Gadgie Walks: Back to Belsay

Four go off to Belsay. (Northumberland) May 20th

A young lady I know was highly critical of my efforts to give last week's blog a classical title.

"Your Latin is rubbish " she said. I blame the Translate App on my phone and not Miss Ferranbach who tried in vain to instill some Latin into me. Amo, amas, amat......................

Numbers are reduced again because of holidays, family commitments and so on. Harry, Dave, John C and I are off for a country stroll from the village of Belsay.

The small village next to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens is about five miles north of Ponteland. The Blacksmiths cafe provides morning coffee and parking spaces.

The walk is covered by OS 316 Newcastle upon Tyne. The walk is well posted with yellow arrows and bridleway markers. There are several stiles to negotiate, some are rather wobbly.

Free parking close to the Blacksmiths

Free plug for the Blacksmiths, sure they won't mind

There is a farm road heading south from the Blacksmiths and after a couple of bends and about threequarters of a mile we reached East Beechfield Farm.

East Beechfield farm. The walk goes through the yard.

having walked through the farmyard we spotted and followed the marker post that took us initially across fields where sheep and lambs grazed. The next field had a path going through the oil seed....

Battling through the crop and a wobbly stile.

The next farm we came to was West Newham and from there we turned right, followed the road for a short distance , took a short cut across a field, back to the road and turned left towards Huntlaw. (mile 3)

Sheep, lambs and geese near Huntlaw.

Continuing east on a grassy track we soon reached West Grange (mile 4) and Milbourne Grange,

(On previous occasions we continued on the road to Robsheugh Farm and then walked to the church at Milbourne, it adds another mile.)

At Milbourne Grange we called a Herbie, sitting against the wall of the Methodist Chapel.

Milbourne Methodist Chapel. Not much in the sharing today, Skinny whips and Battenberg cake. And it started to rain, lightly.

Break over we followed the fingerpost opposite the chapel and headed north alongside a well wooded stream before emerging into fields. Farmers in this area have left generous paths through the crops.

Barley (?)

At one point the footpath reaches the delightfully named Cadgers Burn. Look carefully at the OS map;

there is a small pond, the path goes straight through it but we took the trail round it. Good advice.

Entrance to the pond.

We crossed more fileds until we reached East Newham farm which had an interesting but abandoned well:

The engineers found it very interesting.

We turned left at the farm and walked on the road to Middle Newham (mile 6) taking note of the remains of a Medieval village with earthworks. Just beyond the farm we turned right and crossed fields towards East Beechfield Farm.