Owl Corner

 Owl Corner December 5th

MUD WARNING

Ulgham is a village in Northumberland, a few miles north east of Morpeth. The name means "Owl Corner".

But we are starting the walk in Longhirst, also near Morpeth, and we are having morning coffee in Pegswod, yet another village near Morpeth.

The Courtyard in Pegswood is well worth a visit. It looks like the cafe/restaurant is in what was possibly a Co-op Store. Lovely inside, upstairs and downstairs. Great service and a five star bacon sandwich.

The map to use is OS explorer 325, Morpeth and Blyth.

Parked outside St. John the Evangelist's Longhirst. Badly parked really as it is a one way road. Thge church is Victorian.

Leaving the church we turned left and after a few hundred yards realised we had gone the wrong way so we about turned and headed for the village. Just beyond the War Memorial we turned left mdown a lane and at Howarth Cottage followed the right fork. We were on the fiorst rough and muddy farm track of the day. The o7nly thing of interest on the way was:

A Poacher Block, designed to prevent any vehicle without the height of a tractor from using the track. Judging by the number of blue barrels on the edges of woodland they would be after pheasants.

We followed the track to mile 3 where a sign advertising Hebron Lake, Coarse Fiching sent us off to the right.

               Hebron Lake. Not a fisherman in sight but we did see a heron.

The track went partly round the lake, changing from track to footpath through Broad Wood and Blackdean Wood.

Turning left we walked a short distance on a road before turning left again. Close to mile 5 we walked across a field edging Bricks Plantation. The path on the left is hard to spot, not well marked, but having found it we walked more fields to Tritlington Hall and went down to the hamlet where a low wall made a convenient Herbie Spot.

We have just had a visit from my sister who lives in Canada. For her journey home she had bought some mini Melton Mowbray Pies to eat as she waited for her flight. As we approached the airport a couple of days ago she called out she had left them at our house. Couldn't go back, Mini Melton Pies for my Herbie! And not just pies, M and S pies. Plus mince pies, cake, cookie and sweet and savoury from the usual supplier.

            A Tritlington sheep taking part in a Gymkhana.

Lunch over we headed past the hall again and walked on road, passing but not finding the Hydraulic Ram. Turning north we walked through Robinhood Wood before heading south east across fields to Ulgham. Sad to see the village pub, The Forge, was well and truly closed. Once through the village we took to the fields again. After the recent heavy rain they were very muddy, boots increased in weight. Eventually we came to the road back to Longhirst and the cars. 

On the way home we stopped at The Ridley Arms in Stannington. No TTL but some local beers and alcohol free drinks, and tea for some.

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 It is worth pointing out that normally the walk would be very easy going but the mud slowed progress. We also agreed that there is little variation in the walk, woodland, track and fields and there are no really good view points. The walk is 11 miles

Nanny Mayer's Incline

 Nanny Mayer's Incline November 28th

A new walk for me and possibly several other gadgies today. starting from Allensford near Consett in County Durham.

Head west on the A69, turn south on the A68 and look out for signs. Turn left, there is some parking available next to the caravan park. The park has a shop/cafe and a shed for people to have eats and drinks in the company of their dogs.

The walk is covered by OS explorer 307, Consett and Derwent Reservoir. Could well be useful.

          Car parking at the Allenford caravan site. Free!

After breakfast in the cafe we set off back out of the park and across the road to find a muddy footpath by the river. It started to rain. Reaching a footbridge we admired the waterfall.

                        Waterfall near the start.

As we walked uphill on a muddy path through woods the rain got heavier, stair rods as they say.

Leaving the wood we followed a footpath over fields  alongside Birks Wood as the stair rods increased. The path looked down on Wharnley Burn and we were approaching Castleside. Somebody suggested sheltering in a pub in Castleside, somebody suggested cutting the walk short. Agreed on this we turned back, which explains the spike on the map from Mile 2.

Following a rough track through woodland and taking brief shelter in a ruined cottage we crossed the Comb Bridges and headed uphill on the road. 

            Another chapter for my Book of Kilns.

Realising we had missed a turning point we turned back which explains the wiggle by mile 3 on the map.

Back over Comb Bridges, and the rain easing off, we found  a path through Windybank Wood. We also had to negotiate several stiles. 

Having crossed several fields we came to a track, past a farm and joined the same track we had started out on.

          Same waterfall, after the rain.

 At the cafe we asked if we could use the dog hut for a Herbie and the ladies said yes so we all bought large coffees too. (Apart from the coffee we shared mince pies, almond slices, 2 flapjacks, cake and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.

On the way home we called in at the Fox and Hounds in Wylam which had a roaring fire, TTL and alcohol free Guinness

Cold and wet we went home. And we didn't get to Manny Mayer's Incline. Saved for another day

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The walk is about 5.5miles, including backwards and forwards. About half the planned walk. In spite of the rain we agreed it was a great area for walks and shall return, soon.

