Hiding in plain sight, just below the ever popular Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle walk, lies a beautiful tidal pool that’s perfect for a mid trail dip. The surrounding craggy rock walls look volcanic, giving the pool a dramatic feel.
The water is lovely and clear and the pool is completely cut off from the sea a couple of hours either side of low tide, making it great for those who prefer a sheltered swim.
Here’s how to find it.
The walk to the Devil’s Punchbowl
The stats
Distance: 0.3 (0.5km) miles each way
Elevation gain: 10m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Craster to Dunstanburgh Trailhead
A note on the tide and swell
There are several rockpools along the rock platform at low tide, but many are only big enough to sit in. The one we’re focussing on is big enough to swim and this pool is slightly raised above the main rock platform.
It’s best to visit a couple of hours either side of low tide, but it may also be possible on a mid tide as it is a little higher up than the smaller pools, though we can’t say for sure as we haven’t visited at mid tide.
In terms of swell, it’s very sheltered, so visiting any time other than a rough swell should be no problem. We always aim for a slight swell with rockpools, but this particular one is set far enough back from the waves that a moderate swell should be fine too.
You can see the 5 day tide and swell forecast here.
The walk to the Devil’s Punchbowl
The trail begins in Craster, if you’re lucky you can snag one of the coveted spaces right beside the trailhead, but as there isn’t room for many cars, you may have to park further back in the main village car park (more details on that at the end of the post).
From the gate that marks the start of the Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle walk, you head along the grassy track.
The path is predominantly flat and you’ll have the sea on your right and fields of green on your left, with the castle peeking out from its lofty position on the hill ahead of you.
It’s a beautiful walk and if you have time it’s well worth heading all the way to the castle, which is a mile away.
When it comes to the rockpool there is no set path, but you want to head off the main track around 400m from the gate. There’s a little bit of grassy track to descend and then you will reach some rocks.
Climbing down the rocks is easy as there are good places for your hands and feet and the rock is nice and grippy when dry.
It takes just a minute climbing along and down the rocks to reach the pool using the quickest route, however, you can turn-off the main trail in a number of places.
Just aim for these coordinates: 55.4781100, -1.5925568 and you can’t go wrong.
There are further rockpools scattered along the rock platform on route to the castles - some such as the little tear drop shaped pool at these coordinates: 55.479787, -1.591933 - even have a view of the castle!
None were big enough to swim in apart from the main pool we’ve mentioned, though there may have been a couple of other options if there wasn’t so much kelp around.
It’s worth a little scout along the rock shelf to see how conditions are on your visit.
Swimming at the Devil’s Punchbowl
Co-ordinates: 55.4781861, -1.5921300
What3Words: ///community.rested.pull
When other pools were suffering from weed on our visit, this little gem remained clean and clear. The water had a blue hue in the sunshine and the surrounding rock walls gave it a lot of atmosphere. The rocks are dark and rugged and reminded me a little of the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland.
The pool feels very private, as though you are really only moments from the walking track, it’s hard to spot it from above. It’s not a huge space for swimming but you can definitely get a few strokes in.
Entering the water is easier via the right side of the pool when facing the sea. Here you’ll find tiered rocks and a further rock inside the water you can use to lower yourself in if you like a shallow entry.
The water inside the pool gets somewhat deep, but I was only out of my depth in one spot, though it was still deep enough to swim.
It’s a gorgeous little spot and despite visiting in August when the walking trail above had a steady stream of people, no one came to swim in the pool.
We found that to be the case almost everywhere in Northumberland which seems crazy considering how stunning the region is.
Temperature-wise the water is relatively cold even in summer, but not as cold as swimming in the open sea, or some of the colder waterfall pools.
I found it very comfortable, but if you’re not used to Northern English wild swimming spots, you may find it a little chilly!
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Getting to and parking for the Devil’s Punchbowl
The walk to the Devil’s Punchbowl begins in the village of Craster. There’s no official car park for the walk, you simply park in the village. We parked along Dunstanburgh Road (postcode NE66 3TT), which is 20m from the start of the walk.
The parking is free and time is not limited, but please remember to park respectfully as it’s a residential area. If you can’t find a spot here, you can park at Craster Quarry car park (postcode NE66 3TS), where charges begin at £2.80 a hour.
If you’d rather arrive by public transport you can hop on the X18 Max bus from Alnwick, which stops in the middle of Craster. The bus takes about 30 minutes.
Craster is located roughly a 20 minute drive from Alnwick, a 35 minute drive from Rothbury and Morpeth, and just under an hour from Newcastle.
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