Christmas in Northumberland: Newton-by-the Sea
On Day 4 of our Christmas stay in Northumberland John went for a cycle in the morning and we went for a shorter than normal walk in the afternoon. The most interesting thing John spotted while cycling was the cross above – Malcolm’s Cross. The inscription reads Malcom III besieging Alnwick Castle was slain here Nov XIII an MXCIII. It’s true King Malcolm of Scotland was killed during the Battle of Alnwick in 1093 AD, but it is disputed whether he actually died on this spot. The pedestal is all that remains of the medieval cross, which was replaced by the current stone cross in 1774, when the monument was restored by Elizabeth Seymour, First Duchess of Northumberland, whose family line included Malcolm as an ancestor.
After lunch in the cottage we drove to Newton-by-the Sea which presents a tale of two villages: Low Newton and High Newton. We started in Low Newton, centred round a pretty village green with a well-renowned pub, the Ship Inn – sadly not open.
Turning right at the coast we set off along Newton’s beautiful beach with Dunstanburgh Castle on the horizon.
We left the beach when we came to a small road up towards Embleton, passing another Little Free Library of which the Northumbrians seem very fond. This one looked good if you like books on antiques and ancient Blue Peter annuals. In Embleton we found a pub which was open, the Greys Inn, and stopped for a much needed coffee.
From Embleton we crossed farmland to High Newton. Although a right of way, the farmer clearly wasn’t very happy about it as there were several bossy notices and, at one point, the path had been ploughed across. Naughty! We were glad to arrive in High Newton from where we walked half a mile down the road to the carpark in Low Newton.
Just before we got there we stopped to visit the unusual corrugated iron church of St Mary’s, bought in kit form towards the end of the 19th century. And, oh look! A Little Free Library.
The next day was Christmas Day, but we still got a good walk, this time in Alnmouth.
Linked to Jo’s Monday Walk.
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Another nice hike. I love the beach pictures. (Suzanne)
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Thanks, the beaches on this coast are lovely (if cold!)
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The little tin church is lovely, inside and out.
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I know, very sweet!
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That beach is wonderful. Now I have to go and locate Low Newton on a map
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That whole stretch of Northumbrian coast is beautiful.
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Loving that beach and the little libraries! You always have such interesting trips 🙂
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The beach was stunning – with great light.
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This is very good that you found these little free librariea. There are a lot in France. I love the idea.
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Yes, they are nice – as long as people don’t dump their old rubbish in them!
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How can you not love a place with so many free libraries!? The beach looks beautiful and windswept. That corrugated iron church looks interesting too. It seems you had a nice Christmas getaway. And John was even able to bike!
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We had a lovely getaway thanks!
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Hi Anabel – looks to be a fun trip … and certainly John with his bike sees places we might not get to without him exploring. I wonder if the farmer’s lands have been encroached upon … so perhaps he had justification … perhaps?! Cheers Hilary
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It was a fun trip No justification for ploughing up a right of way though!
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“Kit church” – aka “Tin Tabernacle”, I think.
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Ah, I think I have heard that term before. Now I know what it is!
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I’d never heard of Church Kits. We have an evangelical church is Ripon built in that way, but I had no idea it came from a Victorian antecedent of B&Q!
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I had no idea either, but I’m learning a lot about them from the comments.
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There are lots of buildings made of corrugated iron here, including churches. They were mostly flat packed and imported from England in the 19th century. The reason they were so popular is that white ants can’t eat them like they do timber buildings. I wonder if that farmer had a bad experience with someone or perhaps he’s just a bit crabby.
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Interesting! Further down someone said the same about South Africa. There were probably more here that didn’t survive. I suspect the farmer was just crabby. Some of the farm steadings had been made into rental cottages and the field in front was very carefully delineated with an invisible boundary which non-residents should not cross. Very off-putting – which was probably the intention.
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Well, that metal church sure is beautiful inside!
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Quite unexpectedly so!
