6 Of The Best Northumberland Coast Walks
With long sandy beaches backed by grassy dunes, mighty medieval castles and wildlife-rich nature reserves, the Northumberland coast is a hotspot for walking holidays. This gorgeous area has been designated a National Landscape and has the Northumberland Coast Path running along much of its length, covering the 62 miles (100 km) from Cresswell in the south to Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is as close to Scotland as you can be while still standing on English soil.
Dogs are welcome on most beaches, but please keep them on a lead when walking through the sand dunes when ground-nesting birds may be roosting in late spring, and when approaching livestock and other wildlife.
Ready to get rambling? We've gathered some suggestions for breaking up the scenic Northumberland Coast Path into shorter segments for easy family walks. If you’re looking for overnight stops along the way, take a look at Pitchup's outdoor accommodation – there are plenty of options near the Northumberland coast, so you’ll never be too far from a seafront hike.
Browse all Northumberland campsites
Cresswell to Amble
Gorgeous sandy beach with dunes, nature reserves and harbour dining
Distance: 8 miles/13 km
Difficulty: Easy
Start point: Cresswell NE61 5EH, at the southern tip of Druridge Bay. Parking is very limited in the village.
Refreshments: Café and an ice-cream shop in Cresswell
If you’re going to tackle the Northumberland Coast Path, you might as well start at the beginning: the small village of Cresswell.
Walk along the expansive golden crescent of Druridge Bay, fringed by sand dunes, checking out the wading birds and wildfowl at nature reserves Cresswell Pond and Druridge Pools along the way. But the real prize for keen birdwatchers lies further ahead, at Hauxley, where you might spot curlews, lapwings and redshanks as well as otters and stoats. Stop by the visitor hub at Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre for information on the area and a decent cup of coffee in The Lookout Café.
Push on to the aptly named coastal village of Amble for fish and chips and a pint in one of several pubs by the harbour. If you have time before the return walk to Cresswell, take the hour-long cruise from Amble to the nearby Coquet Island Seabird Sanctuary to see Roseate terns and puffins nesting.
Howick to Embleton
Family-friendly walk with rockpools and views of Dunstanburgh Castle
Distance: 6.25 miles/10 km loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Start point: Howick Hall, NE66 3LB
Refreshments: Pub with sea views in Craster
There’s plenty of Northumberland heritage to see on this circular section of the coastal walk. Start your day with a look around Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum – once home to Earl Grey, Prime Minister in the 1830s – before following Howick Burn to the coastal path, which runs along a rugged stretch of shore with tidal rockpools and caves to explore. Stock up on the renowned local kippers at the fishmonger and smokehouse in the village of Craster, where there’s also a seaside pub, and then return to the coast path heading north.
The ruins of 14th-century Dunstanburgh Castle soon hove into view on a rocky outcrop. Take a moment to admire the forbidding stone walls, the wave-battered coast below and the wading birds that make their home on the cliffs.
After this dramatic landscape comes Embleton Bay, a vast expanse of golden sand backed by vegetation-covered dunes. Take off your hiking boots and have a paddle before returning to Howick across farm fields.
Beadnell Bay to Bamburgh Castle
Coast-and-castle walk with sand dunes and birdwatching
Distance: 7.25 miles/11.5 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Start point: Beadnell Bay car park, NE67 5EE
Refreshments: Clock Tower Café and Tack Room Takeaway at Bamburgh Castle
This easy walking route takes you from Beadnell Bay’s sandy beach along St Oswald’s Way coastal path (with a little detour to the ancient chapel relics on the rocky spur of Ebb’s Nook) to Annstead Dunes, a nature reserve where a small team of Exmoor ponies grazes away to keep the shrubby vegetation in check.
Birdwatchers might take a break at the coastal village of Seahouses to join a cruise around the Farne Islands, with their colonies of puffins, guillemots and grey seals. Otherwise continue your hike past the sandy beach north of Seahouses, with its grassy dunes and rockpools, until you reach Bamburgh Beach.
The huge bulk of Bamburgh Castle dominates the northern end of this wide expanse of flat sand. With coastal views and medieval displays, including an armoury, this Norman stronghold is more than worth a stop.
The Pilgrim's Way, Holy Island
Circular route with beaches, gardens, a priory and castle
Distance: 7-mile/11.25-km loop
Difficulty: Easy (but be careful of tide times)
Start point: Small layby by the Lindisfarne Causeway, TD15 2PB
Refreshments: Takeaway seafood shacks, cafés and pubs on Lindisfarne
The Pilgrim’s Way forms a short section of the Northumberland Coast Path. Keep an eye on tide times for this circular walk to Holy Island, as it’s cut off from the mainland when the sea comes in.
From the layby at the end of the causeway, stroll through the grassy dunes to the island’s north shore past sandy beaches, rocky headlands and tidal pools.
Take a breather at Emmanuel Head’s white pyramid (a navigational aid), then walk down the east coast towards 16th-century Lindisfarne Castle, high on a rocky outcrop, stopping at the colourful Gertrude Jekyll Garden en route. Then it’s on to the atmospheric medieval ruins of Lindisfarne Priory, before heading back to the mainland and your car.
Cheswick Sands to Berwick-upon-Tweed, 4.9 miles
Family-friendly walk with fossil hunting and sea safaris
Distance: 5 miles/8 km
Difficulty: Easy
Start point: Cheswick Sands car park, TD15 2RW
Refreshments: Basics shop and a brewery behind the prom at Spittal Beach, and plenty of services in Berwick-upon-Tweed
Cheswick Sands’ grassy dunes and tidal pools will keep the kids entertained while you soak up the views of both your destination of Berwick-upon-Tweed and Holy Island behind you.
Move on to Cocklawburn Beach to go fossil hunting among the flat limestone shelves, then keep walking along the clifftop path to Spittal Beach. Here, a paved promenade stretches all the way to Berwick-upon-Tweed’s harbour.
Give your feet a rest with a sightseeing boat tour that takes in this border town’s castle ruins, Elizabethan walls and bridges, or embark on a sea safari out onto the Tweed Estuary looking for birds, seals and the occasional dolphin.
Around St. Mary’s Island
Rockpools and seals, plus a climb up a lighthouse
Distance: 6.6 miles/10.5 km
Difficulty: Easy
Start point: Seaton Sluice car park, NE26 4HT
Refreshments: Several pubs and cafés in Collywell Bay
A cheeky addition to a list of Northumberland coastal routes, this walk actually heads over the border into Tyne and Wear. Starting off at Seaton Sluice harbour, it follows the clifftop coast path around Collywell Bay to the short causeway leading to St Mary’s Island. Cut off from the mainland only at high tide, the walkway is surrounded all year by a teeming bird life of oystercatchers, golden plovers and curlews congregating in seaweed-strewn rockpools at low tide.
Once on the rocky islet, climb the 1898 lighthouse for far-reaching coastal views, and pop into its enticing gift shop to see exhibits on the surrounding nature reserve, which is home to seabirds and grey seals. A viewing hide on the seaward side of the lighthouse looks over rocks where grey seals can often be seen basking in the sun. From there, retrace your steps back along the cliffs to Seaton.
If you’re looking for more things to do in the region, read Pitchup's series of expert guide to North East England, along with detailed information on what to expect in Northumberland National Park.
With so much ground to cover along the diverse Northumberland coast – and so many top things to see and do, you’ll want to spend at least a few days in the region. Browse our list of camping and glamping sites, holiday parks and touring parks to find the right base for your walking holiday; Pitchup has plenty of options at wallet-friendly prices.