How Hill and Ludham

How Hill

After a lengthy walk the previous day we wanted something a little shorter today that explored a different part of Norfolk away from the coast.  We settled on walk 12 from Pathfinder Guide volume 45 Norfolk Walks, principally because it was close to where we were staying and also because there looked to be a pub lunch opportunity half way round!

Mill House

We parked outside How Hill, being one of the first vehicles to arrive.  It was a pretty overcast day although the sun did threaten to shine a number of times through sporadic gaps in the cloud cover.  Adjacent to the car park was the rather magnificent Toad Hole Cottage, rather more substantial than a cottage in my book.  Apparently it ended up being on a grander scale than first envisaged when it was built in 1903.  Being on the side of a hill, even as modest a size as How Hill is, means that it must have the most amazing views.

Ready For Harvest

Our route took us out on to the lane we had arrived on although we turned left rather than right.  We almost immediately passed The Mill House, a converted residence from what was a windmill.  There must be countless properties like this in Norfolk - there is a lot of scope for them!  We continued for a short distance along the lane and then left via a pretty substantial looking farm track.  It really reminded me of the tracks between fields that we explored in Normandy a couple of years ago.

Kings Arms

When the substantial track took a left turn we headed right crossing a stile and into a freshly harvested field.  Late summer was really upon us now and the harvest was in full swing.  I imagine that at this time of year Norfolk would once have had thousands of people working the fields.  Now it was just the odd tractor driver going about his business (I never saw a female tractor driver but presumably there are plenty out there?).  Once across the fields we found another farm track bordered by a pretty substantial hedge.  What was immediately apparent to us as we passed the hedge was the sheer amount of insect life associated with it.  I expected to see butterflies, bees and hoverflies but wasn't prepared for the number of dragonflies that we saw - there were enormous numbers!

Ludham Village Sign

Soon we were to find the road and sadly for us we had about half a mile of road walking all the way into the village of Ludham.  The first part of the lane was the way we had driven and we soon witnessed an incident that I am glad had not happened to us.  Two cars were caught in a standoff while they decided which one of them was going to back up.  Eventually one relented and had to reverse a significant distance.

Ludham Church

On reaching Ludham we first went through the part of the village where all the Council houses had been built.  I think every village in England has an area like this although most of the houses are now privately owned rather than under the control of the Council.  Judging by the magnificent gardens on show I imagine that this is true here too.  Eventually we came upon the King's Arms where we were to stop for lunch.  I am pleased to report that both food and pint were excellent and very welcome.

Old Jalopy

After a leisurely lunch we roused ourselves for the rest of the walk and crossed the main road that leads through the village.  Apparently this route has some historical status and has been selected for speed measures to preserve its character.  Across the road and we admired the church, which stood on its own right in the heart of the village.  It looked like some renovation work was taking place for a lot of the windows were blocked out.  It looked rather uninviting for a visit so we pushed on down the lane and out of the village.  We took a right turn at the wonderfully named Lovers Lane and soon we were out in the fields once again and walking alongside one of those monstrous hedges absolutely teeming with insect and birdlife.  I would be curious to know whether any habitat surveys of these hedgerows have been done as I am not sure I have come across such a concentration of life in such a small area before.

The Dog

We crossed another lane and wandered through the farm of Ludham Hall.  This substantial old place was once the Bishop's Palace for Norfolk.  It is now a working farm and home to a number of holiday lets.  On the other side of the farm we took a right hand turn at another lane and wandered along towards the Dog Pub.  Flanking the road were lots of fruit trees that looks like they were cropping pretty well although most of the fruit wasn't quite ready.

Hammering

We were soon on the main road once again and had to walk a short distance along it.  Thankfully there was a pavement, probably important for road safety as there were plenty of potential pedestrians from caravan sites and the river further on who would want to access the pub.  The pub itself is well placed for just the other side of it was the bridge over the River Ant and plenty of boats use this as a mooring spot.  We turned right at the bridge and entered a new phase of the walk as we would be following the River Ant for the rest of the way.

