The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 11.6 miles (18.7 km)
Time to walk: Roughly 4.5 hours continuous walking, although there’s plenty to see. & stop to explore. Several wonderful coastal villages & amazing beaches to spend some time on
Difficulty: Mainly across well-marked coastal paths, a few stiles & lots of beach walking at the end
Dog Friendly?: A mixture of on & off-lead walking. There are lots of reserves with ground nesting birds where signs tell you you must keep dogs on a lead
Parking: Carefully & considerately on the road in Embleton
Postcode: Embleton on street parking: NN66 3UN
What.3.words: swooning.dumpling.relieves
Public toilets: Various pubs etc plus public loos in some of the villages
Map of the route:
This is a linear walk from Embleton near Dunstanburgh Castle along the English Coast Path & some of St Oswald’s Path to Bamburgh Castle. This walk in beautiful Northumberland is simply stunning & also shows off some of the best beaches in the country
Return journey is by local bus either No 418 or X18
Embleton village has a main street with one shop. There is a small green with the village pump on it, out of use now but at one time the source of the water supply. Close to the Church is a ‘Peel Tower’. Tradition states that in 1395, the tower was built to protect the minister & parishioners of Embleton’s Church of the Holy Trinity after the village suffered from a raid by the Scots. There are many such towers in the north of England near the border with Scotland
It’s perhaps more famous for the amazing Embleton Bay, a gloriously wide sandy beach that seems to stretch for miles into the distance. The majestic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle provide the dramatic backdrop to this beautiful bay. We’ll see this almost from the start of this walk & for quite a time into it
Let’s Walk!
1. Embleton only has one main street so this walk starts near the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel which is a fine place for some refreshments at the end of the walk.
With the hotel on your left walk up the hill &, at the crest, you get your first view of the sea…
…& to the right is Dunstanburgh Castle
2. Walk down the hill & take the small footpath on the left by the road as this is a really busy little lane, even though it’s a dead end at the golf club…
At the bottom is Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club. Wrapping itself around this magnificent stretch of coastline, & designed by James Braid, the course has been voted in the Top 100 in the country. The bar & restaurant is also open to the general public & is used by many walkers
3. Be careful walking along this next stretch & stand still whilst golfers play their tee shots. Walk straight ahead along the track…
Ignore the small bridge across the creek & bear left along the sandy track
4. Keep following the track as it bends right…
…looking out for a marker post indicating a small path on the left that heads up the hill
5. However this is an opportunity, before heading up the hill, to visit stunning Embleton beach by continuing along the existing path & we highly recommend doing so…
At the far right end are the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, a 14th century fortification built by Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster between 1313 & 1322, taking advantage of the site’s natural defences & the existing earthworks of an Iron Age fort
Thomas was a leader of a baronial faction opposed to King Edward II, & probably intended Dunstanburgh to act as a secure refuge, should the political situation in southern England deteriorate. He probably only visited his new castle once, before being captured at the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322 as he attempted to flee royal forces for the safety of Dunstanburgh. Thomas was executed, & the castle became the property of the Crown before passing into the Duchy of Lancaster
Dunstanburgh’s defences were expanded in the 1380s by John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, in the light of the threat from Scotland & the peasant uprisings of 1381. The castle was maintained in the 15th century by the Crown, & formed a strategic northern stronghold in the region during the Wars of the Roses, changing hands between the rival Lancastrian & Yorkist factions several times. The fortress never recovered from the sieges of these campaigns, & by the 16th century, it had fallen into decay. King James I finally sold the property off into private ownership in 1604
To read more about the castle we visit it on Walk 209 Craster & Dunstanburgh Circular at this link
6. If you’ve been on the beach return to the path up the hill & the steps to reach the top…
Once at the top you’re skirting around the golf course again, so follow the well-marked path which passes some wooden lodges. These apparently have no electricity or toilet facilities
7. Don’t forget to keep looking behind you as the views back across Embleton Beach to Dunstanburgh Castle are quite spectacular…
At the junction, ignore the sign to the beach on the right & bear left
