18th October
Postponed from last week because of heavy rain, six of us are off for a walk up the North Tyne Valley, starting in the village of Wark. The name comes from an old English word for fort.
The walk from Wark is covered by two maps:
OS 43 Hadrians Wall and OS 42 Kielder water.
There is limited parking just off the road opposite Battlesteads restaurant and hotel.
Booted but not overdressed, fairly warm for mid October, we headed up the village street, turned right and walked down to the narrow bridge across the North Tyne.
The river was full, not surprising after all the recent rain. Once across we turned left and followed the footpath close to the river.
The path is well marked, one of the trails on North, South and main Tyne plotted out by Daft as a Brush. A cancer charity well worth supporting, they have produced a book of Tyne trails as well as putting up markers.
We stuck close to the river for about two and a half miles before crossing fields to the dismantled railway. (mile 3) Easy walking until we came to a bridge which informed us it was not a right of way. Taking a footpath on the right we went down, turned back under the bridge, walked through a bit of woodland and were back on the river bank. (mile 4)
As we rwached Countess Park we came across this:
Be warned and cover up. The little blighters can get everywhere and are difficult to dig out. Lymes disease can be very unpleasant and in Britain not all doctors can recognise it.
At a bend in the river , about four and a half miles in, we came to the Ginger Bread House and stopped for a Herbie.
The Ginger Bread house and the river North Tyne. Picnic tables available and we shared mince pies, cherry Bakewell tarts, almond slices and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.
Lunch over we headed on our way, rejoining at Mile 5 the dismantled railway and following it into Redesmouth. Make sure you follow the footpath signs, the locals aren't to keen on walkers using their road,
At the end of the village we turned right on the road and followed it until we came to a finger post for Buteland.
Crossing boggy fields and climbing we reached the farm and cottages at Buteland, took the path round it and then took the road downhill for about half a mile to the next farm. After a chat with a friendly farmer who was raking hay (in October? ) we followed a narrow path through a wood down to a stream with no easy crossing point. Some of us suffered wet feet.
Having crossed more boggy fields and negotiated some tricky stiles we eventually reached the road and followed it all the way to Birtley. (no not that one).
At one point along the road we crossed Holywell Burn. John was the only one brave enough to climb the wall and go down to the burn to photograph the waterfall and Holy Well.
This used to be the Birtley pub.
We walked through the village and at the church followed the finger post and a footpath alongside a wood, crossed several more boggy fields and reached a gate onto the relative firmness of a road. About a miole further on we were back at the cars.
Changed we headed for the Fox and Hounds at Wylam. They serve TTL and alcohol free Guinness.
Wark village green.
The walk is about 11 miles. The section on the river is, for me, the highlight. Some climbs and some mud.
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