Ant Bridge Moorings

This is a type of walking that I'm not normally a fan of and the overcast conditions didn't help matters.  Nevertheless the rushing noise of the reeds flanking the banks and the possibility of seeing one of the shy and retiring bitternes that live in these parts were enough to keep my senses alive.  I did find the meanders of the river a little diconcerting - it made some of the landmarks in this flat landscape look both nearer and yet further away at the same time.  a particular case in point was one of the drainage mills that characterise this landscape.  At the bridge it seemed very close but thanks to the meandering river it seemed to take ages to get there.

Neave's Drainage Mill

The river itself was barely seen for much of the time the reeds were too thick to be able to see the water.  A boat even passed without me realising!  As we meandered around the river the cloud seemed to break up again, just in time for us coming to the end of the walk!  As we left the river bank for a embankment along a drainage ditch something caught my eye moving very quickly across my path.  I thought it might be a lizard judging by its speed.  Unfortunately I didn't get a good view of it.  A little further on and we passed an old man who stopped to pass the time of day.  He was curious about what I'd seen but when I relayed it he thought that it might be a newt rather than a lizard.  I wasn't sure that I was too bothered about a lizard but I would like to have seen a newt.  He told me a little about the natural history of the area as he lived just over the way from here in a very nice looking cottage.

Turf Fen Drainage Mill

We parted ways and we headed for the mill in the distance which would be the end of our walk.  We got a good view of How Hill once again on this stretch and it glowed in the newly found sunshine.  Just up from the mill we came to a mooring spot.  I think this is the limit of navigation on this river for it was quite busy with young people in particular seeing to their vessels.  Adjacent is a science and nature centre and we did want to look in briefly but when we saw how many people were in there we thought better of it!

How Hill Moorings

This was a very pleasant if short walk greatly enhanced by our pub lunch.  It probably deserved a better day than we had available but nonetheless the section along the riverbank at the end was delightful.  Keep an eye out for newts if you come this way!

Nelson's Boyhood Home and Holkham Park

Red Roofs

After the rugged beauty of Northumbria and Cumbria our next destination was a rather different part of England, the flat county of Norfolk.  My wife and I had managed to lose the children for a week at Guide Camp and so we took the opportunity to investigate a county that I haven't really looked at much before.  Our base was just outside Norwich and this gave us the opportunity to investigate the Broads and the coast.

Dust

First up was this walk - one of the more challenging walks from vol 17 of the Pathfinder Guides Norfolk and Suffolk (walk 23).  All things are relative of course - this was far less challenging than some of the intermediate walks from other parts of the country.  It did combine the coast and a place we really wanted to visit though - Holkham Hall.  We began the walk in the village of Burnham Overy Staithe, a small fishing village on the coast.  It wasn't obvious that we were on the coast at the beginning of the walk and our route took us initially away into the hinterland countryside.

Former Railway

We walked along a lae that eventually turned into a farm track and the agricultural nature of this county became immediately apparent from the off.  The rumble of tractors pervaded the air and one in particular off to our left was particularly noisy - when we looked we could see it was muck spreading.  The smell soon hit us too!  The dustiness of the soil behind seemed very surprising considering how much wet weather we had experienced on our travels during the summer and even the day before we started the walk.

Field Fellows

We soon left the smell and noise behind and ahead we could see the countryside opening up.  Norfolk is not really a county for great viewpoints but occasionall you gain enough height to be able to see some miles ahead.  This was the case here and we could certainly trace the first few miles of our walk and the things we were likely to see along the way.  Peeping out of the fields and trees were a number of churches from each of the villages that dot this corner of Norfolk.  It wasn't just churches either - thre were also a couple of windmills.  Norfolk has more windmills than any other county and so this should not have been a surprise.

