Alnmouth to Embleton

Country Alnmouth to Embleton FACT FILE Based on diary Ordnance ➤ Distance: 18km (11.25m). Survey Walks ➤ Time: 6 hours. mapping IELD vole populations tend to peak in ➤ Maps: OS Explorer 332. © Crown F the countryside in autumn, so there’s ➤ Start/parking: On-street copyright: a better chance of catching a glimpse by Mark Reid parking in Alnmouth. AM26/09 of one of these tiny furry mammals now than ➤ Refreshments: Pubs at at any other time of year. HE walk from Alnmouth to Emble- Alnmouth, Boulmer, Craster Field voles are commonest in rough ton along the Northumberland coast- and Embleton. grassland, where they breed in spherical line is one of the finest walks in the ➤ Terrain: Beach and nests of woven dried grass, concealed in country, with sweeping bays, rocky coastal walking all the way, grass tussocks. T with some sections across headlands, fishing villages and a ru- Life is hazardous for these bite-sized ined castle. sand dunes, low cliffs and mammals, which are hunted by kestrels, From the centre of Alnmouth, up along beaches as well as tracks owls, adders, stoats, weasels and foxes, so 1Northumberland Street, passing the church and lanes. they tend to be most active after dark. on your right, then turn right along The Wynd, ➤ How to get there: In autumn, when there’s an abundance of with an old drinking fountain on the corner. Alnmouth lies just off the tempting food about, they sometimes forage Follow the road down then, where it bends A1068 in Northumberland. in daylight. right, take the road left (signed “Parking”) ➤ Linear Walk: This is a On several occasions I’ve watched them across Alnmouth Common (playing fields and linear walk. There is a bus climbing knapweed stems to reach the ripe golf course to your right). service between Embleton seeds or caught sight of them taking rose- Follow this lane down then turn left just after and Alnmouth Station. For hips or blackberries from low-hanging the ornate drinking fountain across a small bus information call 0871- shoots. parking area (signed “Foxton Hall, Coast Path”) 200-2233. Check times before setting off. Catch the Although they don’t hibernate, building up then, almost immediately, head on along the bus to Alnmouth Station body weight now is an important strategy for left-hand grassy path, running parallel to the (bus stop along the main surviving the coming winter. clearer track, which climbs the bank, passing road beyond the When they move around in daylight, they some Second World War concrete blocks paint- Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel remain concealed by using networks of ed as dice onto the top of the bank, where the at Embleton). From surface tunnels in the grass. These are most path levels out by an old pillbox. Alnmouth Station, follow the obvious after periods of snow in winter, when Head straight on along the top of the ridge main road over Duchess a thaw will reveal the maze of runways along the clear wide grassy track that soon be- –often close to hedgerows –where voles Bridge across the River Aln comes a footpath that leads on alongside the back into Alnmouth. have been foraging under the snow. Life is fence on your left down across the golf course . ➤ Caution: Beach walking hazardous from now until spring and many At the end of the golf course, where the wide can be tiring, especially if the of the autumn population won’t survive until grassy path bends sharply round to the right, April. sand is soft. Extra care must carry straight on up to the top of the small bank be taken during bad weather Voles have blunter noses than field mice, ahead, with the sea down to your right. more rotund bodies and much smaller ears. and high tides. Do not Follow the clear coastal path straight on attempt to walk across a There are two common species in our region along the top of a small bank, with the sea to and they are not easy to tell apart. The bank beach or coastline at high your right and golf course to your left. tide or when it is submerged vole often occurs in woodland and Where the path divides as you approach the hedgerows, while the smaller field vole is with water. The Right of Way clubhouse, bear left along the clearly marked from Foxton Hall to Seaton more often found in grassland, but both path across the golfcourse to join a metalled species favour young conifer plantations in House heads along the lane just to the left of the clubhouse. Turn right beach for 0.75km (beneath the early years before the tree canopy closes along the lane, with the clubhouse on your and shades out the tussocky grass below, low crumbly cliffs), which right, then as you reach the small parking area may become impassable which offers food and shelter. to the side of the clubhouse, follow the path on Phil Gates during certain high tides. the left of the wall down along the edge of the Check tide times and plan golf course to join a clear track that leads to your walk carefully. the beach. Turn left along the beach for 0.75km beneath low crumbly cliffs to reach some concrete steps at Seaton Point. Birdwatch climbing up onto the cliffs of Cullernose Point. Inland route: After the gate that leads onto At the top of the steps turn right (signed Follow the path, bending to the right across 5the golf course, head left along the clear Y weather pattern-influenced forecast 2“Boulmer”) along the cliff-top path passing the top of the cliffs, then round to the left along gravel path that runs along the fence on your of a large-scale arrival of migrants – seaside huts to quickly reach a rough track the grassy coastal path once again heading to- left. Follow this fence line straight on along M where you turn left to reach a gravel track at wards Craster. As you approach Craster, the the edge of the golf course (soon becomes including rarities from eastern Russia – proved to be absolutely correct. Seaton House. path skirts to the left around the small inlet of grassy path), passing the end of a lane at Dun- Numerically, the star has been red-flanked Turn right along the track and follow it into Hole o’ the Dike to quickly reach the top of this stan Steads, and continue on by the bluetail, a robin-like bird with looks to match Seaton Point Caravan Site then, where the track inlet where the path forks. Head right through fence/hedge along the edge of the golf course its exotic name. Eighteen have been recorded divides, follow the left-hand grassy track along- a gate just to the right of the houses. Follow the then, as you approach the clubhouse, cross a in England and Scotland – seven during side the fence on your left heading along the clear coastal path into Craster, passing a play bridge to reach the bottom of the lane by the September 27 to 30 and 11 more from edge of the caravan site then bending round to area and houses (keep to the coastal path) and clubhouse. Follow this lane up into Embleton. October 8 to 12. the left to reach a gate at the end of the site. through the beer garden of the Jolly Fisherman Mark Reid , author of The Inn Way That may not sound like many until you Head straight on along the clear coastal path to join a track beside the south Harbour Wall. series of guidebooks (innway. co.uk) consider this beauty’s previous occurrences to reach a kissing gate to your right by two large Head left along this track to quickly reach here. After the first record in Lincolnshire in navigational posts. After the gate, turn left 4the road, with the pub on your left, where you 1903, it took until 1998 (one on the Farne across the beach then up to the road at Boulmer Islands) for the all-time total to reach 18. opposite the lifeboat station. turn right down through Craster skirting to the Amazingly, the number recorded over those Turn right along the road through the village right around the Harbour along Dunstanburgh 95 years has been equalled in only over a passing the Fishing Boat Inn then, where the Road (signposted “Dunstanburgh Castle”) that fortnight this autumn. road turns sharply left, continue straight on leads to a gate and the coastal footpath. It’s already a record breaker – the previous along the road (signed “Boulmer Steel”). This A clear path leads straight on with the rocky all-time high tally was 12 in 2008 – and even road soon becomes a track, which you follow coastline on your right all the way to Dunstan- more may appear over the coming weeks straight on for 0.75km along the coast to reach burgh Castle. As you approach the castle, you depending on what happens to the high a bridle-gate that leads over a footbridge (on the pass through a gate in a fence/end of a stone pressure systems that drifted them westwards beach), after which bear left back onto the wall, with the sea just to your right, immediately after which follow the grassy path branch- to us instead of south to their normal winter grassy track. Clothing and Equipment territories in southern China and Japan, Continue straight on along the grassy track, ing to the left. Follow this left-hand path pass- Taiwan and south-east Asia.

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