Description
Craster and Howick
This is a lovely 6 mile walk around Craster and Howick. It starts at the Craster Quarry Car Park next to the Tourist Information Centre.
Details
| Hills: |  |
No hills |
| Distance: |  |
Short to medium distance |
| Grade: |  |
Easy |
| Map: |  |
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| This walk is on map 332 Alnwick & Amble. Click on map image to buy this map. | ||
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The start – Nature Reserve
We leave the starting point and take a path through the Arnold Memorial Nature Reserve, on the way to Craster South Farm. On the right we will see Craster Tower, if it wasn’t for the woods around it that is. This is a 18th-century Georgian mansion incorporating a 14th-century pele tower.
Hips Heugh
Continuing on we reach Hips Heugh. This is an outcrop of Whin Sill. The same stuff that Hadrians Wall is built on and that High Force flows over. It has its own trig point, as it is the highest point in the immediate surrounding area.
Howick Hall
The path skirts along the outside of Howick Hall Gardens. For those that didn’t come along to our walk in the gardens last year, Howick Hall was the family home of Earl Grey. This is the Earl Grey of tea fame. The Grey family lived there from 1782 until 1973, when the 5th Earl died. It is currently the home of Lord Howick. The hall itself is not open to visitors but the gardens are and there is plenty to do, including taking tea (Earl Grey maybe) in the tea house. That’s a walk for another day. We need to get on.
Sugar Sands and Rumbling Kern
We follow the road down towards the coast and to a couple of the most secluded beaches in Northumberland. Firstly, Sugar Sands. This is a favourite of many visitors here. On a sunny day this has Mediterranean feel, owing to the white sand that gives it its name and the rock outcrops. We will take the opportunity to stop for a small snack to admire the view and watch the many seabirds.
The second is a place called Rumbling Kern. An odd name for a small beach. It is said to have been a favourite for whisky smugglers in the day. It is a sheltered beach between inward facing cliffs. This makes it a very secluded and peaceful place to spend an afternoon.
The Bathing House
On the way back to Craster we pass The Bathing House. It was built in the 19th Century for Earl Grey, to provide a location for the family to go bathing in the sea. It is now a holiday let.
Craster
From here we will continue along the Coastal Path back to Craster. Craster is famous for kippers. When we get back to the starting point we might be able to purchase a famous Kipper Bun from the Pipers Pitch van, at the Tourist Information Centre.
Craster is said to be named after the family who held the Estate in the 13th century. Although, there is some debate about the name. It is a gorgeous example of a Northumberland fishing harbour and is, in our opinion, one of the most picturesque places on the Northumberland coast.
Hope to see you there,
Julie and Martin x
Gallery – Craster and Howick
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