Burnham Church

Off in the distance we passed by Burnham Overy Town.  Our path did not allow more than a brief glimpse, which was a pity for it looked a most agreeable place when we drove through on the way to park our car.  We crossed a busy road and passed a small group of houses on the edge of the town and headed across some more fields to reach an old railway line.  This was the former Heacham to Wells-Next-The-Sea line, which closed as long ago as 1953.  Judging from the vegetation that now grew on the trackbed this is not a surprise but we could see the earthworks that definitely hinted at its past.  Nearby Burnham Market station is still extant and operates as a small hotel.  We walked a few yards along the old railway before dropping down the embankment and enetered a marshy looking field.

Yellowhammer

In the field was a large group of cattle - we gave them a wide berth as we headed towards the tower of a church in the distance.  Among the herd were a couple of animals that didn't look right and as we got closer we realised that two of the group were in fact donkeys!  They looked pretty as home among their bovine friends and gave us a look as if to query what the fuss was.

Lodge

At the other end of the field was the first proper feature of the walk - the church at Burnham Thorpe where Nelson's father was once the vicar.  It is hard to believe that one of the greatest military men in British history came from such a calm and serene place.  We lingered at the church for a few minutes enjoying the ambience of the place.  We didn't venture inside though as it was a Sunday and the next church service would be starting not too long after.  

Estate Road

The path looped around the village of Burnham Thorpe, past the pub inevitably called Lord Nelson and gave us a glimpse of the manor house.  Sadly the pub wasn't functioning - it would seem even its histrical connections weren't enough to save it.  We also passed a woman who seemed to be travelling in a genuine horse drawn gypsy caravan - she was parked up on a grassy verge and her horse seemed to be having a well earned rest.  The rest of the village was largely deserted - even the children's play area was devoid of customers.

Boating Lake

We headed up the lane away from the village and soon we were in open countryside again among fields of wheat and maize.  The latter didn't look too far away from being harvested and I suppose a lot of it ends up as animal feed or the makings of corn oil.  Not sure it looked quite good enough to be harvested as a vegetable.  Our path took as between two large fields to an old barn and were unbroken apart from an area of what can only be described as animal slurry - it stank to high heaven!  We were pleased to get past there very quickly I can tell you!

Holkham Hall

Eventually we reached a lengthy wall that formed the perimeter of Holkham Park.  It was an impenetrable barrier at this point so we had to turn left and follow it for some distance before reaching one of the main gateways overlooked by a very attractive lodge house and even lovelier garden.  Coincidentally the path alongside the wall was also a Roman Road although I am not sure where it went to and from.

Column

Inside the park we headed along an estate road.  This did not look like it was a tourist entrance for the road was mostly empty save for one vehicle that passed us halfway to the main house.  The estate road seemed to go on forever - it was certainly more than a mile long from the lodge house.  By the time we reached the main house we were so anxious to get there that we managed to missed the walled garden along the way, which was rather disappointing.  Up on a small hill away from the house was the ice house; not especially convenient if you needed a cube or two to go with your Scotch.

Cricket

Holkham Hall is really impressive, especially at the angle of approach on this footpath.  It is widely regarded as one of the country's finest examples of Palladian architecture, constructed by the 1st Earl of Leicester back in the 18th Century.  We certainly couldn't pass by without taking a look around and we also had a very enjoyable lunch in the café.  Inside the place is as opulent as you might expect, with lots of sumptuous furnishings, marble and incredible old paintings.  The guides in each of the rooms were very knowledgeable and we chatted to some of them about some of the old stories that a place of this size and history must have had.  The one thing that struck us about Holkham Hall is how well the staff were treated; almost as if they were an extended family rather than employees.  One thing to beware of if you decide to stop is that it is still privately owned (not National Trust) and therefore the opening times are not as often as you might expect.

