Craster
Visitor Guide
The tiny harbour built by the Craster family in 1906 was once a thriving port importing herring and exporting local stone. Today, the herring shoals are exhausted, the commercial fishing fleet is no more, and the quarry is a car park. Whilst there is still a working smokehouse producing kippers, these days, most of the fishing boats leaving the harbour carry tourists on fishing trips. With no shops and only one road in or out, the charms of Craster are not obvious, at least on paper. Nevertheless, it is well worth a visit.
A day trip to Craster: What to do in and around this sleepy fishing village
Craster ©Dave_S CC BY 2.0
Why is Craster worth visiting?
For the easy walk to enjoy the views from the romantic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.
For the slightly longer walk across the unspoilt sands of Embleton Bay to the Ship Inn at Low-Newton-by-the-Sea.
For a seafood lunch with a sea view at the Jolly Fisherman.
To sample the world-famous Craster kippers from the original smokehouse shop.
Dunstanburgh Castle ©Gerald Murphy CC BY-ND 2.0
Low Newton-by-the-Sea ©Stephen Craven CC BY-SA 2.0
©The Joly Fisherman Craster
Robson’s Smokehouse ©David Clay CC BY-SA 2.0
Things to do in Craster
1. Walk to Dunstanburgh Castle
Dunstanburgh Castle ©Mark McNestry CC BY 2.0
Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England - 70 of them. We visited the three most famous during our short break. Alnwick Castle is still inhabited and well-maintained. Bamburgh Castle was largely rebuilt and restored in the 19th century. Dunstanburgh is a ruin. 700 years old, perched on a rocky headland on the North Sea coast, approached on foot, and painted by Turner - a romantic ruin.
Dunstanburgh Castle J M W Turner Public Domain
The castle is only accessible by walking along the coast, and Craster is the nearest place to set out from. The footpath is flat and clearly marked, though you will find livestock on part of it, so dogs must be kept on a lead. It is a short, easy walk of less than a mile and a half.
There is no parking allowed in the village, and turning around is a challenge. Look out for the car park in the disused quarry. It is hidden on the right before the chicanes just as you come into the village. From there, it is only a five-minute walk into the Craster.
If you are visiting in the summer season, we recommend you do what we did, skip breakfast and grab a kipper-in-a-bun or some auchtermuchty (haggis & bacon) from Andy Grant at The Piper’s Pitch van before leaving the car park.
©Alex Brn CC BY-SA 3.0
The castle is owned by English Heritage, so there is a fee to enter (free to National Trust members). Still, it is worth it for the views back towards Craster and on over Embleton Bay towards Low Newton-by-the-Sea.
Dunstanburgh Castle ©Gerald Murphy CC BY-ND 2.0
Dunstanburgh View ©Alison Pope CC BY 2.0
Dunstanburgh Cliffs ©Alison Pope CC BY 2.0
2. Visit Low Newton-by-the-Sea
NE66 3EL
Low Newton ©Matt Buck CC BY-SA 2.0
Two and a half miles further along the coast from Dunstanburgh is the National Trust-owned hamlet of Low Newton-by-the-Sea. It is a collection of terrace cottages arranged around three sides of a village green and situated right on the beach.
Low Newton ©Ged CC BY-SA 2.0
The walk takes a little over an hour each way, and depending on the tide, you can walk one way on the beach and the other along the dunes. The beach near Low Newton can get busy in summer. Still, the stretch of Embleton Bay between Dunstanburgh and Low Newton is usually fairly quiet. It is unspoilt and undeveloped, with ample opportunities to spot birds on the beach and dunes.
Embleton Bay Beach ©Alison Pope CC BY-SA 2.0
On arrival at Low Newton, stop for refreshment at The Ship Inn (NE66 3EL). Tucked away in the back corner of the village green, it is famous for its crab sandwiches and has a microbrewery on site.
©The Ship Inn Low Newton
3. Lunch at The Jolly Fisherman
NE66 3TR
The Jolly Fisherman ©Fusion Design
On returning to Craster, do not miss the opportunity to visit The Jolly Fisherman. At the front, a cosy pub complete with log fire; at the back, a conservatory restaurant serving some of the best seafood on the Northumberland coast; and outside, a terrace with views to Dunstanburgh Castle that frequently features in lists of the top beer gardens in the UK. Beautiful on a sunny day, but if the weather is blustery, there are snug little nooks under the conservatory, allowing you to enjoy the view whilst sheltering from the worst of the wind. It gets busy though, so be sure to book in advance. In summer they have a van outside selling takeaway fish & chips if you’d rather walk and eat, or sit on the beach.
©The Jolly Fisherman
©The Jolly Fisherman
4. Sample some kippers direct from the smokehouse
Robson & Sons ©Kim Fyson CC BY-SA 2.0
Named after the old English word for copper, because the oak smoke dyes them a golden colour, kippers are what made Craster a household name. Though you can find them in Waitrose, there is something special about buying Craster Kippers directly from the shop attached to the smokehouse.
L. Robson & Sons (N66 3TR) is a family business that has smoked herrings and salmon in Craster for over a century. They still operate from the original smokehouse, built in 1856, that they bought from the Craster family in 1906. You only have to follow your nose and cross the road from the Jolly Fisherman to find them.
Kippers Smoking ©L Robson & Sons
©L Robson & Sons
You can sample the kippers in the cafe on the premises or buy some in the shop to take home. Mr Mosey loves them on brown toast with a poached egg on top. If you warm them up in a jug of water from the kettle, they needn’t stink out your holiday cottage!
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