New Year, new walk.

New Year and a new walk. January 16th

It's not often we have a new walk but this one is and fairly local too. Based on the village of Lonhorsely in Northumberland, easily reached by heading north on the A1, turning off on the A697 at Morpeth and driving on a few miles.

The map to use is OS Explorer 325 Morpeth and Blyth.

Britain does not have a climate, it has weather. Today is sunny, warm for the time of year but some of the paths have icy patches, some are muddy and some of the fields have a frosty coating, some don't. Ah well.

Longhorsely comes from Old English horsa-lea, a horse pasture, and presumably a long one.

We parked opposite the church, St Helen's, was built as the village school in the 19th century. The porch was brought from the old village church, 18th century on medieval foundations. Next to the church is Horsley Tower, dating back to the  16th century

                           Not really

Leaving the village we walked a few hundred yards west before turning in to admire Archie's Pond and continued on a slightly slippy path through woodland.

Archie's pond with camera strap.

Leaving the wood we crossed fields to Viewlaws farm and carried on  over fields to the road south of Todburn East.

Once across the road we walked along the Devil's Causeway, heading south on this Roman road which stretches from Corbridge to Berwick. At Todburn Moor we turned south east across fields until we reached High Southward Edge where we back with the Devil.

                                       Northumberland

When we reached Linkham Lane, a farm track we halted and sat on a grassy bank for a Herbie. No sharing today, except for Janice's chocolates!

After a bout threequarters of a mile on the track we spotted the gate on the left that took us past a small lake and along the edge of Hare Dean Wood.

                      Unnamed pond by Hare Dean.

Spotting yet another gate we walked down a flight of earthen/wood steps into the dean and headed north across fields to the road near Muckley.(mile 6)

                      Follow the sign

Once we had found the way through the collection of cottages at Muckley we crossed several fields and a stream before finishing the day on a short stretch of road back to Longhorsely.

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The walk is about 7.4 miles, easy going with a lot of stiles, some being tricky with a glazing of ice.

Some muddy sections too, and lots of Lauder Grass.

Horsely Tower in the background

A saint, and a Roman fort

 A saint and a Roman fort January 2nd 2026

Traditionally the first walk of the year is from Blyth, down the coast to North Shields but that trip has been postponed and we are off on a new walk starting at Blackhall Mill in County Durham.

No directions, use a sat available but the map is OS Explorer 307 Consett and Derwent Reservoir.

Breakfast in the Riverview restaurant: five star bacon sandwich.

Car park of the day with chilly walker 

Wew headed west on the road. At a thinly disguised fork in the footpath we turned south west and walked through woodland on the bank of the River Derwent, crossing a footbridge and reaching the edge of Ebchester. The path does not go through the village . Ebchester is named for Aebba, daughter of a king of Bernicia. She founded a religous house here in the 7th century which was destroyed by marauding Danes. Thge present church, was built in the 11th century using stones from the nearby Roman fort of Vindomora. The church was restored in 1876, the fort has disappeared . Aebba also founded a religious house at St Abbs head near Coldingham in Scotland. St Abbs is well worth a visit if you like a coastal walk.

Woodland walking. Because of the low temperature the ground was firm, it could be muddy in spring and summer.

For a mile we continued on the path through woods alongside the Mill Burn, crossing a road, and leaving the trees at Wood House . 

Leaving the woods we met:

                    In Dave's absence it was up to me to say "You can call me Al" but they were probably llamas anyway.
                                                                                                                               A few fields later we were at the village of Whittonstall where we found a large circular table which made an excellent, but chilly Herbie Spot. (Mince pies, flapjacks and savoury buns)

                        Wittonstall

Lunch over, and it was too cold to hang around, we walked down the road to Lawson's Farm, crossed a couple of fields and went into Westriding Wood which we left near Hollings. For a short time we followed the dismantled railway before turning into Milkwelburn wood which we soon left to walk across fields back to Blackhall Mill.

We thought they were mini turnips being harvested for Burns Night but they are fodder beets, grown for animal feed.

Rather than find a local hostelry we drove back to the Cannon in Earsdon for refreshment. They had a clever little machine for opening and pouring the zero alcohol Guinness.

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The red line is the planned route, the black lines are changes we made.

The walk is just over 8 easy miles with a few gentle slopes. Lovely walk shall be repeated in summer.

Christmas walk with the Greens

 Christmas walk with the Greens. December 21

It's time for the annual Greens walk round Morpeth finishing with a buffet lunch in the Tap and Spile. The Greens are a walking group, their politics are theirs.