8. Eventually you’ll arrive at a signpost. Bear right to continue to follow the Coastal Path…
Pass more cottages & then, on the left, you’ll come to Newton Pool Nature Reserve which is owned by the National Trust & has one viewing hide
9. Follow the lane up & into Low Newton by the Sea…
Low Newton is a small fishing village, almost completely owned by the National Trust. The curving beach & open-ended grass square surrounded by cream washed cottages is nothing short of picturesque
Known locally simply as ‘Low Newton,’ the village is considered by many to be one of the most attractive villages on the Northumberland coast
In the centre of the square is The Ship Inn (originally known as the Smack Inn) which is a popular & friendly pub. Because it’s tucked out of the way off the beaten track Low Newton beach can often be found almost empty in the off season
10. Bear left up the road…
The route lies through a gate on your right, but just walk a few more yards up the hill to find a gem… the ‘Tin Church’
11. The unusual St Mary’s Church was built around 1870 & is a charming “tin tabernacle” bought in kit form. Go inside & admire how the corrugated iron exterior conceals a beautiful, warm, wood-lined interior
The church was originally erected as a Mission Room when the population of the village was around 200. In its early years the church was also used as a Village Hall & the Women’s Institute
Walk back down the road & pass through the gate
12. For the next stretch of this walk we’re simply going to follow the peninsular path so stick to the coastline & pass through another kissing gate…
Pass the old MOD station
13. When we did this walk in May 2026 the wild flowers were incredible…
Now the walk approaches one of the best beaches on this walk…’Football Hole’ &, because you have to walk to get to it, it’s normally very quiet
This seriously is one of the best beaches we’ve come across in this country. Secluded, calm & just stunning. Local folklore & historians suggest that the name comes from when traditional, sometimes rowdy, football matches were played on the grassy fields & links directly above the beach
Another popular local theory suggests the cove resembles the shape of the landscape after an enormous football had been kicked into the cliff, creating a large dent or hollow
14. Continue ahead & then the path turns left down towards a property…
At the end pass through the gate on the right
15. You’re now entering another National Trust owned reserve, Newton Links, & signs tell you, like much of this walk, dogs must be kept on leads. The grassy path is easy to spot & follows the expansive Beadnell Bay…
Pass over a stile & look to the right to see a small building. This site is called ‘Long Nanny’ &, in spring, is a really important breeding site for Artic & Little Terns. It attracts visitors from all over the country
16. Leave Newton Links by crossing the wonderful bridge over the water…
The view down to the sea is well worth admiring
17. You’re now walking through Tughall Mill Links which the National Trust bought from the Duke of Northumberland for £1.5m in 2017
Exit the reserve through the gate & enter the caravan site on the edge of Beadnell. Again the route through it is well marked, but basically you just follow the road
18. On reaching the junction continue straight ahead…
Beadnell has the only west-facing harbour entrance on the east coast of England. The town is a tourist base, consisting largely of holiday homes, with some small-scale fishing. The parish church is the Anglican Church of St. Ebba (named after Saint Æbbe the Elder, founder of abbeys & daughter of King Æthelfrith), built in the 18th century as a chapel & rebuilt in 1860
A 16th century pele tower remains as part of the public house The Craster Arms
Near the harbour are historic limekilns dating from 1747, which were later used for curing herring. They are now owned by the National Trust
19. Follow the road, ignoring footpath signs, as it turns left & then winds along the coastline. Where it splits turn right along the shops & then look for a signpost on the right leading you along a parallel path by the coast fence again
After a few yards turn right through the gate & just follow the track…
And now there’s another beautiful beach to walk beside on St Oswald’s Path
20. When you reach the modern house you need to turn left just before it & exit through the gate, walk on the hard path for a few yards, & then come back onto the coast path on the other side
And now you’re back alongside the beach again
21. The village you can now see ahead of you is Seahouses & your next stop! The coastal path eventually reaches another creek, on the far side of which is Seahouses Golf Course…
Turn left up to the road & bear right along the roadside path to arrive at the entrance to Seahouses Golf Club. This is another wonderful facility that’s open to the general public
22. Turn right at the signpost & follow the road & then pass through the gate onto the golf course…
