Michael

Embleton - Low Newton by the Sea - High Newton by the Sea - Embleton - Spitalford - Dunstan Steads - Scrog Hill - Dunstanburgh Castle - Embleton

Warm sunny start. Cloudy and windy later.

Michael, Michelle, Ron, Sandy, Ashley.

Bernie - in Jersey

George and Evelyn - in Perthshire

We walked down past the Golf Club (avoiding the bacon sandwich temptation) and over the tricky stream crossing to get to the sand dunes. This was a great walk, along the dunes between the holiday homes with a fabulous view south down Embleton Bay and on to Dunstanburgh Castle. Then we stopped at the National Trust bird hide to see our first glimpse of a snipe, as well as a host of other birds. We continued northward into Low Newton by the Sea, the sands of Newton Haven full of holiday makers enjoying the good weather. From Low Newton we pressed on over the rise and passed the transmitter mast towards High Newton by the Sea only to find lots of Burnet moths and tiger-striped caterpillars on the flowers next to the path. Eventually we had taken enough photos and moved on through the broadbean fields (which were sampled and pronounced delicious) and into High Newton - passing, but (again) not stopping at, the second pub of the day.

We pressed onwards towards the summit of Kelsoe Hill (35 metres) and through more fields full of potatoes which we did initially suspect were peas. It’s the greenery that looked similar not the vegetable. Kelsoe Hill provided a lovely lunch spot with extensive views, as well as a cross marking a grave. Ashley was ‘attacked’ by a tiny toad less than an inch long and Sandy by a very large beetle. Then it was back into Embleton to start the second leg of the figure of eight, passing two more pubs without calling in. Down the road and we came to Spitalford, complete with a couple of nice houses, one of which had white ducks in the garden. At Dunstan Steads Ashley couldn’t resist looking into the narrow slit windows of a barn conversion. Luckily the owners weren’t in the room at the time.

Michael took the direct route to Dunstanburgh Castle to preserve his injured ankle while everyone else took the path to Scrog Hill. We all met up inside the gatehouse of the castle for a second break on decent English Heritage seats. Then back on the path down the side of the golf course for the return to Embleton, everyone avoiding the temptation offered by the ice cream van along the way.

Wildlife/flora:

Snipe, mute swans, sandpiper, swallows (including young), herons, little grebe, sand martins, pied wagtails, two ponies, tiger-striped caterpillars, Burnet moths, baby toad, giant beetle, and a big flock of greylag geese.

Purple wildflowers (unknown), both white and pink yarrow, common ragwort, wild orchids, harebells, bird’s foot trefoil, creeping thistle.

The Falcon’s Nest near Gosforth Park. A very enjoyable meal given a ‘good to nice’ rating. Ron’s trifle was exceptional, in size if not in taste.

 August walkers

Silhouette

Flying in

Bird reserve

Snipe

Winging their way

Unusual house

Distant castle

Helicopter

Burnet moth

Caterpillar

Waving crop

Approaching Dunstanburgh

Castle gate

Cliffs

Rock formation