St Oswald's Way 15

Golfer's bridge, Warkworth golf club.

One of the nicest days of the summer made this walk special. As we had friends with us we left one car at Alnmouth and the other near Warkworth giving a linear walk for a change. The whole of this section of St Oswald's Way passes through designated sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These take in the sea shore and beach, with the dunes and salt marshes behind. The southernmost SSSI, Warkworth Dunes and Saltmarsh stretches from the Coquet estuary at Amble northwards to Birling village. The middle SSSI named Northumberland Shore includes Birling Carrs, a small rocky headland which divides the beaches of Warkworth and Alnmouth. The furthest north, Alnmouth Salt Marsh and Dunes finishes at Alnmouth, and gives great views of the stunning salt marsh round the estuary of the river Aln.



We shared the first part of the walk with Warkworth 9-hole golf club, on Birling Links. Links, a Scottish word meaning coastal sand dunes, has become synonymous with coastal golf courses. They attract golfers because low accurate shots are needed to cope with the windy conditions. However walkers and golfers make uneasy bedfellows whether the balls are low or high, and we left the golf course with relief when the right of way turned under a pretty wooden bridge 'linking' the greens at the northern end.

Birling Carrs rocks

Walking past Birling Carrs the tide was out, and many terns were diving in the sea. About 15 ducks clustered on one of the rocks. We pondered their identity - were they eiders? In breeding plumage the male eider is unmistakable, a large, mainly black and white duck with beautiful green neck markings and a creamy-pink breast. Although the right shape and size, these ducks were disappointingly brown. A few sported white patches. However female and juvenile male eiders are brown, and white patches (on the wing) signify mature males in 'eclipse'. This happens in July and August, when the birds moult and are temporarily flightless.


Coquet island in the distance

The next part of the walk was a lazy ramble along the superb Alnmouth Bay beach, backed by dunes. The tough marram grass helps to keep these dunes from disintegrating. Resolve crumbled as we stopped many times to enjoy he summer's day. The nature reserve of Coquet Island beckoned invitingly to the south-east, another day's goal. When they were little our children called this Coconut Island, the destination of Allan Ahlberg's Master Salt the Sailor's Son.



Sea aster

Tearing ourselves away from the beach we turned inland to the salt marshes round the estuary of the Aln, The marshes are covered at high tide, and the conditions favour a distinct micro-ecology. That afternoon they were covered in sea asters and glasswort. The latter is a kind of edible samphire, which tastes like a cross between salty spinach and asparagus. Mmm. (No I didn't eat any but I have done in Cumbria.) The estuary attracts waders - there were many oystercatchers, and excitingly a flock of redshanks, which took off and wheeled low over the marsh before landing on the water's edge to feed on cockles, marine snails and other marine life. A cooperation between farmers and government has seen the dismantling of farmer's walls built to protect the fields from the tide, and the expansion of the marsh. The results are one of the most precious habitats on the coast. This is the biggest salt marsh between the Berwick and the Tees estuary.

The village of Alnmouth looks beautiful in the sun from the path round the estuary, and Tim couldn't walk past the pub courtyard serving tea and cakes. What a great way to end the day.




Alnmouth village