Holkham Village

Outside the building the view out across the estate was equally impressive.  Off to the right was a large boating lake with plenty of people circling around in their hired boats.  Straight ahead in the distance was a large column, not dissimilar to the ones at Castle Howard and Blenheim.  I guess this must have been the fashion accessory for the well heeled at a certain point in history?  In front of the column a game of cricket was going on.  I'm not sure I would want to be playing cricket in these surroundings - my eyes would be drawn to the scenery rather than the ball!

Stripes and Chimneys

After stopping at Holkham Hall for about three hours we were ready to move on.  We passed the well filled car park and it was obvious then that visitors come in from Holkham village through a rather more impressive gate than the one we passed through earlier.  The village of Holkham was just as busy as the house and is impressively laid out.  Opposite the rather grand looking Victoria Hotel we headed along Lady Anne's Drive.  When I saw this on the map I imagined a rather impressive tree lined grand estate road.  Sadly it is rather spoiled now by the number of parked cars along here as the Drive now acts as a main thoroughfare to the beach.

Site of Holkham Station

Part of the way down we crossed backover the old railway that we had encountered earlier in the day.  You would need to be a really good detective to know it was here though as the only real clue was the fact that it was marked on the map.  Holkham station was once here but any trace of its remains are long gone and only a pillbox marks where it once stood.  It was about half a mile from the village it was supposed to serve and this was a common theme with all the stations along this route which probably explains why it was an early casualty.

Holkham Beach

At the end of the car park the crowds of people formed what can only be described as a conveyor belt of visitors to the beach.  My heart sank as I didn't really want to be dealing with such crowds for the last stretch of the walk.  I needn't have worried.  By the time we got to the beach the tide was out and the expanse of sand was so huge that it swallowed everybody comfortably.  We also had the advantage of turning left when we got to the beach while most people headed straight on to the sea.

Approaching Burnham Overy Staithe

Our onward route was now through some enormous sand dunes.  This got quite difficult and it wasn't easy to see the way ahead at times so large were the dunes.  Eventually I tired of trying to plot a course through the dunes and so I encouraged my wife to follow me down onto the beach.  By now we pretty much had the expanse of sand to ourselves with only the odd wading bird for company.  A combination of light waves, hot feet and soft sand were all too much and soon our boots and socks were off and we waded along the beach for quite a distance.  We felt most indulgent as we did so!

Red Sail

Soon we came to the end of the beach and so reluctantly boots went back on and we plotted the course down to Burnham Overy Staithe and back to our car.  The path was quite easy compared to the dunes and as the tide was now coming in all the boats that had been trapped in port for several hours were now heading out to sea once again.  It wasn't too long before we got into the village and as we did so we were faced with a most picturesque harbour and plenty of activity around it as people scrambled to get out to sea.  By now we were ready for more refreshment but wanted something a little more adult than the mobile tea bar located by the harbourside.  We opted instead for the pub in the village for a lovely cold pint - it was a great choice.

Snack Stop

This was a fairly lengthy but easy going walk in three distinct sections with an agricultural section, one through Holkham Park and then the coastal section.  All were delightful in their own way and there were plenty of interesting features along the way to keep us interested.  We voted this the best walk that we did in Norfolk on this trip.  I'm now tempted to walk more of the coast too!

Borrowdale

Borrowdale

After our sojourn in Northumberland we headed over to see an old friend of mine who lives in Western Cumbria.  This was a rare treat to renew acquaintances and have our children have some company of their own age for a few days before heading home.  As our children are all a little young for the high mountains of the Lakes just yet we wanted them to have the chance to taste Lake District scenery without the conditions putting them off.  We settled on Borrowwdale as being an excellent place to explore and used walk 10 in vol 13 of the Pathfinder Guides Lake District Walks as the basis for our day out.

