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.

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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.

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

Embleton to Craster and back

 Embleton to Craster and back.

"It was a sunny day,

Not a cloud was in the sky"

Another heat wave, another walk on the coast to take advantage of a cooling coastal breeze. Take the A1 north, leave just beyond Alnwick for Denwick and follow B1340 and B1339 to the village of Embleton.

Park near the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel On the side of the road. A septet today, lightly dressed for the promised 24 feels 27C.

                    Not a contender but handy for the pub and free. A couple of benches nearby too, useful when booting up.

                                  Ye olde villagee pumpe.

Once ready we set off up the street next to the pub, turned right at the top of the hill, continued a short distance by road and then took the footpath through Glebe Farm, crossed the burn at Shirewater Low Mill and turned left for Dunstansteads.

On familiar ground here we followed the concrete strip (supposedly built for testing tanks) and walked to Dunstan Square Farm.

                Yes, it's a lime kiln

                   and yes, it's left from WW2.

At Dunstan Square we turned left, walked down the field towards the coast then turnedright, going through a gate and walking behind The Heughs to Craster.

About 3.3 miles into the walk we stopped for breakfast at the Piper's Pitch next to the car park in Craster. Toilets too.

 The Piper's Pitch. Very busy and very good too. Outdoor seating only.

Leaving the pitch the next section took us past the harbour and across the fields to Dunstanburgh Castle.

                             Craster harbour

              Looks like the sort of boat you row across the Atlantic

                         Dunstanburgh, my favourite ruined castle even if built by a Lancastrian.

We stopped north of the castle, above Rumble Churn for a Herbie. ((apple pies, ginger biscuits, almond slices, cookies and sweet and savoury from Mrs A)

         The cliffs behind the castle. Popular nesting site for sea birds

                    and the famous Greymare Rocks of course.

Heading north along the King Charles III/ England Coastal Path/Northumberland Coastal Path, we skirted the golf course before leaving the dunes for the beach of Embleton Bay.

The area was fenced off. A flimsy but effective barrier.

Leaving the beach, happily, the sand was soft, we took the footpath round the golf course, through the holiday chalets to the bird hide overlooking Newton Pool Nature Reserve, Fairly quiet, perhaps the birds felt the heat too. In the next pool we saw maybe a dozen Avocets. A passing walker told us we had just missed a pod of dolphins, Shame. apparently they are seen frequently, I've only seen them once.

                         All quiet on the Newton ponds.

Not far from the hide we passed the square of cottages at Low Newton by the Sea.

The Ship at Low Newton. Pops up frequently in those lists of "Best British Seaside Pubs" in the magazine sections of the heavies. Quite right too.

We walked up the road to High Newton by the Sea, headed for the car park and took the footpath for Embleton. (One post says Emblton, it wasn't me.)

The track starts off well made but then becomes a grassy footpath edging fields of barley until it reaches Embleton. Before heading for the cars we went to  Embleton Quarry. Transformed into a nature reserve with apond and several goats it's well worth a visit.

                           Embleton quarry.

Back at the cars and changed we went to the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel which had TTL and a beer from Ossett called White Rat. Both excellent thirst quenchers, it had been a hot day.

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

the walk is 10.5 easy going miles