A sunny paddle round Walney

I set off with a group to circumnavigate Walney Island off the south west part of the Cumbrian coast. Walney is around 13km long, under 2km wide and lies across a narrow channel from the industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness.

We set off from Earnse Point when the tide still had a way to come in. Walney is made up from glacial deposits and the west side is one long beach made up of sand, shingle and pebbles.

The south part of the island is a nature reserve where Eider Duck nest in relative peace under the protection of their Herring Gull neighbours.

We passed Piel Castle but felt obliged to get an update on the renovation project on 'The Ship Inn'. While we were there we it seemed rude not to stop for a drop of lunch.

The flood tide was building in the Walney Channel so we hurried back on to the water to make our way north.

We were barely half way to Barrow when we discovered this leggy beast bearing down on us.

This is what remains of a slag heap that used to be much bigger. This is where hot waste was dumped from the foundry at the north of Barrow. The glow from this heap could regularly be seen from the Isle of Man at night.

We stopped for a short break at the north end before nipping across the have a look at 'Lowsy Point'. There are a collection of huts amongst the dunes and grassland.

Some are residences and some weekend retreats, but all of them are someones beloved pride and joy. It does seem as though some of the buildings are held together with mostly pride, and not so much text book construction techniques.

We left Lowsy Point on the ebbing tide with just 4 km remaining before we landed back at Earne Point, where the ice cream man was waiting for us.

The Entrance to the River Tees

The coastline between Saltburn and Hartlepool requires a degree of imagination to blend with a sea kayakers' sense of wilderness adventure. The extensive surf beaches form the boundary between the wild rolling swells of the North Sea and the wild tangled industrial interior. We arrived at Saltburn to find a larger than expected swell generating around a metre and a half of surf.

From the car park this didn't seem to be much of a daunting prospect, but contact with the first wave brought a gritty sting to the eyes, adrenaline to the blood and a fresh burst of power to the blade. Not all of us made it beyond the break which left a daunting but eventually entertaining ride back in to the beach.

Having had all the excitement we could bear at Saltburn, we relocated to South Gare at the entrance to the River Tees in search of an easier launch. The steelworks dominates a desolate landscape here.

There is an eclectic collection of buildings here in precarious existence amongst the dunes and along the breakwater shore. The yacht club beside the old lifeboat station has an old style café that serves a traditional range of greasy delights for cold hungry yachtsmen. Kayakers are welcome too but don’t expect to find muesli on the menu.

We crossed the river past Seaton Carew and into Hartlepool Bay. The brightly painted Georgian buildings along the Hartlepool Headland made for a jolly backdrop to the end of our journey.

A Quest, to bring the boat home

I have joined the P&H Custom Sea Kayaks paddlers team. I have been paddling a P&H Sirius for over 8 years now and it has seen me through some tough trips in that time. I feel the need for a change now so its time for a new boat!

I have chosen a P&H Quest LV which I collected from the P&H canalside base near Runcorn on Saturday morning. It was like christmas and birthdays all rolled into one as I cut through the wrapping to meet my new pride and joy.

What better way to get my new kayak home than to paddle the 32km along the Bridgewater Canal, though the beautiful rolling Cheshire countryside, to within a few hundred meters of my home in south Manchester.

I'll have to wait at least a week to get it out on the sea...

Thanks to Sam, Pez and the rest of the P&H team, and also to Jim from Kayaks North West for helping me with the unveiling. Thanks to Chris Krawiecki for the photos.

The Great Northeast Adventure - part 2

Peter and I have come to the southern part of the Northumberland coast. We have based ourselves in the small town of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. The scenery holds less drama than up north and the local towns and villages show obvious signs of physical and financial decay when compared to the famed and tourist rich Northumbrian honeypots.

We started on Tuesday by re-visiting the area close to Amble and a more sedate viewing of Coquet Island than on race day a couple of days earlier. The air was almost still and the sea unusually flat as we made our way to the 'Fishing Boat Inn' at Boulmer. Boulmer has a reef of flat rock that protects this natural harbour and fishing is still done from here using traditional boats known as 'Cobles'.

On the way back we had a quick look at the estuary and the pretty village of Alnmouth before passing Amble and finishing for the day.

Wednesday started in similar fashion with calm seas and blue skies. We ran the gauntlet of the Tyne Tunnel, roadworks and unfamiliar streets to reach South Shields beach with the aim of paddling to Roker beach near Sunderland.

Shortly after passing Souter Lighthouse we spotted red flags on the cliff. I made enquiries but the range would be active for the rest of the day and we could make no further progress. We settled for a visit to the lighthouse before ending our curtailed trip back at South Shields.

On Thursday we headed for Seaton Sluice to paddle past St Mary's Island and Whitley Bay. The sea was a little more choppy and the swell increased as we stopped at Longsands beach for a snack at 'Robinson Crusoe's' beach cafe. Our return to Seaton Sluice was through some messy surf.

The Great Northeast Adventure - part 1

A trek up to Northumberland brought me to meet up with friends old and new at Beadnell on the Northumberland coast. I set out from home early on Saturday so as to arrive in time for a paddle around the Farne Islands.