Stepping Stones

Officially the walk commences in the hamlet of Seatoller, but for convenience we started halfway round at the hamlet of Grange.  As we got underway the heavens opened and we had a very sharp shower to welcome us to the beautiful valley of Borrowdale.  As one of the wettest places in the whole of the British Isles I suppose it was inevitable that we would experience rain at some stage on our walk.  Our little party stomped off along the lane that follows the River Derwent along the edge of Holmcrag Wood.  The sound of the river diminished a little as the lane headed away from it and around the other side of a small hill protecting some campers.  Most looked like the had had enough of the rain for their were several light green patches of grass denoting places where tents had been.  A couple of hardy souls remained but even they looked like they were on the brink...

River Derwent

Just past the campsite and we met the river once again, this time at a junction with another fast flowing stream coming down off the high moors above.  We had to cross by stepping stomes which added a little spice for all the children.  Luckily there wasn't a huge amount of water otherwise we would have had to consider another option.  We all got across without getting feet too wet which was a relief so early on in our walk.

Riverside Path

The path started to climb briefly away from the stream and went round a delightfully rocky path alongside the river.  By now the rain had stopped and we had a brief spell of bright sunshine which lit up the whole scene so that the countryside positively sparkled.  Further on and we saw the remains of mining activity in the rocks.  I'm not an expert on the geology of the Lake District but the rocks looked slate-like and I wonder whether they were quarrying for building materials?  The joints were almost vertical suggesting some serious forces at play when the rocks were formed.  They certainly needed a closer look in any event!

Quarry

Further on and the rest of the valley started opening up as we left the trees behind us.  We could also get a feel for the length of the walk as high above us to the west was the return route.  For now though we followed the river path, keeping it within metres of us almost all the way to Seatoller.  If we had taken the route from the official start this would have made for a pleasant end to the walk indeed.

Arched Bridge

As we headed down the river we passed a set of stepping stones that leads to the village of Rosthwaite.  It was a measure of how much rain there had been recently that the stones weren't usable.  Our friend advised us that they had been across only 3 weeks earlier.  At Longsthwaite we paused briefly at the bridge that could be used as an alternative access to Rosthwaite.  This allowed for the children to catch up.  They were doing pretty well but their pace definitely slowed as the chatter intensified along the way.

Submerged Stepping Stones

The stop at the bridge gave us all the chance to enjoy our surroundings for a bit and get some refreshments inside everyone.  Sitting on the rocks beside the river was very pleasant but I imagine on a hotter day the river would be more enticing!  After our break by the arched bridge we headed through the well appointed looking Youth Hostel alongside.  I haven't stayed in a hostel for a good many years - I understand that they aren't nearly as basic as they used to be.  I was never a huge fan - I am a bit too self conscious of me snoring for that!

Approaching Longthwaite

We had a bit of a scramble up some rocks along the river valley.  I suspect that the path was under water for it did seem a bit more rugged than I would have expected.  Even as we resumed our course on what I took to be the path it still somewhat resembled a river bed with water running down it with more than a trickle.  Elsewhere in the valley the sun was really doing its best now - we hadn't had any more rain and the sun was breaking through quite regularly between the clouds, making for some dramatic skies.  The moors and fells were also benefitting from shafts of light that looked almost theatrical.

Longthwaite View

Soon we reached Seatoller and had high hopes that the pub marked on the  map might still be open.  Sadly this wasn't to be and our hopes of a cold drink and a sit down were dashed.  We had to use a different tactic to get the children motivated to carry on - luckily we had just the thing; more about that later!  There were a couple of longing glances at the bus that had just pulled up - this could have taken us back to Grange but as we pointed out to the kids we wouldn't earn our reward if that was the case!

River Derwent

The climb out of Seatoller was quite modest by Lake District standards but quite tough for little legs.  They did make it though even if slowly.  They did appreciate the reward of the view at the top though - the view out across Borrowdale was quite special and by now we had also the benefit of bluer skies and the best conditions of the entire day.  The next couple of miles along to the distinctive Castle Crag were really enjoyable.  The path was mostly level and the views uninterrupted down to where we had walked earlier.

