Walking - The Newbiggin By The Sea Art Trail, Northumberland

This post, belatedly, follows on from the two posts about a walk I enjoyed a month ago from Stakeford to the estuary of the River Wansbeck and then along the coast to Newbiggin by the Sea.  The route map can be found here.  It's only a 5 1/2 mile walk but I enjoyed it and I'll walk it again sometime and perhaps extend it.  It's short but includes a river to follow, a pretty estuary, a long sandy beach which only had one person walking on it at the time including me, a cliff top path and a promenade into Newbiggin.  That's good value for money!  Especially if you're in the very fortunate position of not having to pay for the bus fare.  If you want an easy walk with a bus stop at both ends you could do a lot worse.

Steps leading up from Newbiggin promenade

While following the prom I noticed pictures on some of the walls at the bottom of the gardens of houses facing the sea.  Being me, I took pictures of some.  They're scattered right round the town and there are lots that I didn't see.  One day it would be good to go back and find them all - on a Saturday because a few are indoors in buildings that are only open on a Saturday.

In addition to paintings and mosaics there are sculptures, a photography exhibition and "Couple" by Sean Henry, which is the first permanent offshore sculpture in the UK.

If you're in the area, head for Newbiggin and find the art, visit the Maritime Centre, eat chips on the promenade, have a walk and generally have an enjoyable day.  If that's not enough for you, detour to the Woodhorn Colliery and explore the museum and park there.

This post is an easy one to write.  It's just photos!  It's not a rant or argument or discussion of mental health or autism or Christianity and spirituality or transgender issues.  This is just photos from a day I thoroughly enjoyed.

Here goes, photos from the art trail.  If you want to follow it yourself one day, there's this guide.