How green is this valley

 How green is this valley March 21st.

Reduced to a team of three we are having a walk from Ingram in the Breamish Valley. North on the A1, turn off at Morpeth on the A697 and not far beyond Powburn turn left at the signpost for Ingram. After four miles, cross the bridge, ignore the car park on the left but turn left go round the houses and past the church to the car park and visitor centre/cafe/ museum. Free parking!

The walk is covered by OS OL 16 Cheviots and OS Explorer 332  Alnwick and Amble.

Weather forecast is good, dry and warm but overcast.

            Car parking at Ingram. My original photo had a traffic cone on the right but I've cropped it. Better?

By the car at the back of the photo is a duck boarded path through a small wood to the other carpark passing the church.

St Michael's church Ingram. 11th century with many changes
         

 We went this way, turned left, then right and walked through the tiny village of Ingram: a farm and a few cottages. Following the first signpost on the left we headed uphill on a grassy track. Dave, archaeologist and gadgie with a day off, passed us in a truck with a friend. They were off for a dig somewhere but we exchanged greetings.We left the track and followed a soggy footpath. still uphill to mile 2 at which point a steep descent took us to the gate and bridge across Chesters Burn.

A pair of gadgies approach  Chesters Burn.

Once across the burn and through the small wood (The Times would call it a forest: private joke) we crossed a field by footpath to Chesters itself.

Chesters farm house. This isolated building has been used as an outdoor centre and is currently being renovated. 

Beyond the farmhouse we followed a good track heading south for about half a mile before turning east on a footpath over Lumsden Hill. Once over the hill we headed towards Fawdon Dean but seemed to lose our way a little. Having struggled to climb a fence or two and wandered alongside the stream (See the squiggly bit on the map) we finally made it across and sat on a grassy bank near a rabbit warren for a Herbie, no sharing.

Lunch over and well off the route we crossed fields, befriended horses  and finally  hit the footpath that goes round Old Fawdon Hill.

                         Friendly but sorry, nothing for you.

The footpath met a grassy track and soon we were at Fawdon Farm. Turning left we followed a good track on the edge of East Hill which brought us back to the car park at Ingram.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2025.

The walk is 10 miles with several climbs. Great views but it was rather misty today.

 A couple of Harry's pictures:

              Didn't mean to put first in twice.

And some of mine