Beraln three

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This is a fabulous route, but the first thing to say is that we really shouldn't have Slow Ways this long! I've done four little Ways in a day before, but this one took me 4 days. It's wonderful but I am not surprised it hasn't been verified. Even writing one review for the whole thing seems an impossible task!
To break it up, I would suggest new start points in at least Seahouses and Belford, maybe more.
Like the previous reviewer, I based myself half in Alnwick, half in Berwick, and used the X15/X18/418 buses to get to/from my daily start/finish. Some care and planning is needed as they aren't very frequent, especially at weekends.
For me day 1 was Alnwick to Newton (halfway between Craster and Seahouses), day 2 Newton to Belford. Day 3 Belford to the Lindisfarne causeway (bus at Beal on the A1), and day 4 from there to Berwick. This made 4 fairly equal days of about 12 miles each.
Fabulous as the route is overall, it's hard to give it a perfect 5 stars. This is mainly because of roads: the worst was on day 1 between Howick and Longhoughton, where there is a stretch of road walking with a fair amount of traffic and no refuge. I didn't feel safe, especially as it was raining. There are also a number of crossings of the A1, which are unpleasant at best. At least the railway line is not a problem, with well controlled crossings.
This route is quite a bit longer than the other Ways, but in my view it is much superior because of its variety and the chance to walk a good portion of the Coast Path. About half of the route is by the sea, while the rest is more typical, fields footpaths and minor lanes.
In general signing is very good, especially as you would expect on the national trail. Even the inland parts follow other routes, a cycle way or Saint's way.
I walked in a mix of weather and some short stretches were muddy or boggy, but there were no significant obstacles. Mostly it was good easy walking, but with some ups and downs. I sometimes stayed on the Coast Path rather than follow the route drawn; for example, just south of Berwick, I could not see why I should leave a gorgeous and well maintained national trail to take a parallel route inland beside the mainline railway!
These are minor issues for what is generally a superb walk, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

One of the best Slow Ways routes I’ve ever walked, a proper five-star adventure!

I walked this beast of a route over three days, using the X15 and X18 buses to get to and from my hotel each night. Day 1 was Berwick to Belford, then bus back to the hotel in Berwick. Day 2 was Belford to Dunstan, then bus to the YHA hostel in Alnwick. Day 3 was Dunstan to Alnwick. Especially on the northern end of the route, it was tricky finding a stopping point for the first day; the first village you come into is Fenwick, and that’s a good distance out of Berwick. South of Belford, the route is much better about coming into villages every few miles.

This route really does have it all. Leaving Berwick are some gorgeous coastal cliffs, dunes, and beach views. After crossing the Holy Island causeway, the route turns inland, climbing to a stunning summit with 360 degree views just past Kyloe Wood.

The walk from Belford back to the ocean at Seahouses was good, classic British countryside walking, where sometimes the footpaths were a bit difficult to identify and follow, but there was always an unlockable gate, stile, or footpath sign to keep me headed in generally the right direction.

The coastal stretch from Seahouses to Craster is unbeatable. Words can’t describe just how stunning it is along the water, with sweeping views the whole way.

The final stretch from Craster to Alnwick is a little underwhelming in that it’s more road walking (though none that were too bad, always a verge or a quiet enough road) and countryside field hopping, but I was mostly underwhelmed after experiencing the most stunning stretch of footpaths I’d ever walked before!

A few miscellaneous notes:
- The route is perfectly drawn except for the bit through the Alnwick Gardens. The route has you departing the pavement as you approach into Alnwick to enter walled grounds where you can’t enter. Instead, just stick to the pavement until you get to the Alnwick Gardens car park, then follow the signs for “town centre” past the café and shop. You don’t have to pay any admission fee to cut through the gardens. I’ve drawn this up and posted it below as a picture (orange line is the route you have to take). If you’re coming from Alnwick, follow the purple line until you reach the gated entrance to the castle, and that’s where you turn right onto the orange line I’ve drawn.
- Parts of the route took me through fields with horses and with sheep, but I didn’t encounter any loose cows (I walked in late March)
- Much of the route follows established paths, like the England Coast Path, St. Oswald’s Way, St Cuthbert’s Way, and the Northumberland Coast Path. As a result, much of the route is clearly signposted, moderately well-maintained, and easy to follow.
- Two of the three crossings of the East Coast Main Line are at-grade, so you have to call the signalman at the phone to request permission. I had no trouble as someone who had never done this before. Two of the three crossings of the A1 are uncontrolled, but I only had to wait less than a minute each time for a break in traffic.

I really don’t know how to emphasise appropriately how epic this journey was. It was an incredible challenge, and one I can’t recommend highly enough. Full marks.

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