Scramble

The path passed to the left hand side of Castle Crag - we didn't get to climb it on this walk.  I imagine any suggestion that we might would have been met with mutiny!  The path instead took a downhill course along a quite loose surfaced route.  We had to be very careful with our footing to make sure that we didn't have any accidents on the way down.  It wasn't too much further until we met back with the path that we had headed out of Grange on earlier, just near the stepping stones across the stream.  By now the children realised that their special treat was getting nearer and we had no problem at all getting them moving along the last part of the path.  In fact we all decided to forego the small loop path of the original route here so we could finish more quickly.

Borrowdale View

What was the special treat at the end of the walk?  Ginger cake and ice cream at the cafe in Grange.  It went down a treat with everyone!  Bang on cue it started raining as we got back in our cars at the end of the walk.  We felt pretty smug by now though as we had managed to squeeze our walk into by far the best 3 hours of the day and had enough time for a treat at the end before the weather closed in.

Castle Crag

This walk is a great introduction to the best scenery the Lae District has to offer.  It was pretty quiet all the way round with only a few other walkers in evidence.  Contrast that with some of the more popular routes in the Park and you will know what I mean.  The view from the upper level section between Seatoller and Castle Crag was particularly memorable and I'm pleased my children had the opportunity to do it.

Descending Into Grange

Lindisfarne

Empty Beach

There is something rather irresistible about circumnavigating an island and when I saw this walk in the Pathfinder Guide vol 35 Northumberland and the Scottish Borders (walk number 12) I just knew we had to do it.  There was something about the idea of being pilgrims that appealed too - the fact that countless people have been over to celebrate the Holy Island and its special spiritual history was too good to miss.  We had saved it until the last day of our sojourn in the County for I knew that it was the optimum time to make sure we had the tides in our favour.  Part of its specialness is the fact that you cannot just come when you want - you can only come when the tides allow you to do so.

Stark Warning

We arrived about 20 minutes before the official safe time and were pleased to see that the tide had already done its thing.  The road across the causeway was freshly washed by the sea and was still mostly wet where the seawater had only just relented.  As we were there before the official time we were actually one of the first visitors of the day and that showed when we got to the car park and had our pick of spaces.  When we had parked up we went in the opposite direction to most of the visitors as we headed away from the only settlement on the island (Lindisfarne) and struck off for the north coast.

Setting Off

Holy Island is mostly a world of dunes.  I am not sure how it came to have the holiest of connections (we have St Cuthbert to thank for that), but I think I could see the inspiration especially today.  We weren't just lucky with the tides but also with the weather - it was by far the best day of the whole week in Northumberland.  The combination of blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds, extensive views and the rolling sand dunes would be enough to inspire anyone I reckon.

Big Clouds In The Dunes

As we entered the sand dune area we saw a big warning sign.  This was about the invasive species called piri-piri burr which emanates from New Zealand and was thought to have been introduced accidentally on wool that came from Down Under and washed in the Tweed.  The seeds came down the river, washed up on the beach and thrived in the sand dunes.  As with a lot of invasive species it crowds out the local plantlife as it thrives.  Part of the warning was about dogs - their fur seems to collect the burrs very easily and helps with the spread.

Piri Piri Burrs

Funnily enough we didn't see any on the first mile or so of our walk and weren't sure what it looked like.  We did see quite a few species other than the standard marram grass - vipers bugloss, daisies and thistles.  All must be pretty hardy to live in such a hostile environment.  Despite the amount of rainfall in these parts most is not avaolable to the plants as it travels quickly down through the porous sand.  Eventually we came to the most magnificent beach after climbing through all the sand dunes.  The view was astonishing - ahead we could see into Scotland and St Abbs Head on the horizon.  A little nearer was the border town of Berwick on Tweed - it looked most invited along a sandy beach that just seemed to go on forever.  Apart from a dog-walking couple who left almost as quickly as we arrived (did we say something?) we had the entire beach to ourselves - it was astonishing!  Elsewhere in the country a beach of this quality would surely be heaving...

