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.

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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 

Another wet day

Another walk in the rain. February 13th l And how wrong we were.

And it's  Friday.

It has rained for most of the year so a walk on relatively dry paths is the order of the day. We have chosen that old favourite Craster, starting from Seahouses Farm a couple of miles south of the seaside village.

The walk is covered by two maps:

OS explorer 332 Holy Island and OS Explorer 340 Alnwick.

For breakfast we went to The Running Fox at Longhoughton.. Formerly a NAAFI, then the village shop it is now one of the company's welcoming cafes. The bacon sandwich looked top class, but I was strong.

After breakfast we headed for Howick, home of the Grey family, and onwards to the parking area by the Seahouses Farm. (Not to be confused with the fish and chip town of Seahouses.)

                            Parking at Seahouses Farm (Not Seahoses)

As we booted up the clouds broke up, a large bright object appeared in the sky, first time for many a day. 

We headed south on the farm track which, not surprisingly, was very muddy. Reaching the point named Sugar Sands where the Howick Burn enters the sea we turned north on the English Coastal Path/ King Charles III . It was surprisingly mud free, well drained and firm underfoot. 

                  Originally the ladies bathing house for the folks who lived in Howick Hall

In a few weeks this cliff will be alive with nesting sea birds.

At Craster we headed for the Piper's Pitch next to the closed visitor centre,. decided against a second breakfast and, instead of taking the path across fields from the harbour, followed the path behind the Heughs until, at Cushat Stiel we took the popular footpath round the castle.

    Dunstanburgh Castle, it's my castle version of Marmite, love it

                                              Lilburn Tower at Dunstanburgh Castle

Ahead was the curve of Embleton Bay, quite a few people walking, some with their dogs, all glad to get out. We walked a mixture of the dunes above the beach, the sands, the edge of the golf course and a final stretch  of beach to Low Newton by the Sea, where, after 7.5 miles we called a Herbie. (Apple pies, cookies, sweet and savoury from Mrs A, with special commendation for the fruit cake)

The Ship Hotel at Low Newton. Much favoured, and quite rightly, by the Sunday Supplements of the heavier papers.

Lunch over, and, in spite of the winter sun, it was cold, we moved on, back on the beach rather than the path behind the square of houses. We thought it would be very muddy from past experience.

Climbing rickety steps to the little village of summer chalets we crossed the golf course and at Dunstan Steads (mile 9) headed for the farm, turned left and took the concrete strip  to Dunstan Square.

                                     Yes it is a lime kiln

                                Left from WW2. The recent storms have uncovered more WW2 defences.

From Dunstan Square Farm we took the road to the village of Dunstan. Next to the bus shelter and not easily spotted is a footpath which goes across a couple of fields to the road near this.

A borrowed photo, too many leaves for February.

Underneath the arch, up the road and then we turned left having passed the entrance to Craster Towers, we turned right towards Craster South Farm. A couple of muddy fields later we were close to the car park for Howick Hall but took a short cut through the woods, disturbing a single, solitary deer, to the road to the farm. Changed we headed for a favourite watering hole, the Ridley Arms in Stannington. Glad to see it was busy in these days of pub closures.

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The walk is 13.5 miles, sea views and country with no climbs. 

It is the longest and best walk of the year so far. Cold, sunny, muddy but worth every aching limb.

                                            Sugar Sands

                                        February Fairmaids

                               Craster visitor centre. Said to be reopening soon

                                             Yes it is!

                              Embleton Bay

                          WW2 bunker, exposed by storms

                            Cuttlefish air sac. There were thosands on the beach

                               More snowdrops
 

The park of the Rising Sun

 The park of the Rising Sun. February 6th

Still  raining, so an urban stroll near home for those who brave the weather. The Rising Sun was once a coal mine and, since it closed, has been transformed into a park complete with grassy area and ponds.

It also has a cafe for breakfast, or any other time, and a muddy car park too but that's not surprising as it's raining again.

This walk, a short one for a wet day is partly urban, partly muddy fields.                                                 Covered by OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne.

 I thought the picnic tables were worth keeping, and the pond in the background.

                                           Cafe at Rising Sun Country Park.

It was raining when we left the cafe, turned left then left again up a track to the delightfully named Scaffold Hill Farm. Then following a muddy track we came to an estate, crossed the road and followed markers through Benton Square Industrial Estate.

The path crosses the Tyne and Wear Metro line near Holystone Farm, goes under the A19 and through  housing close to Backworth. Across a couple of muddy fields  and under the new Northumberland railway line from Ashington to Newcastle.

Turning east and walking muddy fields we came to Earsdon and as the rain had eased considerably we sat on benches near the church for a Herbie. (Jam tarts, sweet and savoury from Mrs A)

 Earsdon Curch, dedicated to St Alban. The building was consecrated in 1837 but the original was built in the 11th century. In the churchyard is a memorial to the 204 men and boys from the Hester pit at Hartley who lost their lives in a disaster in 1862. The pit pump beam collapsed and blocked the only shaft to the workings.

From Earsdon we walked across muddy fields to the village of Murton and from there to New York!

Walking the road towards the North Tyneside hospital on Rake Lane  we soon turned off and found our way through the houses to B and M's for a cheering cup of tea. B took us back to the Rising Sun car park and then we went home, in the rain.

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

The walk is about 6.5 muddy miles. Easy going too.