Route: Howick Hall Gardens and Rumbling Kern
Area: Northumberland
Date of walk: 19th March 2020
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.7 miles
Ascent: 400 feet
Weather: Mostly sunny
Howick Hall has been the ancestral home of the Earls Grey (of Earl Grey tea fame) since 1319. The Hall itself is not open to the public, since a disastrous fire in 1926 completely destroyed the interior. The grounds surrounding the Hall are superb and comprise two separate areas – the Gardens and the Arboretum
The Gardens were developed between 1920 and 2001 and are mainly informal, and the Arboretum was opened in 2006 by Roy Lancaster and covers 65 acres. The majority of the trees and shrubs (around 12,000 in all) have been grown from seed collected in the wild from earlier expeditions to remote parts of the world
We started today’s walk from our rented holiday accommodation, the Bathing House, part of the Howick Estate, and set in a wonderful position on the cliff top overlooking the sea. For anyone else following this walk, it may be started just as conveniently from one of the parking spaces near Seahouses Farm, or from Howick Hall itself. Whatever route is chosen it’s important to walk anti-clockwise, as there is no access to the Hall if approached from the coastal path
After leaving the cottage we followed the track and then the lane leading to Howick Hall and its gardens (an entry fee is payable). A map of the grounds is available at the entrance, and we walked around the formal and informal areas. Even at this early time in the season there was plenty of interest and colour, including snowdrops, daffodils and rhododendron
We then followed the ‘Long Walk’ beside Howick Burn as it wends its way down a wooded valley to the sea. We left the arboretum via a one-way gate (hence the reason for walking the route in an anti-clockwise direction). From here it was a short stroll to the coastline. We turned left and followed the coast path back to the Bathing House, passing by several sandy coves along the way, to end a superb walk
For an alternative longer route including Craster in the circuit click here, and for a shorter walk around the gardens click here
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
The Bathing House, our temporary base this week - anyone not staying here may start the walk from nearby Howick Hall
Looking back to the Bathing House - there are some parking spaces to the right of this gate, another possible starting point
Entrance to Howick Hall
We visit the walled garden
A sensory garden created by the local National Autistic Society, and designed for the benefit of children with autism
We wander around the West Arboretum...
Howick Hall
Views from the daffodil bank...
We follow a path down to Howick Hall
View from the circular pond at the front of the hall
We walk away from the hall and head for the coast
A short diversion to St. Michael’s and All Angels Church
We enter the East Arboretum and follow 'The Long Walk' to the sea
The walk follows the meandering course of Howick Burn, crossing it a couple of times along the way
Howick Burn
More pictures as we continue down The Long Walk...
From here we leave the gardens via a one-way revolving gate - there is no turning back beyond it
The coast lies just beyond the gate, and we turn north to follow the coastal path back to the start
We pass by the small beach at Howick Haven
The small cove at Rumbling Kern, and the Bathing House beyond it...
Looking back over Rumbling Kern
Journey's end
Later that day, sunset over Rumbling Kern...
...and a sky full of stars above the Bathing House a few hours later...
A wonderful end to the day