On the coast again

 On the coast again. November 21st

Today's walk was meant to be in the hills of North Durham but poor conditions, namely a scattering of snow and freezing rain, persuaded us to avoid narrow country roads and head for the milder Northumberland coast.

Driving to Widdrington we then caught the X18 bus to Warkworth and headed south, mostly on the coastal path now named for Charles III.

A map is not essential but the walk is covered by OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and OS Explorer 325 Morpeth. Keep the sea on your left, simple rule.

Well that was the plan. The bus did not arrive. After a brief discussion on an alternative walk we made use of two of the three cars available and drove to Amble, planning  to walk back to Widdrington from there, use the remaining car to retrieve the ones left in Amble. Well to take the two drivers to get their cars.

             I cropped this car park picture to cut out the rubbish bin, just visible on the right edge though.

We started off walking round the cemetery wall and joined the coastal path dedicated to the king. After a few hundred yards on the path we headed down to the beach, the sand was firm and, unlike the footpath through the dunes there were no slippery ice patches.

We left the beach at mile 2 and took the slightly muddy footpath to the visitor centre in Hauxley Nature Reserve for a late breakfast. So late the bacon sandwiches were no longer available.

                                

Coquet Island. Nature Reserve and once weekend retreat for St. Cuthbert.                                                              Back on the beach for a while before heading for the visitor centre at Druridge Bay reserve (milke 5) where we made use of a bench for the day's Herbie. (Apple pies, cookies, ginger cake and, of course, sweet and savoury from Mrs A)

Thye visitor centre at Druridge Bay Reserve has a good cafe . Views across the lake too.

After lunch we were back on the sandy beach all the way to mile six. here we took the road behind the dunes. At mile seven on previous occasions we have left the road and crossed the fields, passing the ruined chapel marked on the map but we considered that route would be very soggy today so continued on the road to the entrance to the Druridge Bay area, turned right and walked the road back to Widdrington.

The cars were retrieved, some of us enjoyed TTL and some enjoyed tea in the Widdrington Arms.

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The walk is just under nine miles, easy going but a bit icy in places today. Take a stick!

Back to the Coquet

 Back to the Coquet, November 14th

A walk we did earlier this year, and why not. 

Starting and finishing in Rothbury the walk goes through Pondicherry, Thropton and Tosson, following fields and forest trails.

There is a large car park south of the River Coquet in Rothbury and it's  free.

The maps needed are: OS OL 42 Kielder Forest and OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Ambl

      

                                                            Car park and Coquet.

After breakfast in the Newcastle Arms we set off west along Rothbury's wide main street and took the right fork towards the hamlet of Pondicherry. (mile 1) Although this hamlet is first mentioned in 1765 I can't find any definite link between it and the French colony of the same name in India. It could,apparently, be just a local name. 

Beyond it the track crosses several fields, is a straight line and has some proper stiles.

Compare and contrast as they used to ask in GCE *English Language exams.

We passed the empty Alpaca field and an ancient fort, possibly stone age but as Dave wasn't with us nobody could be sure and he couldn't have his alpaca joke.

We reached Physic Lane, a name that has always intrigued, turned left and headed ownhill to Thropton.

Crossing the Wreigh Burn by the footbridge alongside the road bridge we crossed the road too and followed the burn to the River Coquet.

  River Coquet. Referred to in the 8th century as" Coccuueda" Bede  names it "Cocuedi fluminus" which possibly means Red River.

Once across we headed over soggy fields  to a road, turned right then left, passing the Tosson Lime Kiln.

                    Tosson Lime Kiln. There is a picnic spot at the top and a view inside the kiln. But not today.

Passing through Great Tosson, a hamlet, we paused to admire the Tosson Tower, or at least its ruins.

                  Tosson Tower, 14th century bastle house

 At a point not far from the tower we went through a gate on the right and started the long steady climb through the plantations on the side of Simonside. Then we came down again. Deciding there was nowhere to sit for lunch at the first car park we continued on a narrow footpath to a spot with a large rock and several tree stumps and declared it Herbie Time. Cherry Bakewells, cookies, cake and sweet  and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.

Lunch over, and a short break as it was getting cold we walked a hundred nyards or so on the road and then took the posted path on the left through a wood before crossing  several fields to Whitton Hillhead. From here we followed the track to Whitton, passing Sharps Folly and finally took the road back to the car park and home.

Dr. Sharp's Folly. Started in 1720 by Dr Thomas Sharp as an observatory and also to provide work for unemployed people in the area it was completed in 1754. The oldest folly in Northumberland.

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The walk is about 8 miles, easy going with one long slope through the plantation. Great views over the valley.

* GCE UK school exam pre 1988.Taken at age 16