Nature’s Art Gallery

Today it’s time to explore the coast at close quarters. It’s a day of looking at wide beachscapes, spindrift waves, endless blues reflected in wet sands, sunbeams piercing through thick cloud, waves of sand whipped up by the keen wind scudding across the shore. 

We start at Alnmouth where we watch a feisty seal pup being ‘rescued’ from his temporary home on the adjacent golf course, smiling as he eagerly rushes down between the the groynes until he meets the waves. 

Then it’s on to Sugar Sands where we look over to Dunstanburgh Castle across a spindrift sea. From here, it’s Rumbling Kern - such a wonderful name - where attention turns from sea to rock as we clamber over the most amazing natural sculpture gallery.  Mille-feuille confections of rock fold and twist, and sandstone is etched with lines of hard black rock. Erosion has sculpted fantastic shapes and forms, depressions worn by years of wave action and wind. I absolutely love these textures, though I must admit the clambering over rocks is challenging - and G has to help me on several occasions. 

Eventually, we climb the sandy hill to reach the Bathing House built by the 2nd Earl Grey, Charles Grey (1764 – 1845) - one time Prime Minster (1830 - 1834) and who the tea is named after. Grey had 15 children with his wife Mary, and after an unhappy childhood at school in Eton, the Earl insisted on his children being home-schooled and built the Bathing House to help with outdoor learning. 

We end our day in Craster where a visit to the smokery sees us leaving with kippers, smoked salmon pate and two salmon fish cakes which we enjoy for tonight’s evening meal. Another fabulous if tiring day! 

Thanks so much again for your generosity responding to my Lindesfarne set. 

Edit: my main today was Rumbling Kern looking towards the Bathing House, but considering the title of todays’s entry, I’ve changed it to one of the collages of the rock formations there. The last two extras show Dunstanburgh from Sugar Sands and a view of Alnmouth.