places to stay, as well as a tradition of serving fresh local food. In and around the villages and hamlets, the valleys history of lead mining and agriculture can be explored and experienced. Artists and Craftsmen create bespoke pieces inspired by the valleys.
The River Allen runs from the South Tyne into the East and West Allen rivers... where the path of the rivers form valleys. River water is bright and clear with trout and salmon running up stream. The fells and heather moors are home to rare birds, flowers and Wildlife.

Allendale means ‘Valley of the Shining Water’ in old Celtic language, perhaps because of the traces of shimmering silver and lead ore running through its rivers. Twice crowned Village of the Year for All England, this pretty, stone-built village in the heart of the Allen Valleys may be small in size, but it is big in personality.

The Crown, destination, is a cosy and charming country pub situated at Catton in the north pennines, an area of outstanding natural beauty. They serve delicious home cooked food using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.
Directions and General Information
A From the centre of Allendale Town you head north-east on the B6303 and just after a left-hand bend you turn sharp right up a bank and turn left up a path when the road levels out. You head across the fields to Housty and enjoy views south across Allendale and the Town itself - which is really a big village!
B The broad pleasant rural vista of the northern lower part of Allendale as the weather improved.
C From Housty you zig-zag via path and minor road to Stone Stile - farm cottage above.
D From Stone Stile you make your way down to the village of Catton - a quite an attractive village of grey stone cottages and a village green.
E The Crown (vendor for the Allendale Brewery) is a good friendly pub-inn to have an evening meal in after a good walk, plenty of space, good car park and really good food.
F Head out of Catton bearing right along the B6295.
G Continue walking on the B6295 and turn left before the River East Allen. Follow the riverside taking you back into Allendale.
Allendale Countryside | Allendale Town | Allendale Valley |
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