Gadgie Walks: Walking from Warenford

Walking from Warenford (Northumberland) April 29th

A new walk! Warenford is a village on the A1 North of Alnwick so finding it is simple. Drive north on the A1 until you get there. No car park so we left vehicles on the street.a grand turnout of eight, almost a football team, provided we were playing the walking version of course. (Dave, Harry, Brian, Ian, John x3 and me)

Warenford has little to offer apart from the pub, the White Swan. The map for the walk is OS 340 Holy Island and Bamburgh.

Parking in Warenford. We just managed to squeeze three cars in.

Looked at sideways on on the map, this walk is a Christmas tree, starting, and ending near the White Swan Inn. From the layby we walked back towards the A1. At the last house but one on the right we followed the narrow spikey footpath towards some steps up to the A1. This road is difficult to cross. It is the main east coast route from England to Scotland and long stretches of it, like the bit near Warenford is a single highway. And it is busy. And if it were in the south it would have been upgraded to a dual carriageway long ago. If you follow this walk, take care and write to your MP.

A rare quiet moment on the A1 at Warenford.

Once over the eight of us followed the finger post into a field recently prepared for the planting of potatoes, so we, being good gadgies, walked round the edge, alongside South Dean and Whinny Plantation before heading north towards the Mill Dam on Cocklaw Dean. (mile 1) Heading west trough the wooded dean we came to open moorland populated with sheep, lambs and cattle

The track, and much of this walk is on farm track or quadbike track, continued west on the edge of Brownridge Plantation. On a patch of open moorland, sitting in the sun on a grassy bank we called a halt after only 3.5 miles. Nearby a sheep appeared to be giving biorth to the second of its lambs. The first hovered round mother, hoping for a feed but eventually she wandered off, leaving the bleating lamb.

Flapjacks, snickers, apple pies, almond slices, savoury and sweet from Mrs A, sent with Brian.

Lunchtime view of the Cheviot Hills.

Full we continued westwards for a short time to Coalhouses where we turned south east crossing moorland again. On the map there are some cup and ring marks noted but we didn't find them, probably didn't look too hard. Seen one set of cup and ring marks you've seen most of them.

A shepherd, riding a quadbike rather than walking with a crook, stopped. We told him about the lost lamb, he was aware of it.

Just a boy and his dog, and a few admirers.

We followed farm tracks going south east towards Chatton Sandyfords farm (mile 6) with only a few stiles or fences to negotiate. Near three Burns Ford we turned north west and called a second halt for the day for a brief rest on a cairn near mile 7. Dave the archaeologist assured us it was a burial cairn rather than a clearance one. he would be right.

HS2* in a burial cairn. Probably that of some Iron age chief.

Rest over we followed paths through fields to South Moor plantation (mile 8) and then turned north towrds the farm at Rayheugh.

Rayheugh has calves and a boat!

Not far from the farm we came to the A1 BUT, on the left there is a gate and footpath that crosses fields . It runs parallel to the road but at least is off it. Unfortunately near Warenford there is no alternative but to dodge the traffic on the A1, walk a short distance along it and turn into Warenford.

Changed we headed for the White Swan Inn in the village. Lovely pub with restaurant and several rooms. Three hand pumped beers, Pagan Queen, IPA and another whose name I forget but this hostelry is well worth a visit.

Contains OS data. Copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2022

The walk is 10 miles long. easy going with very little climb.

* A note for non British readers. HS2 is the name given to the High Speed railway being built slowly from London to Birmingham. HS is of course a Herbie Spot, hence HS2. Just in case you wondered.

And some nice pictures: