St Oswalds Way walking holiday, Northumberland
| country: | England |
| location: | Northumberland |
| trip type: | Moderate self guided walking holidays |
| departures: | This tour can be arranged any time between Apr - Oct |
| price: | From £695 (9 days) excluding flights. Price includes 8 nights B&B accommodation (twin share), guide book and notes, support of our staff if you require it, baggage transfers and transfers to/from the train station |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
St Oswalds Way self-guided walking:
This beautiful self guided walk combines some of the best walking Northumberland has to offer on a route that links places associated with St. Oswald, the King of Northumbria in the early 7th Century, who played a major part in bringing Christianity to the United Kingdom.
The route is clearly way marked throughout its length from Holy Island (Lindisfarne) in the north, St Oswalds Way follows the stunning Northumberland coast down to Warkworth, before heading inland across beautiful countryside to Rothbury, Kirkwhelpington and finally to Heavenfield, on Hadrian’s Wall.
For those looking to explore this beautiful countryside at your own pace we offer this self guided option. We book all your accommodation, transfer your luggage and then provide you with route notes and itinerary for you to do the trail at your own pace.
St Oswalds Way guided walking:
£995 (10 days), 31 Jul 2009
We are also running a 10 day guided walking trip along the same route. Please enquire for more details.
This beautiful self guided walk combines some of the best walking Northumberland has to offer on a route that links places associated with St. Oswald, the King of Northumbria in the early 7th Century, who played a major part in bringing Christianity to the United Kingdom.
The route is clearly way marked throughout its length from Holy Island (Lindisfarne) in the north, St Oswalds Way follows the stunning Northumberland coast down to Warkworth, before heading inland across beautiful countryside to Rothbury, Kirkwhelpington and finally to Heavenfield, on Hadrian’s Wall.
For those looking to explore this beautiful countryside at your own pace we offer this self guided option. We book all your accommodation, transfer your luggage and then provide you with route notes and itinerary for you to do the trail at your own pace.
St Oswalds Way guided walking:
£995 (10 days), 31 Jul 2009
We are also running a 10 day guided walking trip along the same route. Please enquire for more details.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Lindisfarne (Holy Island) to Belford – 12 miles. Transfer from Alnmouth train station to Holy Island. As the crossing is tidal to Holy Island we need to check crossing times prior to confirming dates. You start from Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island and cross the causeway to the mainland. From here you share the route of St Cuthbert’s Way for 9 miles and then continue to follow the coast path to Belford. You will stay the night in Belford where there are a number of establishments to eat in and share your stories of the first days walking. |
| Day 2: | Belford to Seahouses – 11 miles. From Belford you head east past Budle Bay and rejoin the coast near Bamburgh. Bamburgh was the site of King Oswald’s royal seat. It is now dominated by one of Northumberland’s most familiar landmarks, the magnificent Bamburgh Castle. From here you head towards the popular seaside village of Seahouses, where boat trips to the nearby Farne Islands can be taken (not included in the trip cost). The accommodation at the end of this day will be in Seahouses. |
| Day 3: | Seahouses to Craster – 10 miles. The route continues southwards past Beadnell and Beadnell Bay to Low Newton-by-the-Sea and Embleton Bay. When tides are allow, it is possible to walk on the beach as an alternative at various points on this section. After this, St Oswald’s Way passes the romantic ruins of another famous Northumbrian castle, Dunstanburgh, before arriving at the fishing village of Craster. The accommodation this night is located just a short way south of the picturesque village of Craster. |
| Day 4: | Craster to Alnmouth/ Warkworth – 13 ½ miles. From the picturesque village of Craster, famous for its oak-smoked kippers, St. Oswald’s Way continues southwards down the coast. It passes the site of Northumberland’s earliest Stone Age settlement at Howick, before arriving at the village of Boulmer, with the nearby Royal Air Force base. As you head towards Alnmouth, the beautiful beach can be used as an alternative to the path on the shore, which passes two golf courses, including one of the oldest in England. After heading through the peaceful seaside resort of Alnmouth, the route passes around the Aln Estuary before using paths through the coastal dunes with splendid views of Amble and Coquet Island. St. Oswald’s Way then meets the River Coquet for the first time at the historic village of Warkworth. Tonight you will be staying in Alnmouth/ Warkworth. |
