When the rain comes.......July 4th.
Back home after the trip to Czechia I am back out with the boys for the Friday walk. Except others are on holiday so our gang is reduced to a mere three today Dave, John and me. At my suggestion we are walking from Hartside in Breamish Valley to Dunmoor Hill, Hedgehope, Threestone burn Wood and back to Hartside, a popular and pleasant walk. Gadgie folklore says it never rains on a Friday and the local forecast promised fine weather until late in the afternoon.
The walk starts at Hartside Farm where there is some roadside parking. To get there, A1 north, A687 at Morpeth and turn left at the signpost for Ingram just past Powburn. Follow the road for several miles through Ingram and along the valley until you reach Hartside Farm. The map for the walk is OL 16, The Cheviot Hills and the farm is at NT976162, approximately.
Car parking, but do be careful with your coat.
On the right hand side of the road as you look towards the farm is a gate, we went through it, carefully as Ben the Gate was not with us. There is not a path marked on the map and the field can be rather boggy but we crossed it, went through another gate and headed for a small black hut beyond a sheep fold. This field is also boggy but at the hut a path becomes visible which we followed uphill in a slight drizzle but not enough to stop three gadgies. Near the top of the hill we found another gate, broken at the hinges and went through crossing heather before finding a track leading across Dunmoor Hill. The rain was getting heavier, gaiterless and without over trousers even the water wicked down my pants and socks into my boots, at least it was warm. As we reached the bleak plateau that is Dunmoor the rain turned heavier and included a few bits of hail. Going downhill alongside a fence we considered scrapping the walk up Hedgehope, mainly because it had disappeared in cloud.
Boggy ground, grey skies, Hedgehope is there somewhere.
Looking at the map we considered heading through Threestoneburn Wood towards the house there and finding a track back to Hartside, the rain got heavier, the breaks in the wood were impassable so we headed down to Dunmoor Bog at the foot of the hill.
At a corner of the wood, which had we noted some nice new fencing and gates we decided that the rain had won the day and headed south on a track with interesting features.
A view of Great Standrop, a large but natural pile of rock. It has, for some reason a connection
with social work.
We decided that this is a bridge for quad bikes. The shepherd does not need to dismount to open gates and can drive across it, and it acts as a cattle or sheep grid. Brilliant
The rain had eased somewhat so we decided to head for Linnhope Spout for a Herbie Spot. An attractive and popular picnic spot off the main track and in the absence of the wind that had blown most of the day a haven for midges which clouded round us.
Linnhope Spout............
.....................and pool. A pair of dippers entertained us
hopping from rock to rock and scrambling up the side of the waterfall.
For treats today we had Cadburys mini Swiss rolls, orange Club biscuits and chocolate from Czechia.
Plus sandwiches and coffee of course. By now the rain had eased off although the clouds still looked threatening so we walked back through the tiny hamlet of Linnhope to the car. As we walked back the Red Arrows, RAF aerobatic team roared overhead, bird of the blog!
Red Arrows, birds of the blog
The stream below the spout.
The Breamish at Linnhope
A sort of scarecrow
Back at the car we changed out of wet clothes and boots and headed for the gadgie haven of the Anglers Arms at Weldon Bridge. The always friendly pub offered Directors, Youngs Gold and Timothy Taylor's Landlord. It made up for a wet day. As we came out of the pub the rain started again, just one of those days. And when I got home I realised I had left my jacket near the car when changing. Of course it had gone when I went back.
MATRIX MMXIVR
steps miles
LIDL 3D 10184 5.8
ASDAMINI 13734 6,45
Dave's 3D 14753 7.37
LIDL USB 13152 6.64
Garmin GPS 5.9
Good old reliable LIDL 3D, mine that is.
Gadgie distance 263
Not one of our better walks, but we were out.
Back home after the trip to Czechia I am back out with the boys for the Friday walk. Except others are on holiday so our gang is reduced to a mere three today Dave, John and me. At my suggestion we are walking from Hartside in Breamish Valley to Dunmoor Hill, Hedgehope, Threestone burn Wood and back to Hartside, a popular and pleasant walk. Gadgie folklore says it never rains on a Friday and the local forecast promised fine weather until late in the afternoon.
The walk starts at Hartside Farm where there is some roadside parking. To get there, A1 north, A687 at Morpeth and turn left at the signpost for Ingram just past Powburn. Follow the road for several miles through Ingram and along the valley until you reach Hartside Farm. The map for the walk is OL 16, The Cheviot Hills and the farm is at NT976162, approximately.
On the right hand side of the road as you look towards the farm is a gate, we went through it, carefully as Ben the Gate was not with us. There is not a path marked on the map and the field can be rather boggy but we crossed it, went through another gate and headed for a small black hut beyond a sheep fold. This field is also boggy but at the hut a path becomes visible which we followed uphill in a slight drizzle but not enough to stop three gadgies. Near the top of the hill we found another gate, broken at the hinges and went through crossing heather before finding a track leading across Dunmoor Hill. The rain was getting heavier, gaiterless and without over trousers even the water wicked down my pants and socks into my boots, at least it was warm. As we reached the bleak plateau that is Dunmoor the rain turned heavier and included a few bits of hail. Going downhill alongside a fence we considered scrapping the walk up Hedgehope, mainly because it had disappeared in cloud.
Looking at the map we considered heading through Threestoneburn Wood towards the house there and finding a track back to Hartside, the rain got heavier, the breaks in the wood were impassable so we headed down to Dunmoor Bog at the foot of the hill.
At a corner of the wood, which had we noted some nice new fencing and gates we decided that the rain had won the day and headed south on a track with interesting features.
with social work.
The rain had eased somewhat so we decided to head for Linnhope Spout for a Herbie Spot. An attractive and popular picnic spot off the main track and in the absence of the wind that had blown most of the day a haven for midges which clouded round us.
hopping from rock to rock and scrambling up the side of the waterfall.
For treats today we had Cadburys mini Swiss rolls, orange Club biscuits and chocolate from Czechia.
Plus sandwiches and coffee of course. By now the rain had eased off although the clouds still looked threatening so we walked back through the tiny hamlet of Linnhope to the car. As we walked back the Red Arrows, RAF aerobatic team roared overhead, bird of the blog!
Back at the car we changed out of wet clothes and boots and headed for the gadgie haven of the Anglers Arms at Weldon Bridge. The always friendly pub offered Directors, Youngs Gold and Timothy Taylor's Landlord. It made up for a wet day. As we came out of the pub the rain started again, just one of those days. And when I got home I realised I had left my jacket near the car when changing. Of course it had gone when I went back.
MATRIX MMXIVR
steps miles
LIDL 3D 10184 5.8
ASDAMINI 13734 6,45
Dave's 3D 14753 7.37
LIDL USB 13152 6.64
Garmin GPS 5.9
Good old reliable LIDL 3D, mine that is.
Gadgie distance 263
Not one of our better walks, but we were out.
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