A warm walk from Wylam

 A warm walk from Wylam March 27th.

A much reduced team,  because of holidays, family birthdays or the talk of poor weather, is walking from Wylam in the Tyne Valley again. Easy to reach, west on the A69, turn off at the signpost for Wylam and head down towards the river. Just before the river, on the left, is a large and free car park.

The walk is covered by OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne.

                            Wylam car park.

From the car park we walked down towards the river and took the footpath under the road bridge, continuing close to the water to Hagg Bridge.

Hagg Bridge. Originally built in 1896 to connect the Wylam line with the Newcastle to Carlisle railway it is said to be a model for the Tyne Bridge. The line closed in 1968 and the old track bed is a footpath.

Once on the south side of the river we followed the footpath/cycle path alongside the bank to the Tyne Riverside Country Park at Prudhoe.                                                                                                           This section passes the Spetchells, an artificial mound created from chalk when the nearby factory was used for the production of fertiliser and explosives in WW2. 

The Spetchells. The chalk mound was planted with trees and is now a nature reserve!

      Although we had only got 2.5 miles under our feet we stopped for coffee, sitting outside in the sun. 

Break over we continued for a short distance on the river bank before crossing the railway and walking through woodland to a road. Turning left we walked a short distance down the road to a track that took us to Prudhoe Castle.

Prudhoe Castle built in the 11th century and occupied by the Umfravilles until  in 1381 the last of the line died. His widow married into the Percy family. The Percy family lost it, got it back, restored it and let it out. (The Percy family are the Earls/Dukes of Northumberland) Prudhoe comes from old English and possibly means High Ridge. The castle does stand high above the river. In one of several battles between the English and the Scots the soldiers from north of the border did a lot of damage to the castle orchard.

The castle is closed but there is a footpath all the way round the walls, as the loop at  mile 4 on the map shows.

Leaving the ruin we walked along a footpath close to the road and the industrial area which makes tissue.                                                                                                                                                          The path went through a wood below the Recycling Area but a log made a fine seat for a Herbie (Close to Mile 5)   Titans from ALDI, cookies, no Mrs A                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Crossing the railway again  a series of steep steps took us back to river level and round a large pond.

               The large pond

Back on the track by the Tyne at mile 6 we were soon back at Hagg Bridge from where we followed the dismantled railway back to the car park and home. And, in spite of the forecast, it was  a warm dry day.

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The walk is about 7.5 miles, easy going, river views and a castle.

May the forts be with you

 May the forts be with you. March 20th

Today's walk is the one we meant to do last week but called off because of the weather. Walking from Ingram in the Breamish Valley, starting, not from the visitor centre but from the car park about a quarter mile further on.

Take A1 north, A697 at Morpeth and turn left beyond Powburn. Four miles further on pass the Ingram Farm and stop at the car park a little further on.

The walk is covered by two maps. OS OL 16 The Cheviots, OS Explorer 332 Alnwick.

If you want breakfast there is a cafe at the visitor centre. There are toilets at the car park we used.

There are nine of us out today, an ennead, lovely word.

Slightly cropped  car park photo.

Across the road from the car park a finger posts points to Brough Law, claiming the distance to be 3/4 of a mile. The climb begins immediately and there is no respite, the path climbs about 500 feet, through what was once a wood until it reaches the hill fort on the top.

The remains of Brough Law fort, built between 355 and 155 BC. Thought to have had three defensive stone rings and homes inside. Great views too.

Having admired the stones  we moved on walking south, passing several cairns and enclosures, all marked in Gothic script on the map. Crossing Ewe Hill we took a fairly level route, relaxing for aging legs after the initial climb. The path dipped into Middledean Burn before climbing up to Cochrane Pike, the top is at about 1000 feet.

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 A walk for views

At mile 3 we joined a farm track and were passed by two motorbike riders. One of them, a young lady did not appear to be the happiest of bunnies.

Leaving the track we crossed Rocky Burn and turned north east towards the next hill Old Fawdon Hill.

