Craster, Embleton Bay and Dunstanburgh Castle

Along the coast are the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. It was built on the instruction of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster in 1313, but he was executed a few years later. John of Gaunt prepared the castle for the Border Wars, and built another gateway in 1380. During the Wars of the Roses, the castle was a Lancastrian stronghold. But from the mid-1400's, it was redundant and was, in total, used for only 140 years. Now all that is left are the dramatic ruins and a number of ghostly legends.

An old whinstone quarry is now Craster's car park and the starting point of the walk. At the top end of the car park, the quarry face is now the home to gulls. Thew first part of the walk passes the Heughs, a line of gorse covered whinstone hills on the seaward side, and cornfields inland.

After Dunstan Square Farm, the route is along a quiet, open lane between the cornfields. On the left, just after a pine plantation, and looking curiously out of place, is a World War II pillbox, a gun emplacement made from concrete filled sandbags. From the lane, there are tantalising glimpses of the sea at Embleton Bay, and the towers of Dunstanburgh Castle.

The route passes through the farmyard of Dunstan Steads Farm and afterwards a lane leads to the extensive sand dunes behind Embleton Bay. This is a conservation area owned by the National Trust. In summer, bloody cranesbill can be spotted, and the scrambling thorn bushes of burnet rose. The long, sandy beach of Embleton Bay marks the halfway point of the walk and the ideal spot for a picnic if conditions are right.

At the end of the beach, the sand gives way to rounded boulders of grey dolerite Here, the coastal path passes Greymare Rock, a distinct saddle shaped lump of limestone. Next to Greymare Rock is Rumble Churn, aptly name as the sound of crashing waves below Dunstanburgh Castle rumble in the natural amphitheatre.

As well as the rumble of the waves and the sea, the shrieks of hundreds of sea birds fills the air. They cover the face of Gull Crag below the castle. There are kittiwakes, fulmars, guillemots and shags. Sometimes puffins too. The top half of Gull Crag is dolerite, and below there is sandstone and shale. After the drama of the scene, the walk climbs past the east edge of Dunstanburgh Castle which can be visited. Afterwards, it is a lovely stroll along the coastal path southwards back to Craster.

See my extended walk of Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle, including the village of Embleton..