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Those English footpaths always make me glad to live in Scotland.
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Not foolproof, but normally landowners uphold their end of the bargain.
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I was thinking more of not having to be confined to muddy footpaths when we go out for a walk.
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Love the church! The public footpaths around here leave something to be desired, the one behind me disappears into a field, no way of knowing where to go and often has bullocks and other cattle in it. Where I think it comes out onto a lane is a padlocked gate and a stile overgrown with brambles and nettles. Only way out is to climb over the gate! Another path which is actually on the St Michael’s Way also leads you into a field with cattle and no indication of where the path is to cross the field. So frustrating.
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Under the right to roam here landowners are supposed to keep paths free and mostly they do. I keep clear of cattle as far as possible after a couple of dodgy experiences! The church was delightful.
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They are supposed to keep them clear here too.
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This one was definitely a right of way so shouldn’t have been ploughed like that. At least the soil was quite dry so we didn’t sink to our ankles in mud!
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So many interesting places in Northumbria.
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There certainly are!
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As a Northumbrian, you can never have too many Blue Peter annuals, or Crackerjack pencils. 😉
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Oh, I’m jealous. I never possessed a Crackerjack pencil!
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I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the only corrugated iron church in the world.
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It’s certainly the only one I’ve seen. I liked it.
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Nope, we have one here in Ripon, and comments seem to suggest they’re commoner than we might think!
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Lovely photos of the beach, Anabel. Embleton Bay is lovely. I had it in my head that there were some sculptures gazing out to sea somewhere on that strip of coast, but I can’t remember where. Maybe they have so many free libraries because there aren’t too many town ones in Northumberland? I always like to come across one, even if there’s nothing I want to read. Many thanks for taking me back there xx
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I looked that up – Newbiggin not Newton! All that coast is lovely. The second Little Free Library looked a bit more enticing than the first with its antique books in both senses!
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Ah, silly me! I’ve had that conversation before with a friend who sometimes takes her collie up there xx
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👍
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Lovely photos especially the beach ones. You were fortunate to find a pub open these days so many are closing in villages. I’m still not sure about the walking ‘rules’ in Scotland! Free roaming doesn’t seem to apply to everyone!! I loved walking in Wales as the paths were usually signposted!
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I loved the beach photo with the reflections on the sand. There were quite a few pubs about but some, like the Ship, were seasonal so not open in December. Right to roam should apply to everyone as long as they behave responsibly.
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That’s an area I don’t know at all down there. Looks nice though. Bob. BSS.
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I didn’t know this village, though I know other places on the coast.
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Wonderful photos. It doesn’t look like the weather was too bad either down there. Pub looks nice, hope the coffee was good 😀
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It was bright but cold. From what I remember the coffee was good – but the main thing is it was warming!
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The corrugated iron bought in kit form is interesting as many of the older buildings in South Afric are made from corrugated iron kits imported from England. My parents’ farm house in the Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga) was partly built from corrugated iron (very thick when compared with the modern product) that was brought up from Delagoa Bay (in Mozambique) by oxwagon in 1910!
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It’s not something I’ve come across before. I assume, if they were being exported from here, there would have been more of them built here but maybe they haven’t survived.
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I’ve been to Low Newton but I don’t believe I’ve ever visited High Newton – I’m sure I’d remember that unusual corrugated iron church! Isn’t it maddening when farmers try to deter walkers from right of way routes?!
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It’s very annoying! The church was very unusual, I’ve not seen one like that before.
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I found Low Newton by accident and was quite taken with its cottages round the green and the Ship in the corner, it’s quite a pretty place in summer. I like the beach too.
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It’s very pretty – and I imagine much busier in summer. I’d have liked to try the Ship.
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The second time I went there I had a friend with me, we had a drink at the Ship but sat outside in the sunshine so we didn’t see much of the pub itself though it did seem to be fairly busy.
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I think that would be lovelier than sitting inside.
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