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Walk 1

Around Budle Bay one evening

We were fortunate to be staying in the old mill on the edge of Budle Bay. This meant that it was easy to stroll out around the edge of the bay and round to Budle Point. On our first evening I walked out around the bay, the tide almost fully out, the sky grey. And then the sun dipped below the clouds and the light was fantastic. A wind was blowing and sand was running ahead of mean in an almost fluid manner. And then the sun set and it was spectacular.

Walk 2

Budle Bay->Bamburgh Castle->Monks House->Saddlershall->West Burton->Glororum->Laidley Worm's Trough->Spindlestones Heughs->Budle Bay

The walk round the coast to Bamburgh Castle was magical in the morning light and we enjoyed a good look round the castle which was renovated in Victorian times. From the castle we continued along the coast to Monks House. As we made our way south a pair of rainbows arced over the Farne Islands a short way out to sea. From Monks House we turned inland and the scenery became less interesting until we came to Laidley Worm's Trough. The Laidley worm was a dragon type beast who was infact the daughter of the king of Bamburgh who had been turned into a worm by his jealous second wife. The dragon terrorised the neighbourhood until a prince came to kill it but instead kissed it and returned the beast to its original form. The trough is now little more than a reedy patch beneath the vertical, rocky cliff of Splindlestones Heughs.

Walk 3

Howdiemont Sands->Rumbling Kern->Cullernose Point->Craster->Dunstanburgh Castle->Dunstan Steads->Dunstan Square->Dunstan->Craster Tower->Howick Hall->Sea Houses->Howdiemont Sands

We parked up at Howdiemont Sands and then walked along the beautiful and empty beaches past Rumbling Kern and then along the coastal path to Craster where we had an early lunch at the pub. Liz did some drawing and then we continued on to the spectacular Dunstanburgh Castle. The castle is in a wonderful state of delapidation and is worth a look round. From the castle we continued north for a while before turning inland where, once again, the scenery dried up. We enjoyed a nice cup of tea at Craster Tower garden centre and then continued on back to the car. Later we returned to the castle to take an evening photograph. It became very windy and rained heavily! Katie and Liz made a sculpture of stones on the beach.

Walk 4

Hill Forts Path, The Cheviots: Hethpool->Homestead Cairn->Laddie's Knowe->Ring Chesters->Elsdonburn->Little Hetha->Hethpool

This was our first experience of the Cheviots and we were charmed by there apparent remoteness. We were the only people on the hills! The weather was changeable with the odd hail storm but this produced some wonderful lighting on the distant hills. We took in three ancient hill forts on the route, the best of which was Ring Chesters with its clear main entrance through the ramparts. The hamlet of Hethpool is very beautiful and seemingly very remote, I should think they get cut off most winters!

Walk 5

Across the causeway to Holy Island, round the island and back.

We had checked the tide times to ensure we could walk across to Lindisfarne, take in the island and walk back and had hoped we could walk across the pilgrim's route, over the sands but we found that the tidal channels were still too deep so we had to walk along the road. We made it to the island and took in the priory, walked round the castle then round the whole island. We weren't very impressed. The place was heaving with tourists because the causeway is a good, wide road that had cars zooming along in and this meant the 'pilgrimage' required no effort. This somehow devalues places like this and it lacked the magic of a remote and isolated place where the journey of discovery is as much fun as the arriving.

Walk 6

Berwick Upon Tweed

We went to Berwick hoping it would be an interesting and cultural town but in fact, apart from the beautiful military buildings and the original bridges, the town seems quite run down with little in the way of art galleries, book shops or much else beyond the usual high-street stores.

Walk 7

More hill forts in the Cheviots: Wooler->Humbleton->Humbleton Hill Fort->Gleadscleugh->White Law->Yeavering Bell Hill Fort->Black Law->Kenterdale Hill->Wooler

Wooler is a lovely village on the edge of the Cheviots. It feels like the early '70s have never left this village and life seems slower and friendlier. There is an excellent little tea shop where we enjoyed fried egg baps and then set off on this excellent walk that takes in two of the best and largest hill forts in the area. The rock walls to both forts are still easily visible and the defensive ramparts are very impressive. The walk back along St Cuthbert's way is very nicely graded and the sun came out to warm our way home.