After my day of walking south to Dunstanburgh Castle and Craster, my knees were aching so badly and I worried about the next day’s walk south to Alnmouth (19 km from Embelton). I decided to take the bus to Alnmouth instead, and do the walk the following day as I was staying in Alnmouth for three nights. It was good that I changed my plan! I enjoyed the bus ride south, with stops in all the little villages, and my hostess allowed me to leave my bag with her well before check-in so I was free to explore the town of Alnmouth which has been a seaside holiday resort since Victorian times.
It is a very pretty town, with grand houses converted to holiday accommodations, and a festive and lively Main Street lined with shops and restaurants. I was impressed by how flowers abound and gardens are tucked into almost every conceivable space! (I keep forgetting to mention that you can click on any photo in a collage for a close-up view).
After my walk up Main Street and a few side lanes, with peeks into courtyards and walled gardens, I walked to the edge of town to do a short and easy stroll along the river estuary. The walk started at the 19th century bridge over the Aln River, and looped around towards the small harbour where I could see colourful boats across the salt marsh, many of which were grounded by the low tide. Boats always look so forlorn when they are grounded!
The trail carried on and across the river I soon saw Church Hill, topped with a cross. Church Hill was once on the town side of the river, but a violent storm in 1806 broke through the sand dunes and changed the course of the River Aln, separating Church Hill from the town. It is believed that Church Hill was the site of a very early church, and two fragments of a late 9th century Saxon cross were discovered there in 1789. As well, there was a 12th century church on the site, dedicated to St. Waleric, but there are no longer any remains of that church. Incidentally, Church Hill is also the side of another “Vera” murder (!), with a partially buried body found atop the hill by walkers (if I remember correctly). I will visit the top of Church Hill when I walk to the other side of the river on the way south to Warkworth.
Back to my side of the river, I came across this tiny museum, The Ferryman’s Hut, which was started and maintained by a local resident. The hut is around a century old and was used by ferrymen who would row people across the river to the other side of the estuary.
I continued along the river until it widened and met the sea, and took these photos south to the other side, so beautiful with the dunes and long finger of sand.
I followed the beach as it curved north to reveal another wide, long expanse of beautiful Northumberland beach, with late-season vacationers and very happy dogs enjoying the sand and the sun and the sea.
After my visit to the beach, I still had time before check-in so I went to visit the Friary of St. Francis (one can stay there on a silent retreat). The Friary is set in a Victorian mansion on a hill, with a beautiful garden landscaped on multiple levels, with little nooks and quiet areas, and religious statuary well-placed in the garden.
I took this path up to a paved seating area. You could not see the sea, but you could feel it in the sky, and I sat for a long time alone and listened to the birds in the garden.
I climbed further up the hill, to the very top of the garden, and there was a view south to the beaches and the sea.
Then I visited the chapel and sat there for a long while too, resting and appreciating the calmness of the space, before I returned to the joys of the garden.
Finally, it was time for check-in and I had been greatly looking forward to this accommodation, a little self-catering suite called the Sun Studio at the Old Granary.
It was so cute! And the interior did not disappoint either!
The hostess had provided a welcome pack of milk, bread, butter, jam, tea and coffee, and there was a box on the counter with this in it!
And I turned it into this!
After my cake and coffee, I enjoyed buying a few groceries in town to cook up a simple vegetarian stir fry, and I visited the beach (only 3 minutes away) once more near sunset at the end of a very enjoyable and restful day in pretty Alnmouth.