Unnamed Bay

As we wandered along the beach we realised very quickly that this would not be an option that would allow us to continue very far as ahead of us the sand quickly turned into rock pools.  We ended up back at the dunes and as we climbed up one quite high one the unmistakable sound of seals could be heard.  It was something that we remembered from our trip to Rathlin Island some years ago.  Sure enough on a rocks some distance out to sea we could see them calling to each other.  It was a sound that would stay with us for some time to come. 

Daymark

The sand dunes were quite difficult to negotiate but at last we came to a  large seemingly unnamed bay.  This was a lovely sandy beach frequented by large numbers of seabirds.  In particular we saw godwits, sand pipers, oystercatchers and black headed gulls.  We stopped here for a while and had a spot of lunch and enjoyed our surroundings.  We weren't alone now - there were a few other people on this beach although to be fair there was plenty of room for all of us!  After having a spot of lunch we were ready to carry on.  Our first port of call was to examine the rather prominent looking daymark on a bluff above the beach.  We weren't alone now - some of the more intrepid visitors to the island had by now now found there way out here too.

Restoration

Once we had got to the daymark it was easy to see why the numbers of people had grown as it was a lot easier to reach it from the south than the direction from which we had come courtesy of a delightful clifftop path.  The scenery changed dramatically here.  The dunes were all behind us now and the southern part of the island is made from the same dolerite that we had encountered at Craster, being part of the Whin Sill intrusion.

Jekyll's Garden

From the daymark we could see the famous castle, sadly under a very large complex of scaffolding and sheeting as it undergoes some much needed restoration.  For the next mile of the walk that was our focus, although it never seemed to get any nearer!  By now the puffy white clouds that had been bobbing across the sky were coalescing to form bigger black clouds and the sky looked more threatening than benign.  Sadly it also meant that there were longer periods between sunny spells.  It could have been worse though as off in the distance were some pretty fierce looking showers and we counted ourselves lucky that none of them tracked over us for there was no protection.

Cosmos

Sadly when we got to the castle we realised that it wasn't open to the public while the restoration work was going on.  I remember as a boy coming here and being disappointed by not going inside even though I was desperate to look round.  I don't even remember the reason but I couldn't help curse my luck that I missed out again.  We had to console ourselves instead by going to the small walled garden across the way.  This little oasis was thronged with visitors, which rather detracted from its serenity but we did sit and enjoy the flowers and insects for a while.

Harbour

The path now led into the village where most of the visitors to the island were to be found.  Before going into the village proper though our route took us around the small harbour and up on to a small ridge where there was a coastguard lookout.  The view from here across the tidal reaches separating the island from the mainland was quite special and the view extended down as far as the mighty fortress of Bamburgh Castle.

This Way To The Castle

The clouds had relented once again and on the other side of the ridge was the remains of Lindisfarne Priory, the main reason for the settlement.  The golden stone that it was built from positively gleamed in the sunshine.  The girls didn't really want to look around - I guess they could see most of it from this lofty perch.  We did take a look around the old lifeboat station at the bottom though.  This area has a proud history of lifeboats from the era of Grace Darling back in Victorian times.  The present day RNLI traces its history back to those days.  The station is no longer used but inside were plenty of memories of the bravery of all the lifeboat men and women that saved life and limb with their daring rescues.

War Memorial

The last place we looked was around the village. It was far busier than I remember it as a boy and there were plenty of shopping opportunities to entice the tourist.  I'll bet that most visitors don't venture far from here so we felt a little smug that we had seen pretty much everything that the island has to offer including the wild north side.  In fact we had done the walk a lot quicker than we anticipated and by now the weather had reverted to the unsettled squally showers that had been a feature of much of the week.  We left long before the tide came in and overwhelmed the causeway.  I wonder what the island is like between tides?  It must be a very different place when all the crowds have gone.

Lindisfarne Priory