Beraln one

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A gorgeous route stretching along the coast, including passing Holy Island. It's easy to get onto the route from Berwick railway station, passing through the town and onto the coastal path, which is sturdy underfoot. The walk sticks to the coastline for a little while, before moving slightly inland, over undulating grassland. You have to come in again to skirt around the edge of the golf course; there is public right-of-way for walkers, but beware of golf balls! After that, there's a wonderful view of Lindisfarne and the causeway, and anyone wishing to extend the walk can match up with the tide timetable and make a diversion here. You then follow the well-signposed St Cuthbert's Way and St Oswald's Way further inland. We stopped the night in Belford, where there were a number of B&B options. The next stretch crosses farmland and gentle undulating hills; quite muddy underfoot in the spring and after excessive rain, but still manageable. You need to cross the A1 twice, but again there was no significant problem here, and aside from this, the route felt secluded from busy roads, and was predominantly fields and tracks. On approaching Alnwick, you get a fantastic view of the castle. A highly recommended route!.

We walked this route across two days - from Berwick to Belford, and then Belford to Alnwick. The first day is beautiful, with coastal paths which are easy to navigate - when walking from north to south, keep the sea on the left! There are lots of options to head down to the beach if you wish for a cuppa or lunch break, or you can remain on the headland and enjoy the glorious views. It was a shame to momentarily leave the coast to walk around Goswick Links Golf Club, but this section doesn't last long.

The views to Holy Island/Lindesfarne are absolutely stunning - we were lucky enough to see a rainbow over Holy Island as we stopped to admire the view. Tide times allowing, you can walk across to Holy Island over the causeway.

Leaving the coast to start walking inland involves crossing the East Coast Mainline, and you need to call the signalman - there are clear instructions of how to do this when you arrive. The crossing of the A1 can take a little time - but a path will clear eventually! Walking St Cuthberts Way and St Oswalds Way involved lovely stretches, if at times a little muddy. The woodland above Fenwick is beautiful and calm, offering a very different terrain to the earlier coastal paths. The descent into Belford is easy to follow, and lots of accommodation options in Belford.

Belford to Alnwick - parts of this route are less scenic than the coastal paths from the day before. The stiles / gates aren't as well maintained, and some are in need of repair. All can be crossed, but go with caution to assess best route over. The muddy fields made for slow crossing, but once you hit the plantation road this is an easier route to walk. The A1 needs to be crossed again, and once over the other side the footpath into Warenford is very hard to walk through due to leaning fences and brambles. The road here would be a better alternative.

In the woods leading to Ellingham, around Priestdean Burn, many trees have come down and completely obstruct the footpath. To find the path again we climbed west through the woodland. Past Ellingham, the route took us through the grounds of a Primary School where the gate states no right of way. This section is very short and can be done.
The path from Ellingham to Doxford isn't that scenic, but is straightforward and easy. We'd all highly recommend the Rocking Horse Cafe and Gallery at Rock Midstead Farm for a deserved cup of tea and delicious cake!

Through the woods at Rock South Farm the navigation was a little harder - and again quite a few trees had fallen across the path. After the final crossing of the A1 it is a fair-going route into Alnwick with beautiful views of the castle.

We walked this route over two days, heading north to south. The first half, to Belford, was brilliant. Beyond that we ran into some issues regarding stiles and footpaths, but none were unsurmountable (and some should be fixed before long, with hope!)

Day 1 - Berwick to Belford

The route south from Berwick is easy to find and navigate, making good use of the coast path, with plenty of opportunities to deviate onto the beach and seafront. The scenery is less varied through Goswick Links Golf Club, but the deviation doesn't last long. Stiles and gates are well maintained.

Continuing south, the views to Holy Island/Lindesfarne are fantastic, and one could combine with a visit, tides allowing. Heading away from the shore, the route offers the additional feature of needing to call the signalman at Fenham Hill to cross the East Coast Main Line. Once into the fields the going can be muddy, and crossing the A1 can take time, but the route makes good use of St Cuthbert's and St Oswald's Ways. The stretches in the woodland above Fenwick are lovely, and the decent into Belford straightforward. There are plenty of accommodation and food options in Belford.

Day 2 - Belford to Alnwick

The fields south of Belford are less interesting than the day before and there are a couple of instances of stiles being removed/replaced with only fencing, the first coming only a mile or so out of the town. They're not insurmountable, but should be approached with care, as should others in poor repair.

After crossing the B6348, the field beyond is incredibly muddy and rutted, making progress very slow. Once through, the plantation is an easier path/road to follow.

Again, the A1 needs crossing. The footpath/ginnel into Warenford is in poor repair with lots of leaning fences; the road would be an alternative. The White Swan is a good stop option. More poor stiles are present across the route up towards Newstead.

Towards Ellingham, in the woods around Priestdean Burn, a huge number of very large trees have come down and are currently completely obstructing what would have been the footpath. We climbed to the west, through the woodland, to make the road - if the fallen trees are cleared then the path will be usable again, but at present it is not.

Beyond Ellingham, the route currently necessitates going through the grounds of the Primary School, where the gate states no right of way, but the path is very short. From Ellingham to Doxford, the walking is good and straightforward, although a short section is on a B road with no speed restrictions. If possible, make use of the excellent Rocking Horse Cafe and Gallery at Rock Midstead Farm.

Going continues good along farm tracks, with a little tricky navigation through the woods at Rock South Farm. At Braxfield we opted to not cut the corner through the woodland as again there seemed to be a large number of fallen trees on the path.

After the final crossing of the A1, the last stretch into Alnwick is fair going, and the view of the castle is great, even if arriving in the dark.

Beraln one
This is a partial review for the Beraln routes until you are south of Belford.
The route is almost the same as Beraln three except near Holy Island.
The difference in route takes the Sustran Path inland. It is suitable for two wheeled bikes but not with a bike trailer since the path very narrow and uneven in places. The odd retracing of the route takes you to Beal Farm campsite, cafe and resturant.
Well worth visiting for refreshments etc.
The Sustrans Cycle path to Beal Farm has large rough angular Scalping’s as the surface- so recommend using the immediately adjacent road to be kinder to your tyres.
There is the option to go across to Holy Island - on a bike use the tidal causeway (check tide times for low water). On foot you can take the Pilgrim’s Trail across the sands low water - but there is an element of wading required. Or use the causeway to keep dry shod. Holy Island has all you would expect from a tourist venue - with some excellent coffee shops. Your trip back across the causeway ‘caffeine’ fuelled is very quick!! Do not expect the National Trust Gift Shop or Lindisfarne Castle to be open if the causeway low water times are in the morning. Then it is a pleasant surprise if they are!!.

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