| Day 5: | Alnmouth/ Warkworth to Weldon Bridge – 11 ½ miles. Warkworth is a beautiful village set in a meander of the River Coquet beneath the imposing castle. From here, St. Oswald’s Way wanders up the scenic Coquet valley. It passes through the village of Felton then through woodland and along riverside paths to Weldon Bridge. This night you will be staying in Weldon Bridge and staying in some wonderful accommodation renowned for its food. Just what’s needed after 5 days walking. |
| Day 6: | Weldon Bridge to Rothbury – 6 ½ miles. The route then stays on the southern side of the Coquet, glimpsing the historic Brinkburn Priory on the other side of the river, through attractive rolling farmland to reach Rothbury, “the Capital of Coquetdale”, set in superb Northumberland scenery. After this short days walking it gives you plenty of time to explore the wonderful market town of Rothbury. If you wish you can visit Cragside House, which is currently owned by the National Trust. 'The palace of a modern magician', inventor Lord Armstrong and Victorian England's most technologically-advanced mansion. This night you will be staying in Rothbury in some lovely accommodation nestled on the hillside, looking south over Rothbury itself. |
| Day 7: | Rothbury to Knowesgate – 13 ½ miles. The picturesque and ancient village of Rothbury is set in the Coquet valley and surrounded by hills. St. Oswald’s Way leaves the River Coquet here and heads southwards again, this time over remote but appealing country. The route enters Northumberland National Park and passes the remains of an Iron Age hill fort and rock carvings at Lordenshaws. The heather-clad moors of the Simonside Hills are crossed before reaching Harwood Forest, a large plantation managed by the Forestry Commission. The route then crosses attractive farmland to reach the settlement of Knowesgate. Tonight you will stay in Knowesgate itself, in a hotel which serves food. |
| Day 8: | Knowesgate to Great Whittington – 12 miles. This section of St. Oswald’s Way starts at Knowesgate before it passes down to the attractive village of Kirkwhelpington and runs southwards through picturesque rolling farmland. This part of the walk is fairly remote and includes interesting small settlements such as Great Bavington and Hallington before reaching the village of Great Whittington. From Great Whittingham you will have a nights accommodation in one of its neighbouring villages. |
| Day 9: | Great Whittington to Heavenfield – 7 miles. After a short distance back to where you left the route you walk south of Great Whittington to where the route joins Hadrian’s Wall Path and runs westwards along the famous Roman frontier to the historic site of Heavenfield, the ‘end’ of St. Oswald’s Way. You will then be transferred from Heavenfield to the Newcastle Central Station or Newcastle Airport. Alternatively we can add an extra night stay for you in Newcastle upon Tyne. |
this tourism business was Highly Commended
In our 2005 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards, the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine. The idea behind the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people. how this holiday makes a difference
|
Global adventures start with a local perspective – that's our philosophy. Whether abroad, or just as importantly at home, the start point is the same; how to get the most enjoyable holiday for our customers while benefiting the local people, economy and respecting the environment.
These walking holidays are a great way to explore the beautiful Northumberland countryside and coastline, enabling you to take in the surroundings without damaging the environment. We use local guides and support people, small independent B&B's, guest houses and hotels to ensure that the money stays in the local economy. Where we provide food we aim to use locally produced product. We provide travellers with Travellers Codes that encourage the reduction of water usage, systems for collecting, recycling or safe disposal of litter and relevant suggestions to minimise damage to the environment, wildlife and marine ecosystems. All our guided holidays have a maximum group size of 12 to 15 people minimising the environmental impact. We actively work for footpath sustainability, through funding footpath restoration projects in the Northumberland National Park. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |