Northumberland Walking

L S Lowry and King Charles III

Do you enjoy walking near the sea?

This week I walked along the beach front at Spittal Sands in Northumberland. There was an icy chill in the air. Not too windy and no hint of rain, so I wrapped up in layers and donned a woolly hat and gloves. Northumberland is the northernmost county in England and this beach is just a few miles from the border with Scotland; it looks out to the North Sea from the south side of the Tweed estuary and the old walled town of the aptly named Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Catch!

Everyone and their dog was out on the flat expanse of ochre yellow sand. They, and I, chose to walk further away from land, away from the dry shifting grains underfoot to the firmer sea-wet parts of the beach. Dogs scampered around making paw-print circles, and balls thrown for Catch! gathered sand particles as easily as sponge cake rolled in chocolate frosting and sprinkles. I came across the usual bits and bobs:- shells, sea glass, tumbled and rounded pieces of red house-brick, driftwood, the remnants of palm fronds, and seaweed.

New Home

Since I moved to this area only days ago, and having lived in landlocked Cambridgeshire for many years where trips to the beach were rare, I’m having to learn new things—the names of different types of seaweed, for instance, and the times of the tides.

I found myself standing on the promenade looking out to the lighthouse some distance away, and there was a notice board in front of me explaining that L S Lowry painted this exact scene. Lowry is a much-respected British artist who died in 1976; he is mainly known for his ‘matchstick men’ and greyscale depictions of industry in the North West of England. He is less known for his paintings in this area. But it was a part of the world he loved and he holidayed here as many people still do today. Apparently, Lowry considered buying a property here.

Oil Painting

For a few hours I walked in Lowry’s footsteps and thought about him using his palette knife and brush, daubing oil paint onto the canvas, rendering the scene in his own unique way. And that morning I enjoyed thinking about seascapes and art, and I thought how fortunate I was that I would be able to see this scene in real life through the seasons. He called his painting Spittal Sands, so there’s no confusion about location, and it was finished in 1960, the year my brother was born. And I was but a ‘wee’ girl—‘wee’ is what they say here for ‘little’.

The Lowry Trail

But there’s more. The town celebrates its link with this artist by providing visitors with a guide—the ‘Lowry Trail’. Berwick Preservation Trust created the trail, a five-mile walk, which is well signposted and includes viewing points with information just like the one I stood at that morning on the promenade.

Wait, but there’s even more!

The new King Charles III England Coastal Path has opened. Well, most of it has. Some parts are still being made ready. When it’s finished, probably towards the end of 2026, (fingers crossed), it will be 2,700 miles long, and the longest managed coastal path in the world!

Visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne

Perhaps one day I will take this Path and walk south along the 38 mile (61 km) stretch that is already open and accessible from Berwick-upon-Tweed through Spitall Sands all the way to Bamburgh, taking in the sights of Bamburgh Castle and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. I need to do a few more walks first, build myself up to it, but I do rather fancy taking myself off and exploring.

Do you enjoy walking near the sea? I look forward to chatting with you in the comments.

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Credits & Links:

Photos are my own.

For more about Lowry see the North East Museum’s website.

For more about the King Charles III England Coast Path and the current status and condition of the Path around the country see the National Trails website.

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