You picked a fine time to leave me, Loose Heel

You picked a fine time to leave me Loose Heel. July25th

Last week we walked north from Corbridege. This week south from Riding Mill, a village in the Tyne Valley. West on A69, south on the A68 and turn off for Riding Mill at the roundabout. Parking on the second road on the left, Whiteside. Street parking but free.

OS Explorer  316 Newcastle upon Tyne  and OS Explorer 307 Consett cover the walk

We had breakfast at the Coffee Tree in Wylam

                                 Needs cropping, I know

We walked up Whiteside before turning into Church Lane passing the !9th Century St James church and Broomhaugh School before turning north and following a finger post uphill through a field to High Plains. Watch out for the stile on the right, it takes walkers to High Plains Riding Centre and not a hint of Clint Eastwood. A young lady seemed to be collecting horse muck, it reminded me of the childhood joke about a man in a home for people with special educational needs who knew to put custard on rhubarb.

                           High Plains laid out for eventing.

Beyond the buildings we entered the first wood of the day and left it at mile 2. A footpath through the trees.

                           A plantation really, not a natural forest.

Leaving the wood we crossed a field to take on woodland numbeer two on a path that led downhill to the March Burn then uphill to a road.

                                        Designed to trip

                               Another use for old railway sleepers.

Once out of the wood we walked a short distance on the road, passing the entrance to Todburn Steel before crossing a field to woodland number three, Dipton Wood. At some point in the wood Brian realised the heel of his boot was slowly but surely starting to detach itself, hence the wacky title.

And about the same time we called a Herbie, sitting on a felled trunk that had room for five. (Apple pies, cookies, cup cakes (BUNS) and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.

Lunch over we followed the road for a time, alongside the wood before turning right then left near West Farm. Having crossed a field we came to wood number four which took us to High Town. After a little more road work and another short stretch of woodland  we reached Prospect Hill, named possibly named for the view over the Tyne Valley.

One more stretch of woodland  to the road (mile 9), followed by a steep climb across a field and uphill to Beauclerc.  From here we followed the road, downhill and back to Riding Mill.

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

The walk is a little over 10 miles, several woods and several stiles and a few climbs.

Just in case: Lucille by Kenny Rogers includes the line

" You took a fine time to leave me Lucille.

With four hungry children and a crop in the field"