Driving north from Tynemouth Baths, the coach wipers were going all the time.  This doesn’t look good I thought, although the Met Office forecast was dull but dry.  Around the Morpeth area, Charles advised that the northern edge of the rain cloud was around Alnwick and moving south so it should be dry when we got off the coach.  Sure enough he was correct as we left the coach just before Littlemill plantation  on the B1339.  I led our group of 10 down a minor road to the right, past Craster West Farm towards Craster Tower.  While there was some traffic it was very light.  Just before the tower we turned right, passing Craster South Farm and then we turned left (NE) into a grassy field.  The grass was short and the walking easy as we headed downhill towards a row of trees.  Entering the wood brought us into a dene and we went down through the dene for a short distance until we came to a car park and the toilets.  After leaving the toilets, we headed for the harbour where we stopped for our morning break although several members of the group made a detour to buy some kippers.

On our way again, we headed N along the Northumberland Coastal Path (NCP) towards Dunstanburgh Castle.  Although now a ruin with only the gatehouse and some of the nearby wall remaining to any great height, it is still a significant structure.  Approaching the castle, we stopped for a group photo and then we walked around the west wall of the castle.   After passing the rocks of Rumble Churn, we left the NCP to head through a very short stretch of dunes, across the smooth rounded rocks and onto the southern end of Embleton Beach.  Although still overcast, the sky was lightening somewhat at this point and the temperature was not bad for December.  Halfway up the beach we arrived at the Embleton Burn flowing into the sea.  While aware that we could cross the burn by heading slightly inland to the edge of the golf course, I felt that near the sea, the burn was so spread out across the sand that, with care, we could cross without getting wet feet and so it proved.  Continuing N, we passed the rocks of Jenny Bells Carr and then entered Newton Haven.  The hamlet of Low Newton was in view and we made our way there where we met with Ann Brown’s group who were already having lunch. either sitting on a wall or on one of the seats.  This was also to be our lunch stop.

After lunch we headed for the road out of the hamlet and after a short distance we turned through a gate onto the NCP and headed for Newton Point.  The sky was now decidedly lighter and the flat sea was reflecting this.  We then left the path again, dropping down slightly onto the sands of Football Hole.  As someone commented, this beach of mainly firm sand dropped fairly sharply into the sea.  At the far end of the beach we climbed a path through the dunes to the Snook.  This gave us our first distant glimpse of our destination, Beadnell, with the dark finger of the west facing harbour just evident in the distance.  Dropping back down onto the beach of Beadnell Bay, we headed NNW along the firm sand until we arrived at The Long Nanny, another burn flowing across the sand into the sea.  Do we detour to the bridge or, based on our experience with the Embleton Burn, go for a plodge.  Well, we went for a plodge and although  the depth of water was slightly greater than the Embleton Burn, we all made it OK although Mary ended up with one slightly wet foot.  Once over The Long Nanny/Tughall Burn we made our way to the west facing Beadnell harbour which was unusually deserted with only one boat moored.   After a 10 min stop sitting in the harbour seats, we made our way along the road overlooking the sea before cutting inland to finish at the Craster Arms.

As ever, an enjoyable walk up the Northumberland coast in reasonable while not great weather.  However, we did see some hints of sun while passing through Beadnell.