The winds had settled down overnight so we set off from Harkness Rocks towards the Longstone Lighthouse. As we drew nearer the abundant wildlife became obvious. There were sea birds all around us; rafts of puffins on the water, terns swarming over the low-lying land and guillemots standing guard upon each headland. A young inquisitive seal watched us as we ate our lunch.

Following a visit to the Inner Farne to watch the puffins clown like antics and have our heads pecked by terns, we got back on the water to head back to the beach where we started in the shadow of Bamburgh Castle.

On Sunday it was race day. So we headed off for the seaside town of Amble for the annual Coquet Island Race. The event starts on the estuary of the Coquet River, through Amble harbour, round Coquet Island and back again.

North West Sea Kayakers provided a good supply of paddlers with Kate Duffus taking the honour of first lady and John Bunyan taking second overall to finish.

Many of us are staying on for a few more days to make the most of the fine weather so to start the new week we embarked upon the classic border paddle from Eyemouth to Berwick. To start with we headed further north to have a look at the awesome cliffs at St Abbs Head.

Further south the spectacular scenery is relentless with sandstone cliffs riddled with caves, gullies and arches.

I'm heading south now to the less well paddled areas of Northumberland and then to the cliffs and stacks of the Tynemouth area.

South West Sea Kayak Meet

One year on from the launch of the 'South West Sea Kayaking' guidebook, Mark Rainsley began scheming a first anniversary celebration. It was to be much the same as last year's shindig based upon paddling, tall tales and other matters to be discussed around a table full of Devonshire ales.

A hefty hoard of over 60 paddlers descended upon the misty village of East Prawle and set up camp in the farmers field. I was part of a small elite force that headed for the 'Pig's Nose Inn' to see what could be done about the local beer glut. We huffed and puffed but only managed to blow bubbles! (photo - The Rainsley collection)

The mist was still down on Saturday morning but with just a light southerly breeze we split up into small groups and began to explore the local coastline. I had travelled from Runcorn with Tim Lambert from P&H Custom Sea Kayaks and a trailer load of demo boats and we set off from Hallsands with a small group around Start Point. Graeme Mackreth was amongst our number sporting his latest acquisition. I wondered if this classic skin-on-frame 'Baidarka' was merely a purchase of passion or perhaps a cunning investment in research for a future boat design.

In the evening we gathered in the Pig's Nose hall for a series of short talks. Chris Wheeler started with a world tour of places less paddled. Olly Sanders delivered tall stories a plenty including an account of how he managed to blow the roof off a hunting cabin on the Greenland coast. Mark Rainsley described his Scottish adventures then I extolled the virtues of grim northern shores. The important thing is that we finished up in the bar. We all wore strange hats and got luciously drunk accompanied by songs the 1970s and '80s. (photo - The Rainsley collection)

On Sunday the sun came out! (photo - The Rainsley collection)

Tim and I paddled with a group to Burgh Island where the hotel and pub were overwhelmed by thirsty visitors. With the pub out of bounds we got in amongst the swell to explore the rocky shores and towering cliffs before reluctantly winding up the weekend festivities at Thurlestone Beach.

Try, try again

Peter and I had been planning to repeat our Morecambe Bay crossings since our awkwardly achieved efforts last year. This trip coincided with the second day of Eric Innes circumnavigation of the British mainland in aid of the ex-serviceman's charity 'Help For Heroes'.

We assembled on the beach at Fleetwood and got underway heading north allowing the flood to push us a little to the east. The conditions became choppy as the strong easterly wind opposed the tide.

Slack water occurred around 2/3rds of the way across and before long wind and tide combined to push us rapidly west. This gave us a challenging last half hour ferry gliding into the Piel channel. Once in the channel we said farewell to Eric as he continued on his way to Silecroft on the West Cumbria Coast. After 3 hours, 15 minutes on the choppy windswept waters we landed beneath the castle on Piel Island for a well earned break.

We spent over 2 hours munching snacks and sandwiches, lying in the sun and drinking tea. All too soon it was time to head back and by this time the tide had well and truly gone out. This left us with a long muddy walk to the water with our kayaks.

The plan for the return was to head south allowing the west going ebb tide to carry us out to sea until the new flood would fetch us back in towards King's Scar, Wyre Light and eventually Fleetwood. The easterly wind was relentless and it was our underestimating this that was to be our undoing. We missed King's Scar by around 4km. We were way too far out west and now a huge sandbank stood between us and our cars parked at Fleetwood.

We cautiously drew closer to each other in the lumpy seas to hatch a plan'B'. The stern of Peter's kayak poked me in the earhole. This is my excuse for my second swim in 3 years.

We headed for the beach at Rossall Point just north of Cleveleys. After 3 hours and 40 minutes of exhausting paddling we settled for landing in the wrong place leaving a 5 km walk for the cars.

If you get a chance have a look at Eric Innes blog page and consider making a donation.

A sunny bank holiday? what next?

