You’ll start in the picturesque village of Alnmouth – known as the Toberbmory of Northumberland thanks to its brightly painted houses.

Head south of the Aln Estuary to join St Oswald’s Way and the Northumberland Coast Path for a wilderness walk on a deserted stretch of beach that runs all the way from Alnmouth to Warkworth.

This entire route is a birdwatchers’ paradise, with the sound of seabirds filling the skies and Arctic terns diving in the shallow waters for fish. Away from the beach you’ll find dunes bursting with wild flowers, including cowslips and harebells. The whole area falls within the Northumberland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the dune grassland backing on to Alnmouth Bay has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The walk ends in the red-roofed village of Warkworth, which is overlooked by the impressive remains of its medieval castle that sits on the hilltop above the River Coquet.

This route was voted 55th in a 2017 ITV poll to find Britain’s Favourite Walk.


TOG VERDICT:
A classic Northumberland mixture of rugged coast, secluded beach, birdlife, plantlife and – of course – a magnificent castle.