The Craster to Alnmouth Walk is an easy walk along the Northumberland Coast Path. The path winds over dramatic cliffs and sandy beaches and offers beautiful views of the sea.
NORTHUMBERLAND COAST PATH | ENGLAND
The Northumberland Coast is a designated AONB, an area of outstanding natural beauty, that is best explored on foot. The Northumberland Coast Path is a 62 mile / 100 km trail from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Warkworth that promises a bit of everything: medieval castles, charming coastal hamlets, birdwatching, fresh seafood, and of course, picturesque views.
The idea of walking the coast of Britain thrills me and I am a regular reader of Ruth’s fantastic blog but it isn’t a project I can take up at the moment, so I walk the coast, bits and pieces of it, every now and then as time and health permits. So, when we visited Northumberland in the last week of March– a decision made easy by available rooms at YHA Alnwick over the weekend and the English government’s scheme for £2 single bus tickets until March 31, 2023– we decided to walk a section of the Northumberland Coast Walk and for reasons unknown, we chose the Craster to Alnmouth walk section.
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It is day 1 of our long weekend, the weather is a fantastic dance of sun and shade, and we take the train from Edinburgh to Berwick-upon-Tweed, then the Arriva bus X18 to Craster where our first stop is L. Robson & Sons, a historic smokehouse known for its kippers. We pick up a bottle of fish soup (which was so delicious that we popped in again on our way back to Edinburgh to buy some lobster soup and a pack of kippers) for dinner, then pop into Shoreline Cafe next door for some tea and cake.
Refreshed, we head out. The path starts right behind the Heugh bus stop. It is breezy and the scenery is breathtaking. We walk along the cliffs– the trail is well marked and signposted– stopping every now and then to take photographs. The sun is out and the North Sea sparkles all blue and silver. Behind us, towards Craster, we can see the looming ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. We continue south, away from the little harbour and the smoke-scented air of Craster, past gorse and lots of gorse whose sweet coconut fragrance lingers in the air. The trail winds through flattened grass, continuing over the undulating terrain. Soon we are at Howick Sands. We trundle on, above a rocky formation, watching the waves and the wind gnaw into its ancient mass.
Also read: Check out all the lovely walks we have walked on our Walks page!
En route, we walk past the Bathing House, a 19th-century bathing house built by the second Earl Grey for his family of 16 children to go bathing in the North Sea. The Grade II listed building sits on a remote headland and offers dreamy views of Duntansburgh Castle to the north and the distant Coquet Island to the south. It is a self-catering holiday home now, should you want some a week away!
TIP: Got time for a detour? Visit Howick Hall, home to the Earls Grey and the iconic Earl Grey tea.
There are some sandy beaches on the Craster to Alnmouth walk: Sugar Sands, Longhoughton Beach, and Howdlemount Sands. Longhoughton Beach is pretty: a crescent of sand hemmed by coastal greenery. It may erupt into cacophony in the summer but now it is quiet with just a few families enjoying a weekend afternoon. It’s a good place for a swim, or just a restful break on the walk, or for a picnic (if you have packed one!). We don’t see many walkers until now but as we cross the beach, a large group of school children is out on what seems like a weekend excursion. They are going towards Craster.
Also read: While you are in the area, check out fabulous Newcastle with our guide: Top Things to do in Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Day Trip Edition.
Next stop on the Craster to Alnmouth walk is Boulmer, a teeny-tiny village, 4 miles south of Craster. We don’t spot a cafe (there’s a beer garden, we hear) but we do spot a bright red vintage tractor. There are a bunch of self-catering accommodations that promise a weekend of solitude, if you need one. The beach here is lovely. There are a few walkers here and joyful puppies playing with abandon. Clumps of yolk-yellow daffodils sway in the breeze. We sit on a bench atop a mound, hydrate, and take in the picturesque views.
TIP: If you want to end your walk here, you can take the Travelsure bus 418 to Berwick-upon-Tweed or Alnwick from Boulmer.
We head onward again, over the cliffs, basking in the glorious sunshine and pottering over what seems like the land equivalent of a poke cake. We wonder if they are rabbit burrows (we see no rabbits) or holes dug in search of fishing baits (!) and after some careful navigation, we are in a caravan park and somewhat lost. The trail does a weird zig through the caravan park because it is private property and for a few minutes, we are just walking past static caravans, all empty and lonely in this season but this blandness soon disappears as we descend the cliffs, and walk the beach in Foxton.
We are really tired by this time and my feet are getting sore. We miss the signage that leads to the path above the beach and end up clambering over some boulders to the next bit of soft sea sand but we soon spot another trail that climbed up the hill and lo and behold! we are on a golf course, one of my least favourite places. Thankfully, we find the trail before some indignant golfer threw us some shade for trudging over private lands. A few minutes of rest on a bench, then we continue toward Alnmouth. The trail passes through some vegetation, more gorse, and a little while later, we can see Alnmouth Beach below but continue along the trail and descend on the Wynd. A signpost says that we have walked seven and a quarter miles! That’s the longest we have walked with a backpack! It feels awesome: just a year and a half ago, we could barely walk more than 3 km at a go, now we are walking four times that!
TIP: You can do the walk from south to north too, in which case you can stay at one of the many fantastic BnBs and cottages at Craster. We stayed at the YHA in Alnwick (basic but excellent hostel with dorms and private rooms, and cooking and laundry facilities. It is close to the main attractions and shops and there is a bus stop with connections to Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, and Newcastle right outside the front door, so highly recommend the YHA if you are doing the Northumberland Coast Path) but Alnmouth has some lovely places to stay too.
We want to explore Alnmouth but we are too tired, so we take the bus to Alnwick for the night. Alnmouth is incredibly charming, so if you have any strength left in you, get a pint at a local pub, then explore the town. We were back the next morning and walked along Garden Terrace which overlooks the quaint harbour and the famous painted houses of Alnmouth. The beach here, with its windswept marram grass, is a thing of beauty. If you have time, walk up Church Hill for scenic views of the town.
Difficulty: Easy
Itinerary: Linear walk from Craster to Alnmouth
Distance: 7.25 miles / 11.66 km
Time taken: 3.5 – 4 hours
Public Transport: Arriva bus x18 and Travelsure bus 418 connects Craster and Alnmouth to Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, and Newcastle.
Have you done the Craster to Alnmouth walk or walked any other sections of the Northumberland Coast Path?
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