Last Friday afternoon Kirstine and I made a dash for the coast amongst the beginnings of the traditional bank holiday chaos. Before we could cross the pennine border into Yorkshire the exhaust fell off the car and the rear suspension collapsed too. It was like a scene form 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'. A very nice man from the AA came along and patched things up for us so that we limp to a nearby Kwikfit. Having initially left Manchester at 1-30pm we eventually arrived at Belford in Northumberland around 9-30pm.

On Saturday morning we headed off to circumnavigate Holy Island. We launched from the harbour on the island and following the guidance provided on John Rae's excellent kayaking website. With a Castle, sea birds, seals, rocky headlands and deserted sandy beaches this trip has it plenty to recommend it.

We even got a gloomy squall to get our hearts racing for the last part of the day as we paddled back towards the harbour.

On Sunday the wind was far stronger than we expected.

We went for a paddle in the shelter of the sandstone cliffs along the coast between Berwick upon Tweed and the Scottish border. This is a true classic amongst sea kayaking coastlines.

There are tidal lagoons, caves, arches and plenty of wildlife in amongst it all.

Later that day we drove along the coast to meet up with Ollie Jay who works as a canoe and kayak coach, and guide to the local area.

We packed up our boats with some supplies and went for a short paddle in the evening sunshine in search for a nice sheltered beach to sleep on. The night tried to draw in but never quite made it. Star gazing from amongst the dunes was good fun all the same and made all the better with a glass or two of red wine.

The bank holiday Monday morning sunshine gently warmed us from our sleeping bags. We took plenty of time over breakfast to the sound of Curlews, Oystercatchers, Skylarks and Terns. All too soon we were back in the 'real world' packing our toys away in readiness for the long haul home along the A1.

The Durham Heritage Coast

Ever since the pit closures of the eighties this area has been occupied by a community short of employment and wealth. Well placed money for redevelopment has done much to revive this area but there is still much to do. Our paddling this last weekend took us from Fish Sands close to this statue of Andy Capp on the Hartlepool Headland along the Durham Heritage Coast to Sunderland.

We paddled north along the coast towards Crimdon Dene where there is a breeding colony of Little Terns hidden amongst the sand dunes. A little further on and there is a small headland called Blackhall Rocks. Closer inspection reveals the headland to be almost completely hollow. This is a huge cavern with numerous entrances at ground level, and a pebbly beach inside.

Later in the afternoon we settled for a deserted beach to camp for the night. Until the 1980s waste from the coal mines and steel industry was dumped along this shore without regard for any consequences. Following a huge clean up the beaches are turning from black to a more naturally sandy colour and wildlife is beginning to return.

The Magnesian Limestone that makes up most of this coastline is riddled with caves and arches and we made the most of the rockhopping opportunities.

The Limestone is overlaid with Boulder Clay and sandy glacial deposits and there is plenty of evidence of frequent cliff collapse.

Upon our arrival at Sunderland we found a delightful cafe by the beach inside the north pier where we found pie and chips to be our reward for paddling against tide and wind all morning.

There is a greater selection of photos here.

A Farewell To Johnny Roadhouse

During my past existence as an under used musician I worked for a number of years in a well known shop called Johnny Roadhouse Music. The shop on oxford road was more an institution than a mere retail outlet. It was a place where all manner of characters (including musicians) would meet up, drink the establishment's tea and sometimes even buy things. 123 Oxford road was always a hive of activity and this was all down to the traditions laid down by the great man himself, Johnny Roadhouse! I often got a ride into work with him. Once in his car I would be captive to his teachings, points of view, awful jokes and unfeasible anecdotes. Through the din of Saturday's could be guitar gods he would declare, "There is nothing worse than a quiet music shop!"

Johnny Died aged 88 following a short illness. When I attended the funeral at Manchester Cathedral I was stunned by all of the familiar faces. People I had served, worked with and played with more than 10 years since. The shop has been run by his son John for many years now. Long may it retain its importance in Manchester's cultural landscape and stand as a living breathing and very noisy memorial to Johnny Roadhouse.

A visit to the Calf of Man

Over the Easter week Kirstine and I went to the Isle of Man for some sea kayaking and exploring. We started off with a couple of short day trips.

Our first trip was to the southeast area to explore Castletown and the Langness Peninsula. The coastline is rugged with cliffs, gullies and deep caves.
Santon Burn is a deep sheltered gully with clear blue water and south-facing shingle beaches. The perfect sun trap lunch stop destination.

Another day trip took us to the northeast area of the island to have a look at Maughold head.

We continued on paddling south spending plenty of time rockhopping, sunbathing by a lagoon and exploring the wooded glen at Port Cornaa.

The highlight of the holiday was our trip over to the nature reserve on the Calf of Man.
The calm seas and light winds meant that we could paddle all the way round the island before finally landing. There is no camping allowed but we had booked some basic accommodation in the bunkhouse at the bird observatory.

In the warm sunny afternoon we took a walk around the island where we saw Willow Warblers, Wheatear, Chough, Stonechat, hundreds of seabirds and thousands of rabbits.

The wardens made us very welcome and even got the log fire going for us in time for tea. As dusk fell they allowed us to watch as birds were trapped, weighed, measured and ringed.

For most of our stay we were guests of Keirron Tastagh who runs Adventurous Experiences. He and his family always make me feel welcome and this trip was no exception.