Another country walk (Northumberland and Gateshead) February 1st
My Indian Head Saskatchewan friend responded to my comment about the temperature last week. She told me that in her town it was -30C but when the temperature soared to a mere -12 she went for a walk, only forty minutes, but a walk.
My grandson's school closed on Wednesday because there was 3cm. of snow where he lives. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk from his house to school. I suspect the reason given would be problems for staff getting in. Some countries must laugh at us.
Enough ranting, today the team is reduced to a hardy quartet, Harry, Dave, John H. and me and we are walking a new to us route from Wylam. Wylam is easy to find, drive west on the A69 until you reach the signpost that says Wylam and follow it.
The map for the walk is OS  Explorer 43, 316 Newcastle upon Tyne
We parked in the fre I 

e all day car park near the river. 

Look we have snow and a car park

The walk follows in part the Tyne and Wear Heritage walk (qv) The Red Kite trail (qv too) and some common or garden footpaths, lanes and roads. It is well marked, the heritage logo is a coal waggon, the red kite logo is , surprisingly, a red kite and footpaths get the usual.

These shapes are formed when foam freezes and the circular motion of the eddys on the river cause them to make circles like pizzas

The Tyne at Wylam

Leaving the car park we crossed the River Tyne, the railway line and we passed the Boathouse Pub, to which we would return, and walked some way up the road before turning off on the right hand side and taking the footpath uphill to Bradley Hall Farm. We passed a small herd of deer, reared for venison sold in upper class supermarkets.

Deer...

…..and a belted Galloway

                                             

From this farm we continued over fields to a road. Being a cold day and having had some snow on top of solid ground which was slowly growing some cereal, walking was a bit uncomfortable but that doesn’t stop a gadgie on his day out.

 We crossed the road (A695) and walked on to Bradley Fell, turning right down the wonderfully named Kyo Bog Lane. Not boggy today.

Soon we followed the markers left across more fields to Bradley Fell Road, turned left, turned right and wandered down Buck’s Nook Lane, turning left to go over more fields to to Penny Hill.

Cold horse

Left on the road, right just beyond the Electricity sub station and on to Coalburn Farm, an interesting establishment with an interesting couple.

Just beyond the farm we turned left down a lane and after more fields arrived at Strothers Farm. Down a track through the farm before going into more fields that led us to the pretty footpath following Barrow Burn and uphill to the village of Barlow, on the Red Kite Trail. Several of these magnificent creatures rode the light wind as we stopped for a Herbie in the back garden of the Black Horse pub.

A scene from "Fargo"

Coated donkeys

Lunch spot. We shared mini apple pies, flapjacks and lemon slices. Nothing from Mrs A today

Last exit from Black Horse

Hot soup for lunch, much better than a sandwich on a cold day. At the back of the pub a stile took us to a path going downhill,  past a Holy Well which we missed and on to Reeley Mirew Farm from where we wandered across more hard fields to the village of Greenside. Having safely crossed the road we took the right fork, went uphill past the village primary school and at the end of the terrace of houses turned right, past the playground and on the footpath through Jacky’s plantation. Downhill on a rough and at times Coalway Lane back to the A695 which we crossed safely and followed the B6317 for a short distance  to Sled Lane.

A pond alongside the lane, probably formed through mining subsidence, had a variety of birds on the bit that wasn’t frozen, swans, grebes and goosanders, they kept the ornithologists happy.

Passing Bradley Gardens, which has a tea shop, and Daniel Farm which also has a tea shop, we were soon back at the Boathouse, which sells at least twelve hand pulled beers and pretty good coffee. Then we went home. 

The Boathouse

I have used a lot more place names than usual in case anybody really wants to follow this excellent winter walk of approximately 11 miles. But do be careful, there are some icy patches causing at least one tumble.

MATRIX MMXIX   2a

                                               Steps                         miles

NAK                                          30409                  11.03

Iphone                                       26748                   11

Dave’s NAK 1                          24025                    11.37

“”””””  NAK 2                          23986                    11.35

“”””””” USB                             24334                    11.52

S M                                            25083                    11.48

OUTDOOR GPS                                                    10.79

Contains OS data Copyright. Crown copyright and data base right 2019