Walking St Oswald's Way and Northumberland Coast Path

Book excerpt: This guidebook describes the St Oswald's Way and Northumberland Coast Paths, both long-distance trails through Northumberland. St Oswald's Way (156km, 97 miles) begins in Heavenfield and traverses parts of Northumberland National Park and visits Hadrian’s Wall, the Simonside Hills and the beautiful Coquet Valley, before continuing up the coast to Lindisfarne (Holy Island). The Northumberland Coast Path (100km, 62 miles) takes in the whole of the Northumberland Coast AONB with its breathtaking coastal scenery and birdlife. Both trails converge on Holy Island, with the Coast Path continuing up to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Each trail can be walked in a week. The guide includes practical advice on when to go and what to take, and information on the region, its weather, wildlife, history and heritage. Detailed route descriptions and clear, step-by-step instructions are accompanied by 1:50K OS mapping. Public transport options and accommodation listings are also given. Described as the cradle of Christianity in England, Northumberland's history is long and varied and the trails reflect this with visits to some magnificent architecture – rambling castles, Norman churches, medieval abbeys – as well as sites of enormous archaeological and geological interest, quiet villages and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. From rugged hills to coastal dunes this is one of Britain's most beautiful landscapes for walking and backpacking far away from it all.