We met in the central car park in Morpeth, a parking permit is required, some shops sell them for as much as £1, they last until they fall to bits.

Just one small section of the Morpeth car park, plenty of spaces near the shopping arcade too.

A group of at least twelve, we set off through the shopping arcade, crossed the main street and crossed the river Wansbeck using a footbridge. Turning right we walked the riverside footpath, ignored the stepping stones and were back on the north side by means of a footbridge again.

               I don't do stepping stones. Bridges yes.

We were now on the road for Mitford but we turned right, crossed with care the main street and found a narrow alley (ginnel) that eventually led to Peacock Gap. This section of the walk is through woodland and, not surprisingly, is muddy at the moment.Once through the mud and back on a road we walked through Fulbeck Grange, an estate of large houses, before reaching the road to Pegswood.

This section of the walk crosses Cottingwood Common which was once a racecourse but is now an estate under construction. Desirable and exciting houses.

Leaving the building site we walked round St. Geoge's hospital and into the woods above How Burn.

                     Bluebell woods

We followed the footpath above the burn, eventually reaching a road. Crossing it we were back on the Wansbeck which we crossed on yet another footbridge to the riverside path on the south side. One final bridge and we were back in the town centre, the car park and the pub.

The things we passed along the way. The last three are "Peter's Garden" we were told.

Once changed we went to the Tap and Spile where the lovely Scottish lady had prepared for us a fine spread of quiche, chips, sausage rolls, ham, sausages and a cheese board suitable for Wallis and Grommit. and TTL of course

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the walk is about six easy going miles

Owl Corner

 Owl Corner December 5th

MUD WARNING

Ulgham is a village in Northumberland, a few miles north east of Morpeth. The name means "Owl Corner".

But we are starting the walk in Longhirst, also near Morpeth, and we are having morning coffee in Pegswod, yet another village near Morpeth.

The Courtyard in Pegswood is well worth a visit. It looks like the cafe/restaurant is in what was possibly a Co-op Store. Lovely inside, upstairs and downstairs. Great service and a five star bacon sandwich.

The map to use is OS explorer 325, Morpeth and Blyth.

Parked outside St. John the Evangelist's Longhirst. Badly parked really as it is a one way road. Thge church is Victorian.

Leaving the church we turned left and after a few hundred yards realised we had gone the wrong way so we about turned and headed for the village. Just beyond the War Memorial we turned left mdown a lane and at Howarth Cottage followed the right fork. We were on the fiorst rough and muddy farm track of the day. The o7nly thing of interest on the way was:

A Poacher Block, designed to prevent any vehicle without the height of a tractor from using the track. Judging by the number of blue barrels on the edges of woodland they would be after pheasants.

We followed the track to mile 3 where a sign advertising Hebron Lake, Coarse Fiching sent us off to the right.

               Hebron Lake. Not a fisherman in sight but we did see a heron.

The track went partly round the lake, changing from track to footpath through Broad Wood and Blackdean Wood.

Turning left we walked a short distance on a road before turning left again. Close to mile 5 we walked across a field edging Bricks Plantation. The path on the left is hard to spot, not well marked, but having found it we walked more fields to Tritlington Hall and went down to the hamlet where a low wall made a convenient Herbie Spot.

We have just had a visit from my sister who lives in Canada. For her journey home she had bought some mini Melton Mowbray Pies to eat as she waited for her flight. As we approached the airport a couple of days ago she called out she had left them at our house. Couldn't go back, Mini Melton Pies for my Herbie! And not just pies, M and S pies. Plus mince pies, cake, cookie and sweet and savoury from the usual supplier.

            A Tritlington sheep taking part in a Gymkhana.

Lunch over we headed past the hall again and walked on road, passing but not finding the Hydraulic Ram. Turning north we walked through Robinhood Wood before heading south east across fields to Ulgham. Sad to see the village pub, The Forge, was well and truly closed. Once through the village we took to the fields again. After the recent heavy rain they were very muddy, boots increased in weight. Eventually we came to the road back to Longhirst and the cars. 

On the way home we stopped at The Ridley Arms in Stannington. No TTL but some local beers and alcohol free drinks, and tea for some.

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 It is worth pointing out that normally the walk would be very easy going but the mud slowed progress. We also agreed that there is little variation in the walk, woodland, track and fields and there are no really good view points. The walk is 11 miles