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.

Contains OS data, copy right. Crown copyright and database right 2026

The walk is just under 11 miles, easy going 

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

** Harmison and Wood

 

Riding Mill

 Riding Mill March 6th

We have not walked from this village for some time. Riding Mill is  in the Tyne Valley some miles west of Newcastle. A69, turn off onto A68 near Corbridge and at the first roundabout take the road to the village. 

The walk is covered by two maps:

OS Explorer316 Newcastle upon Tyne and OS Explorer 307  Consett

Parking in a small yard near the church of St. James, room for ten cars.

                              Church of St. James. !9th century built as a Chapel of Ease in Bywell parish but now a parish on its own.

                                      Car park near the church.
Booted and suited against the cold we set off, leaving the car park, crossing the road and spotting the finger post for the River Tyne Trail, marked by the "Daft as a Brush" charity, The post was partly covered by branches but it took us to the first muddy path of the day through Whiteside Wood, across the A68, busy road, take care. and on to Broomley where we left the Tyne Trail and ploughed through the muddy fields to the road junction (Near point 59 on map,)

WW2 bunker just outside Riding Mill

From the junction we walked along the road through the village of Hindley to the B6309 at point 94 on the map.

              Britain does not have a climate, we have weather.  Wednesday and Thursday this week were unseasonably warm and sunny. On Thursday night we had a lot more rain and a little sprinkling of snow on higher ground.

From the junction we followed a track so straight it could have been a Roman road, until we reached, through a couple of muddy fields, Fell House on the A68, buisy road, take care.

Turning south we walked on the road for a few hundred yards before spotting the next finger post  and heading west through Low Fotherley, Lingley Field to the village of Healey. We didn't go into the village, pity because it has a pretty church. Just beyond the village road we stopped for lunch at Burnt House, a wedding venue. There were some large stones in the yard which would have made good if hard, seats but a young man explained the bridal party were about to arrive and probably didn't want to see a group of muddy men tucking in to sandwiches.

So we crossed the road, through a gate and settled down as best we could. (Limited sharin, cookiea and ALDI Titans, not many out today)

                               Nice place for a wedding.

                 Not too muddy in the wood.

We followed a good track through the wood, finally emerging at a minor road, turned left and spotted the finger post for Riding Mill. From this point it all goes downhill. The path is easy to follow, crossing the hedge near High Plains riding centre but beyond there is a lack of pointers.

Two scrambled over the hedge and took the path, two wandered the field a bit before finding a way out but fairly soon we were back at the cars and home.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2026.

The walk is about 8.5 miles. Easy going but muddy today>

Wallington and the Wannee

 Wallington and the Wannee. February 27th

It's some time since we walked from Scots Gap, a village west of Morpeth but today's expedition starts and finishes there and includes a section of the grounds of Wallington Hall, mud permiotting.

There are two theories put forward to explain the name of the village. The first says simply that it was a gap in the ancient drovers roads from Scotland to England. The second, a little more colourful tells the tale of the villagers keeping their flocks and herds in a fold over night.  The fold was closed by a narrow dyke or gap. A group of Scots tried to steal the flocks but were beaten off by the English, the Scots failed to get through the gap.

The walk is covered by OS OL 42 Kielder Water and Forest.

There is some parking just beyond the village in the grounds of the old National Trust offices. and it's  free.

Parking at Scots Gap. The walkers are heading for the start of the stroll.

We've  been joined today, and not for the first time, by John and Dorothy. John is  native to the area and promises to show us bits of Wallington not usually seen. Dorothy is a reet grand lass from the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The walk starts at the marker at the back of the car park and after a few yards we descended to the dismantled railway, the Wannee Line. At the point where the two old lines meet we took the left branch and a little further on left the line for a footpath across squishy fields. Still soggy after all that rain.

                        Take to the left.

Turning through a rightangle we headed for Newbiggen House Farm, crossed the Cambo Scots Gap road and paused briefly at Saugh House.

The stone commemorates John Wesley, father of Methodism, who preached on this spot.

Moving on across the fields we reached Prior Hall Farm and took a short detour west to see:

The Arches. Originally built as the courtyard gateway to Wallington Hall but were too narrow for coaches so they were moved here in 1751.

Back to Prior Hall and a short way down the track before tirning south, crossing fields and arriving at the Garden House, Wallington Hall. After a brief wander in the East Wood we admired the crocuses (croci if you wish) before returning to the garden house and taking the riverside walk.

The owl and the crocuses (croci)

There are stepping stones across the River Wansbeck but I don't do stepping stones so two of us scrambled along a path on the north side of the river, struggled to climb a wall and finally joined the rest on the south bank. We followed the river for  about a mile, crossed a footbridge and settled down on two benches for a Herbie. ( Apple pies, cookies and, of course, sweet and savoury from Mrs A).

 Snow drops and Herbie spot.

Lunch over we continued on the woodland walk, stopping to see:

                      The entrance to the hall's ice house. They probably have a fridge now.

And:

This marks the entrance to a drift mine. There were lead mines in the area as well as coal.

Eventually we left the wood, turned left on what is meant to be a cycling track then turned right to walk through another wood. At mile 6 we turned east, crossed fields and reached the village of Cambo.

                 The old village school, Cambo. Lancelot "Capability" Brown, designer of English parklands went to school here.

Holy Trinity Church, Cambo. Built in 1842 to replace a Chapel of Ease.

Two more fields and we were back at Saugh House and on the road back to Scots Gap.

On the way home we stopped at the Dyke Neuk pub to rehydrate.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and data base right 2026

The walk, including the short diversions is just under 8 miles. 

And thanks to John and Dorothy for making it an interesting walk.

Wallington Hall. The estate dates back to 1475 and it was owned by the Fenwick family until 1688 when it was sold to the Blackett Family. The original pele tower was demolished and the current hall was built for Samuel Blackett. The estate passed to the Trevelyn Family in 1777 and was handed to the National Trust in 1942.

 By kind permission of Margaret.

And a few more