To Gibraltar and Beyond

 To Gibraltar and Beyond. August 1st

A new walk, almost. Today's wander starts at the village of Hunstanworth near Blanchland. Huntstanworth is in County Durham, just. A69 west, A68 south  and watch out for signs for Blanchland. Morning coffee in the White Monk cafe in Blanchland and a couple of miles on to Hunstanworth. Park on the roadside by the church.

Two OS maps for the walk:OS Explorer 307 Consett and OS OL 43 Hadrian's Wall

Hunstanworth first gets a mention in 1183. The village is an estate village created in 1862.

The church however is older. Built in 1781 on the site of a medieval church it was rebuilt in 1862. Next to it are the remains of a peel tower.

The village is one of the Thankful Villages, it suffered no casualties in WW1.

Parking near St James the Less in Hunstanworth

St James the Less, Huntstanworth

Walking away from the church, going west, we crossed a couple of fields, going downhill to the Nookton Burn. The first stile of the day took us into a wood. The path was hard to find as it wandered uphill through high bracken and trailing brambles which had a nasty habit of catching feet.

                    The first stile of the day.

Out of the wood we passed Gibraltar, not that there was anything to see (mile 1) and continued on our way across fields to Nookden (mile 2). Crossing Nookden Fell we came to a shooting Cabin and although only 3.5 miles into the walk it made a comfortable Herbie Spot.

The shooting Cabin

                 Fine dining in the cabin: apple pies, shortbread and caramel, scones, buns, cookies and ginger biscuits.

Full we walked on, turning north west to Heatheryburn, an isolated farm  at mile 4.

                            Heatheryburn farm and geese.

Beyond the farm we continued by track to the junction near Riddlehamhope, turned left and at a fingerpost headed  across fields to mile 5 where we took a bracken high and hard to follow footpath downhill. (mile 5) Hard going through the bracken but on Hope Fell it was difficult to find a path through the heather. Some stayed lower down and some climbed to admire the trig point before finding the Carriers Way, a metalled track at last.

                                       The trig point on Newbiggin Fell.

                        The second shooters cabin, more substantial than the first.

A choice of routes here, we decided on the one going south east. At mile 7 we entered a small wood. The path down and through the trees was very steep and quite difficult, hard on the knees. But once out and over a field we crossed the Nookden Burn again and a field later were back at the cars.

On the way home we enjoyed some well earned TTL or Wainwrights in the Fox and Hounds at Wylam.

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

The walk is a little over 8 miles but quite hard going crossing heather covered moorland and there are a couple of steep descents.

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"

This time it is Corbridge

 This time it is Corbridge. July 18th

After a last minute change of mind last week we are off to Corbridge for a walk up towards the famous Wall.

West of Newcastle in the Tyne Valley Corbridge is a small town with a Roman fort and the only bridge to survive the flood of 1771, and a bookshop.

There is a free car park on the south side of the river, just over the bridge.

On the way we stopped at the Coffee Tree in Wylam for breakfast.

                           Car park at Corbridge, large and free. Popular though.

Once we were ready and lightly dressed as it was already warm we set off across the bridge took second left and walked along the shopping street towards the village square.

                      Looking west from the well built bridge.

We passed the church and followed the road beyond the Wheatsheaf pub to St. Helen's Lane.

  St Andrew's, Corbridge. Saxon remains from 774AD, a Roman arch at the base of the tower (possibly taken from the nearby camp or the wall?) Norman and Early English With a peel tower next door once used as the vicarage.

From St Helen's Lane we followed a track  on Hippingstones Lane which passes the Corbridge Middle School, turns east and goes under the A69. After crossing a couple of fields we entered the woods on the banks of the Cor Burn. Making one mistake we had to retrace steps for a short distance, hence the little spike near mile 2 on the map.

We left the burn at Aydon Castle, which was closed like Philadelphia. Entrance for parties, prebooked.

                Aydon Castle, sometimes called Aydon Hall. A fortified manor house, designed to keep out the Scots it has 13th century origins.

We walked on down the road from the castle and just beyond mile 3 turned right to go to Halton Castle.

                   Halton Castle and a topiary pig. Really a peel tower. The tower was first recorded in 1382, the house was added later. There is also a small chapel, the grounds made a Herbie Spot. (Apple pies, cookies and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.)

Going round the buildings we crossed a ladder stile, so much easier, crossed fields and walked through woodland, emerging at the A68 road. 

Almost directly opposite we headed for Stagshaw High House only to be informed, politely, we were off the public right of way, hence another spike on the map.

DETECTORISTS!!!

             Stagshaw Bank Fair dated back to Medieval times. A day of trading and feasting there were three fairs a year. Stopped in the 1920s apparently.

Having crossed a few fields we made it to Portgate, turned south west and followed a track to Fawcett Hill Cottage. A cross roads. Taking the one to Stagshaw High House we walked a few hundred yards before following the finger post  for Sandhoe. At Sandhoe the footpath was narrow, the bracken as high but we made it to a road, crossed it and headed downhill. At the next road we turned right, then left then once under the A69 followed a footpath on the bank of the Tyne passing Corstupitum, the Roman camp, back to Corbridge, the cars and home.

The Tyne near Corbridge.

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

The walk is about 10 miles. some up some down some fairly flat.