Route: Dunstanburgh Castle
Area: Northumberland
Date of walk: 28th March 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 6.2 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny – extremely windy
Ancient Dunstanburgh Castle cannot be reached by car, which is good, and is best approached on foot from the small fishing village of Craster. We parked in the public car park just outside the village and walked down to the harbour
The castle is cared for by English Heritage, and stands on a remote headland in Northumberland. It was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become openly hostile. Lancaster began the fortress in 1313, and the latest archaeological research indicates that he built it on a far grander scale than was originally recognised, perhaps more as a symbol of his opposition to the king than as a military stronghold.
The castle was in full view as we walked along the coastal path and the views ahead were awesome. When we arrived there it was blowing a gale, and it was hard to stand up at times. We walked round the ruins for a while, before carrying on along the path towards Embleton Bay. The views of the bay were the second highlight of this walk
After dipping our boots in the sea we walked inland and returned over agricultural land, revisiting Craster to buy some of the local delicacy – Craster Kippers
What a great walk!
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
We parked just outside the little fishing village of Craster
The harbour
Dunstanburgh Castle can be seen from the harbour
Lobster pots
This wonderful view of Dunstanburgh Castle is ahead of us as we walk along the coastal path out of Craster
Very strong winds made it hard to hold the camera steady at times
Inside the castle grounds
Looking through one of the windows to the Lilburn Tower
The Lilburn Tower again
The sands of Embleton Bay ahead - these will be the far point of our walk
Castle Point
The path skirts round the local golf course
Hard to concentrate on your putting with a view like this to distract you
Looking back to the castle
Embleton Bay
The beach continues for another mile or so, and we were reluctant to head inland
Another view of the castle, from Dunstan Heads on the start of the return leg across the fields
Back in Craster, we bought some of the local delicacy - smoked kippers
