Gadgie Walks

Gadgies of the Rings (Northumberland) Sept 7
Haltwhistle claims to be the geographical centre of Great Britain. The worthies of the small town have produced leaflets named The Haltwhistle Rings, a series of 22 walks in the area, buyable as a book, downloadable as leaflets.
The BBC weather man told the nation that an area of low pressure would settle over Newcastle today so we decided to head west and chose walk number 15 from the Haltwhistle Rings; Featherstone and Rowfoot. To get to the start of the walk take the A69 west and towards the end of the Haltwhistle bypass turn left for Coanwood. Follow this minor road through Park Village and turn right at Featherstone. A few hundred yards beyond the Wallace Arms there is a small car park on the left. It's a Yorkshire car park too.
The walk is covered by OS OL 43 Hadrian's Wall and that, or a leaflet for the walk is advisable.
Naturally we stopped for breakfast at Brockbushes Farm Shop and café off the Corbridge roundabout.

Brockbushes, a popular eating place and farm shop, with pick your own fruit in season

Small but perfectly formed car park. (OS GR NY681607)
To the right of the bus in the picture is a footpath which took us to the start of the walk on the dismantled railway that once followed the South Tyne to Alston but is now used by walkers, cyclists and dogsters.
Easy walking for a couple of miles through the old Coanwood station with its ghosts of engineers and passengers to Lambley Viaduct, a fine piece of late Victorian civil engineering and best seen from the footpath on the west side of the South Tyne but this is not on today's route. The far end of the viaduct is blocked but you may walk across to the barrier.

Ghostly passenger waiting for the 11.15 to Alston.

Walkers like an easy start

Lambley Viaduct
We struggled to find the footpath at the viaduct but a lady walker pointed it out to us. We climbed Castle Hill, not too steep, and crossed fields to the tiny settlement of Ashholme.

Cottage to rent at Ashholme. An elderly gentleman wished he was walking with us rather than having to clean the cottage for the next renters.
From Ashholme we walked along the road past Mount Pleasant

Molecatchers like to demonstrate their skills have been successful.
At this point there was some discussion as to whether we should follow the road or cross the fields; the road supporters won and on we went passing close to the delightfully named Yont the Cleugh. At the road end we took to field, separated by a flimsy wire fence from the fine brute below and his herd of ladies.

A fine fellow indeed
We came to a ruined shepherd's cottage called Gorcock and called a Herbie. We had hardly settled down when we were visited by several Galloways, one being of the belted variety.

Gorcock, the chap on the right is consulting his map really

Ben is about to share his lunch with friends. We shared naughty nutties, cookies, ginger biscuits and scones from Mrs A. (Photo by Algar Associates)
Lunch over we continued north east to the settlement at Burn House. Nearby is a Friends Meeting House.

Friends Meeting Hose near Burn House. And still looking in good condition. I don't know if it is still used.
From the Meeting House we walked the fields to a ruin close to Low Todhillwood. (Tod means fox)

The footpath is on the left of the wall and goes almost due west to Low Ramshaw (Ram is a crow, apparently)

Here we headed north for a short time crossing fields of Lauder Grass which make walking difficult until we came to heather and bracken covered Ramshaw Fell. At this point the group split, amicably.

John H. and Brian followed Park Burn closely and were rewarded with a view of a waterfall. We others continued over the moor and across fields to Lynnshield.

Waterfall on Park Burn. (Photo by Algar Associates)

Although we did not meet up both groups took the footpath round Lynnshield, a well posted path, and quite right too, who wants people walking through your yard.

Just in case you missed the sign.

From Lynnshield we crossed a few more fields before coming to the road, turned left and walked back to Featherstone Rowfoot and the car park. Changed, we re hydrated in the Wallace Arms, a small friendly pub which had two ales on offer, one from the Twice Brewed brewery on the wall. They also had a very refreshing lime and soda for drivers.