Introduction


When we started walking the coast of England we had no intention that this would become a major lifetime project. Having to make a last-minute arrangement for our summer holiday in 1987, we said "Let's go to the nearest piece of coast and see how far we can walk along it." It turned out well and we started adding further stretches of coast, initially once every two years, but soon annually, or even twice a year.

We had always enjoyed the coast - there is something refreshingly "edgy" about having the sea always at our side, and one of us was into marine molluscs. We also enjoyed long-distance walking and had long been involved in general natural history recording. This project enabled us to combine all three interests.

You soon discover when embarking on a project like this that you need a few rules, which evolve from the first experiences. Our main rule was that we should walk as close to the coast as possible, which meant beach-walking whenever we could (unlike the official coast paths that largely remain above shore, recognising that at high tides the beach may be inaccessible). The route should also be capable of being a continuous walk, so that when we came to an unfordable river we walked inland along its banks to the first place at which we could cross, whether a bridge or a ferry.

We only carried light packs, so that at the end of each day's walk we had the problem of getting back to our car where we started. Initially we walked back, but soon realised we would be walking the coast twice this way! We used public transport whenever this was available - buses or trains, sometimes adjusting our start and finish points to make this easier. Failing this - and it was often not possible - we would phone for a taxi (an increasingly costly option over the years). Having our car with us gave us more freedom as to where we could stay at night - and after a day walking and only light food we were usually ready for being spoiled by a good meal and a comfortable bed! Even so, we stayed on the coast itself whenever there was a decent option.

Each walk was made for enjoyment, it was not a route-march to see how quickly we could get it finished. We therefore took it gently at times when passing through pleasant scenery or where there were many plants or creatures to record.

In terms of biological recording, we systematically noted every bird, butterfly, creature or sea-shell that we came across, sometimes spending time searching for the shells. We could not record every plant in the same way - there are too many common ones - so we were more selective, noting all coastal plants and any others that were not run-of-the-mill.

In our daily posts, edited from our original diaries, we include a star-rating from no star to **** according to our subjective estimate as to how special that day was from the point of view of natural history. This score (and our daily records) will, however, have been affected by the weather - it is difficult to appreciate the environment fully, for instance, in torrential rain, and there are many more butterflies and other insects to be seen in warm sunshine!

A summary of all our natural history records on the walk can be found using this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1LLGD55lKRHYXd1SGU1QndrcUU/edit?usp=sharing





Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Northumberland: Scottish Border to Berwick-upon-Tweed 23/6/2006****


 

Tipula maxima
 
Butterwort
 
Arctic skua
We parked in Berwick on the cliff-top just north of the golf course.  A path went down to the sandy beach with dark limestone rocks below a holiday camp, but it was smelly from sewage outfalls.  We climbed back up at the north end where the beach changed to the sandstone rocks of Sharper’s Head and saw a large cranefly with brown wing-markings Tipula maxima resting on a beached boat.  At the top we walked between a caravan park and the cliff, soon coming to another sandy bay which was more salubrious.  It was notable for the butterwort plants in full flower growing with northern marsh orchids and purple willow in the wet cliff-base overhangs, as well as many sand martins nesting in the drier parts.  A heron had been fishing among the sea-rocks but joined its mate on the cliffs at the north end, where there was no exit for us, so we had to return and walk on top of the cliffs.  We skirted a second golf course above Brotherston’s Hole, a couple of fields of beans where we saw cut-leaved dead-nettle, and rough meadows until we reached the side of the railway where it comes close to the coast.  The cliffs below were home to many nesting seabirds, including kittiwake, fulmar, razorbill and guillemot, while an inaccessible beach had oystercatchers.  We continued through rough meadows abounding with marsh orchids and wood vetch, while down the cliffs tumbled red campion, meadow cranesbill and kidney vetch in a colourful cascade.  We arrived at the caravan park of Marshall Meadows, named after the Marshall of the Barracks Lands who once inhabited the house beside the wood above.  Here a tunnel descended into the ground and emerged at a hole in the cliff a little above a rocky beach.  It was very overgrown and it did not take us long to decide not to make use of it!  We continued through caravans until we could take the cliff path again around a field of barley, the end of which was marked by a simple fence representing the English-Scottish border, no customs, no fanfare.  We passed through and walked along the Scottish side of the fence to the railway where the border was recognised in British Rail signs “Arms Across the Border”.  At the cliff-edge on the border we ate lunch split between two countries, watching linnets, a redpoll, a passing peregrine, and a flock of gulls mobbing – it can’t be, yes it is, an Arctic skua!  Wild as it seemed, however, the scenery behind was spoilt by railway, caravans and industrial sites.  We returned to the caravan park and took a paved road to the A1 trunk road and a bus back to Berwick.  From the centre of town we descended to the riverside and walked along the quay around the harbour to the pier.  Corn-cockle flowered right on the harbour edge.  The houses are of grey stone.  The town rises up a steep hill and eventually we reached the old town ramparts with embankments and remains of walls and towers.  We left this for the cliff-path, descending to a decent beach north of the harbour where there were many black-headed gulls, starlings, rock pipits and pied wagtails.  We are staying at a B&B in town, 1 Sallyport.
Beach from Sharper's Head
 
The Border
 
Berwick Harbour
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