After a day of medieval history, looking around Dunstanburgh Castle, I thought that was probably it, with no chances for railway based activity. However, that was all to change...
Called in at Alnwick on the way back, for some cava at Barter's, then returned to Alnmouth. Ate a selection of meats and cheeses, then went out for a stroll.Headed out on the estuary road, but turned off by the cricket club, up a footpath to Lesbury. Saw a nice cat.
Walked through Lesbury, past the church and the pub. Passed the tollhouse, over the old bridge (the new 1960s one is stupid looking), then cut off onto the footpath along the bank of the Aln.
The main purpose of the walk was to see the viaduct carrying the East Coast Main Line across the river. Not sure what it's called. The sign underneath calls it Alnmouth...
It's pretty old. I think it was built in around 1846/7. I tried to count the arches but one end is rather obscured by trees. I took a couple of photos, and amusingly the exposure times erased the electric wires from the top. Retro!
I really ought to have been heading back en famille by now, but didn't. Carried on walking up the Aln, to Bilton Mill, then turned off up the valley side, towards the nearest road. Crossed the old Alnmouth-Alnwick branch line via a couple of stiles, by which point the mist had closed in again.The footpath led to a farm track, then joined a minor road which eventually led back to Alnmouth station.
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| Alnmouth - apologies for the blur on the lens. Fingermark. Oops. |
There's a plaque on the up platform (platform 1), detailing a bit of history of the railway. The station opened 1849 as Lesbury, was renamed as Bilton at some point, then became Alnmouth, and since 2003 has been Alnmouth for Alnwick. That's probably not what it said at all, but by this point I was tired.
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