A guidebook to two long-distance walks in Northumberland: St Oswald’s Way, a 156 km (97 mile) route from Heavenfield to Holy Island and the Northumberland Coast Path, covering 100 km (62 miles) of the Northumberland Coast AONB.

St Oswald’s Way between Heavenfield and Lindisfarne (Holy Island) is presented in 7 stages between 12 and 29km (7-18 miles) in length. The Northumberland Coast Path can be tackled in 6 stages of 12-24km (7-15 miles) between Creswell and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The St Oswald’s Way and the Coast Path can both be completed in one week.

• Offers alternative start from Hadrian’s Wall 
• 1:50,000 OS mapping for each stage
• Local points of interest are featured including Warkworth Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall, Simonside, Howick Hill Fort, Dunstanburgh Castle, Lindisfarne Priory, Cheswick Sands
• Detailed planning advice on packing, accommodation options and public transport
• Notes on the geology, wildlife, and history of the area 

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Geology

Weather

Wildlife and plants

Northumberland National Park

Northumberland Coast AONB

History and heritage

Transport

Accommodation

About the routes

When to go

What to take

Waymarking and access

Maps

Hill and coastal safety

Emergencies

Using this guide

St Oswald’s Way

Stage 1 Heavenfield to Kirkwhelpington

Stage 2 Kirkwhelpington to Rothbury

Stage 3 Rothbury to Warkworth

Stage 4 Warkworth to Craster

Stage 5 Craster to Bamburgh

Stage 6 Bamburgh to West Mains

Stage 7 West Mains to Holy Island

Northumberland Coast Path

Stage 1 Cresswell to Warkworth

Stage 6 Holy Island to Berwick-upon-Tweed

(For Stages 2–5 of the Northumberland Coast Path follow St Oswald’s Way Stages 4–7)

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Glossary and pronunciation

Appendix C Accommodation

Appendix D Useful contacts

Appendix E Further reading

Seasons

Spring, summer and autumn; late autumn for birdlife; expect snow on higher ground in winter

Centres

Heavenfield, Cresswell, Amble, Kirkwhelpington, Rothbury, Craster, Warkworth, Bamburgh, Holy Island, West Mains, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Difficulty

No special difficulties to encounter on the routes in this guide, though a reasonable level of fitness is assumed. Some of the stages as described are fairly long, though they can be broken down into shorter sections. Crossing to Holy Island must be timed to coincide with low tide

Must See

Warkworth Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall, Simonside, Lordenshaws, Howick Hill Fort, Dunstanburgh Castle, St Cuthbert's Cave, Lindisfarne Priory, Lindisfarne Castle, Cheswick Sands

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