Northumberland Coastal Walks

Cheswick Beach on the Northumberland Coast
This photo was taken before Coronavirus. It’s probably even emptier now!

Northumberland has some of the best coastal scenery in England and there are dozens of Northumberland Coastal Walks to enjoy.

The Northumberland Coast Path stretches for 100 kilometres or 62 miles from the golden sands at Cresswell in the south to the historic border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north. Designated as an area of natural beauty, the route passes spectacular coastal scenery, cliff-top viewpoints and some of the country’s top beaches which are usually clean and uncrowded. Highlights along the way include the fishing harbour and marina at Amble, never-ending sandy beaches near Alnmouth, quaint cottages at Craster, the rugged cliffs at Dustanburgh Castle, various coastal golf courses and holiday resorts, Beadnell Bay Bird Sanctuary, Seahouses Harbour from where you can catch boat trips to the Farne islands, spectacular Bamburgh Castle, deserted Rock Sands Beach, historic Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle and Priory, stunning Cocklawburn Beach and popular Spittal Beach.

Apart from the official Northumberland Coast Path there are other stretches of beach and scenic coastline at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Seaton Sluice, Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear and continuing south as far as Sunderland and on towards the Durham Heritage Coast.

You are likely to see plenty of bird life and maybe an occasional seal while enjoying the fresh sea air. The weather is frequently blustery and cold but quite often sunny. Hardy swimmers and surfers take to the chilly waters of the North Sea during the summer months when the more easily accessible beaches are popular with paddling families and sunbathers.

My intention is to walk the entire coast from the Scottish border down as far as South Shields and beyond, dividing the coast up into short day hikes where I park the car and walk ‘there and back’ or in a circular route. Here are some of the stages I completed before the coronavirus lockdown began. I will write about each stage in future blog posts and provide links to nearby attractions.

Northernmost Point in England Walk

Berwick Beach Walk
Spittal to Cocklawburn Beach Walk
Cocklawburn Beach to Cheswick Beach Walk
Cheswick Beach to Goswick Walk
Holy Island Circular Walk
Ross Back Sands Beach Walk
Bamburgh Beach Walk
Beadnell Short Walk

I’ll add new sections as I complete the remaining stages once life returns to normal. I can’t promise I’ll cover every single inch of the Northeast coastline but I’ll try to include the most scenic parts.

2 thoughts on “Northumberland Coastal Walks”

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