Look ahead & you’ll see lots of marker posts showing you the path to stick to walking up the hill. You’re walking on a golf course so look out for stray balls & please stand still & respect the golfers if they’re playing their shots
23. At the back of the green turn left & exit the course through the gate…
The views on this coastline are just stunning. There are many boats taking tourists to the nearby Farne Islands
As well as them being famous for breeding birds, including puffins, the islands are associated with the story of Grace Darling & the wreck of the ‘Forfarshire’. When we get to Bamburgh we’ll revisit this amazing story
24. This a great way to enter the well-known village of Seahouses & around the corner is the harbour…
Seahouses began in the 18th century as a coastal, purpose-built fishing offshoot of the inland village of North Sunderland. In the 1790s the area grew when an inner harbour & large lime kilns were constructed. Limestone, quarried nearby, was layered with local coal to produce quicklime, which was then shipped from the harbour
As the fishing industry expanded, small cottages, or “sea houses” were built directly on the coast. By the 19th century, with the help of investments from Lord Crewe’s Charity, the harbour was expanded (officially opening in 1889) & the two settlements merged into what is known today as Seahouses. During the late 19th & early 20th centuries, Seahouses became a booming centre for the herring fishery, with its harbour packed with boats from all over the UK during the summer curing season
At the corner bear right pass the whale bone jaw. These bones were thought to have been discovered in the 19th century & originally to have been erected here around 1938
25. Continue past the Farne Island booking offices & the lifeboat station…
At the top of the hill over the road, near the entrance to the car park, are some public toilets. The car park was once the railway station which was built to connect the village with the East Coast Main Line at Chathill. This allowed tourists to easily reach the coast & gave locals a fast way to transport fresh fish
26. Now…if you fancy a chip shop stop turn left but, to carry on this walk, turn right along the coast once more
Continue through the dunes until you meet a crossroads with the marker in the picture below…
27. Bear right down onto the amazing beach, take off your shoes & let’s paddle…
This beach, although you will need to pop your shoes back on to climb over a few rocky parts, is just sensational…
28. Now it’s full walking ahead to Bamburgh Castle so just past it bear left up through the dunes…
…& welcome to beautiful Bamburgh & it’s huge castle.
The site now occupied by Bamburgh Castle was previously home to a fort of the Celtic Britons & may have been the capital of the Kingdom of Bernicia, the realm of the Gododdin people, from the realm’s foundation in c420 until 547, the year of the first written reference to the castle
The late medieval village began to develop near the castle. During the dissolution of the monasteries the property of the friars, including the castle, was seized on behalf of Henry VIII
That’s the end of the walk, but earlier we mentioned Grace Darling. Wander up to the church to continue the story.
Grace Darling was born on 24 November 1815 at her grandfather’s house in Northumberland. She was the seventh of nine children &, when only a few weeks old, she was taken to live on Brownsman Island, one of the Farne Islands, in a small cottage attached to the lighthouse. Her father ran the lighthouse (built in 1795) for Trinity House. In 1826, the family moved to the newly constructed lighthouse on Longstone Island
Her tomb is in the church…
In the early hours of 7 September 1838, Darling, looking from an upstairs window, spotted the wreck & survivors of the Forfarshire on Big Harcar, a nearby low, rocky island. The Forfarshire had foundered on the rocks & broken in half; one of the halves had sunk during the night
Darling and her father, William, determined that the weather was too rough for the lifeboat to put out from Seahouses, so they took a rowing boat across to the survivors, taking a long route. Darling kept the coble steady in the water, while her father helped four men & the lone surviving woman into the boat. William & three of the rescued men then rowed the boat back to the lighthouse. Darling then remained at the lighthouse while William & three of the rescued crew members rowed back & recovered four more survivors
Look for the memorial in the churchyard. It was built high up so returning sailors could see it from the sea
As news of her role in the rescue reached the public, her combination of bravery & simple virtue set her out as exemplary, & led to an uneasy role as the nation’s heroine. Grace & her father were awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, later named the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
So that’s a fitting way to end this linear walk & what a walk it’s been with something for everyone, gorgeous castles, well-marked paths, lovely towns & oh…those beaches
If you’re in Northumberland it’s definitely one to do & I could the 418 or X418 bus back to Embleton
Go Walk!