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New St Oswald’s Way official guidebook features advice, maps and information for completing the scenic walk
‘St Oswald’s Way – Official Guidebook’, published by Northern Heritage: £12.99 (paperback)
New for 2024, ‘St Oswald’s Way – Official Guidebook’ contains comprehensive information, maps, and advice to complete this scenic Northumberland walk. Written by Martin Paminter of the St Oswald’s Way Management Group, the guidebook contains everything you need to know ahead of and while following the famous route.
St Oswald’s Way is a long-distance route that takes walkers through some of the finest Northumberland landscapes, exploring the county’s fascinating history. As its name suggests, places associated with St Oswald, the King of Northumbria in the early 7th century, are linked up along the way. St Oswald played a major part in bringing Christianity to Northumbria and his story is key to the region’s heritage, making this walk particularly special.
The 97-mile (156km) route is divided into six sections travelling from north to south, beginning at Holy Island (Lindisfarne), before moving inland across picturesque countryside to Heavenfield and UNESCO World Heritage Site Hadrian’s Wall.
St Oswald’s Way is a walk that is rich with historic castles, beautiful coastline, unique islands, scenic river valleys and rolling hills, as well as villages, forests, and farmland. The new book is a go-to guide for completing the route, with useful information provided about parking, public toilets, bus stops, food and drink, and other facilities.
The book contains maps and key advice for all six sections of the route: Holy Island to Bamburgh (19 miles/31km), Bamburgh to Craster (14 miles/22km), Craster to Warkworth (13.5 miles/21.5km), Warkworth to Rothbury (18 miles/29km), Rothbury to Kirkwhelpington (15 miles/24km) and Kirkwhelpington to Heavenfield (17.5 miles/28.5km).
From preparing for your walk and following the countryside code to accommodation and tourist information, this is a handy tool to begin referring to from the planning stages. With a map of the whole route, signage information and a route distance table, walkers can use this book to complete any or all sections. It’s also worth knowing that after completing the entire route, walkers qualify for a commemorative certificate as a memento of their journey.
Soak up the beauty, history, and glorious views that Northumberland boasts, with standout places including Dunstanburgh Castle, Alnmouth Bay, Brinkburn Priory, Simonside Hills, and Kirkwhelpington village. While enjoying this route, the book will provide a historical guide as well, with plentiful detail about each section’s heritage and connection to St Oswald himself.
Small and light enough to carry along the way, it’s an interesting and useful guide which is easy to follow and packed with helpful insight for completing St Oswald’s Way.
The walk is supported by the St Oswald’s Way Management Group, and profits from the sale of this guidebook will help them protect this route for the future. The organisation is currently seeking volunteers to look after this important path. Support from those willing to volunteer their time is a much-valued resource, ensuring everyone can continue to enjoy St Oswald’s Way. More details are available at www.stoswaldsway.com
Paperback: 104 pages, £12.99
ISBN: 9781739486136
Available from:
Northern Heritage Services Ltd
01670 789940