We meant to go over it but  a change of plan took us, thankfully, round the base. At about 4.5 miles we sat on a grassy bank in the sun for a Herbie. (Apple pies, chocolate bar and sweet and savoury from Mrs A) 

From the picnic spot the remains of a large settlement are visible.

The settlement is here somewhere, very low walls.

Moving on we headed for Fawdon Farm. The track to the farm that we have used for years has been closed off by the landowners, hence the squiggle on the map at mile 5. Watch out for the marker that takes walkers round the forbidden section and joins the farm track.

At Fawdon Farm there is a gate on the left leading to a good farm track  taking you back to Ingram village  and then on to the car park.

On the way home we called in at the Shoulder of Mutton in Longhorsely, it has TTL.

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The walk is under 8 miles, a couple of climbs but on a sunny day like today well worth it.

The forts of Ingram

 The forts of Ingram, and it's not even May.       March 13th.

Ingram is in the Breamish Valley, one of several that drain the Cheviots.  At the village of Ingram there is a cafe/visitor centre but today we are starting from a car park about a half mile further up the road.

The walk is covered by two maps: OS OL 16 The Cheviots and OS Explorer 332 Alnwick & Amble. The valley has a long history, several hilltops have the remains of forts and there are other settlements to be found.

However there was a sudden change in the weather. Instead of heading for the hills we set out for a low level walk from Ashington.

Once described as the largest village in the country, Ashington was the home of several coal mines, the birthplace of great footballers* and a couple of fast bowlers too.**

No mines anymore but the excellent Woodhorne museum tells their story.

And the map for this walk is OS Explorer 325 Morpeth and Blyth.

We parked in the Queen Elizabeth II country park, booted up and set off.

Car park, pithead wheel and Eucalyptus trees in the background.

Leaving the car park we took the well made track round the west side of the lake until we came to the railway line. Held up for a while as a long train of goods wagons rolled slowly by. It had come from the nearby power station having delivered its load of wood chippings, originally this plant burned coal from the nearby pit.

The chips come from the USA and Canada I am told. The coal came from across theroad

After a short walk along the road we came to the new Ashington shopping area which includes a Wetherspoons pub named for Rohan Kanhai, a West  Indian international who played club cricket for Ashington.

                 Jackie Milburn. star for Newcastle United and England

Then we reached the old Ashington. A series of terraced streets laid out in a rectangular pattern like an American city and built many years ago to house the miners. for sentimental reasons, for one of the team, we found Sycamore Street and walked down it to a road, crossed the road and took the path down to the River Wansbeck turned left and headed for the sea on the King Charles III/ England Coast Path

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Road and footbridges across the Wansbeck

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Nearer the estuary we left the river and walked through Sandy Bay caravan park, quiet at this time of year.. The footpath to Newbiggin is close to the low cliff edge and in one place it has been almost washed away but we persevered and made it to the promenade at Newbiggin, stopping for a Herbie at the cafe near the church. Cold but a good view across the bay and down the coast to Blyth.

Watching for ships in the offing!

St. Bartholomew's church, Newbiggin by the sea. Dates back to the 13th century, ruined by the 18th and rebuilt in the 19th and 20th. Visible for miles.

We set off behind the church only to be advised by a large notice that the footpath was dangerous and therefore closed.

 Instead we went through a new caravan park, passing "The Last Pub Before Norway" and followed the footpath round the edge of the golf course to the power station at Lynemouth.

Lynemouth power station. Built to supply electricity to the nearby Alcan smelter. The smelter closed some years ago. The power station now supplies the national grid. Owned by a Czech company and it uses biomass for fuel.

Leaving the power station we walked a short distance along the road before turning off on to the overgrown cycle track that runs alongside the Eucalyptus plantation.

                  Eucalyptus trees and the old road. Grown, I'm told by a local company for their oil. The company, I'm told no longer exists.

Not a Koala bear to be seen.

Across the road and we were back at the car park, then home.

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The walk is just under 11 miles, easy going 

* Jackie Milburn and the two Charlto brothers, Bobby and Jack

** Harmison and Wood