Coble Quay: Amble’s salt path lost in myths and mystery
This land of snaking sea mists which swirl along the estuaries, mud flats and salt marshes, engulfing passers-by, may prove a wonderful source of inspiration for all the creative people who live along and around the River Coquet.
Some may write about avoiding the lure of the mysterious Simonside duergars*, who trick people into taking paths which suddenly disappear, while others may retell the saga of Amble’s Coble Quay walkway, which partly exists… and yet does not.
The path of ghosts. Image by Anna Williams
We have reached the fourth anniversary of the closure of this public walkway. It has now been shut almost as long as it was open. It’s as if time itself, in the guise of a mythical sea monster, has gnawed away at the edges of this sliver of land.
Old photos show the strip as a worn-down margin, barely traversable, propped up with shingle and sea washed wooden posts. A salt path in the literal sense.
Then in 2014 the good people of Amble were bestowed with £1.8 million of taxpayers’ money, to create a Harbour Village, including £87,000 for an enchanting new public walkway.
And as if by magic, in 2016 the quayside walkway was transformed into a charming attraction, and walkers were encouraged (lured?) to enjoy the glorious views along the harbour. Angels practically sang. Or was that the kelpies?
Then suddenly in 2021, the fences went up and the walkway was blocked to the public. Locals, visitors and councillors began to ask why.
So did The Ambler. We discovered that the landowners of the blocked section are Amble Marina, and that a 20-year lease was taken out by Northumberland County Council (NCC) in 2014.
Over the last four years the responses to us from Amble Marina have been virtually non existent. Those from NCC have been opaque, shifting subtly.
The railings are broken, we were told. The walkway is unsafe. It’s got nothing to do with us. It’s not a public footpath. Ok it sort of is, but it’s complicated. We are in talks with the landowner.
But The Ambler keeps digging: When are you going to fix the walkway? This was paid for with public money. We know there is a lease – why is it taking so long? Why will you not tell us what is really going on?
Occasionally we get a reply – and here we are in late summer 2025, when the story of fixing the walkway now apparently includes fixing a car park (co-incidentally also owned by Amble Marina).
A spokesperson for NCC told us: “We understand the concerns of local people and work has been ongoing behind the scenes for some time.
“We are pleased to confirm that following complex and protracted negotiations we have agreed heads of terms with Amble Marina for arrangements that will secure the reopening of the Coble Quay walkway to the public, as well as providing some extra town centre parking on land off Coquet Street.”
This sounds promising, we thought, but then…
“We need to undertake some ground investigation works on the land next to Coquet Street that will be made available for public parking, before concluding the legal documentation with Amble Marina. Once this is finalised, we will then be able to undertake the repair and maintenance works to the railings on the Coble Quay to ensure that the route is safe for the public before it can be reopened.
“Until the legal documentation is concluded we can’t give firm dates for reopening of the Coble Quay walkway, but anticipate this should be reopened by spring 2026.”
And so we drift on through to another autumn, when the haar rolls in, the songs of the seals on Coquet Island echo dimly along the water, and the path of ghosts disappears into the salty mist once again.
Anna Williams
* look them up!
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