A Sunday stroll to Old Rooklands (Northumberland) March 17th
Invited by John Lockey to join him and some of his friendly walking group we met in Alwinton, Northumberland. Easy to find, A1 North A697 at Morpeth, turn left for Rothbury at Weldon Bridge, through Rothbury and Thropton and turn right at the sign post for Alwinton.
The map for this walk is OS OL 16 Explorer, The Cheviot Hills. For a tiny hamlet Alwinton has plenty of parking, but it has plenty of visitors, walkers and cyclists.
We chose the National Park car park at the end of the village, a charge of £2 for a whole day is more than generous, and there are toilets too! The car park is at GR NT 909063, approximately.
Northumberland National Car Park, Alwinton. £2 a day
At the entrance to the village, on the right is a grassed area which is used as a free car park. (you may well ask)
The other car park, free. (Two car parks this week girls, how's that ?)
The walk starts at the other car park. Just out of sight on the left of the photo is a footbridge. We crossed it and headed left up a lane, past a farm and out on to open grassland. On the left is a hillfort, but not today. Not far from a small house on the right we went through a human sized gate and followed the footpath, muddy in places, that eventually took us downhill to Kidlandlee Dean. The coniferous forest here has been cut back and there is a growth of Tooley Tubes, one day it will be a deciduous wood.
Friendly native but she did have a bit of a cough.
Turning point at Kidlandlee Dean
At the Dean we turned back on ourselves and walked along the road that follows the River Alwinton.
By the second bridge we turned off the road and followed the footpath (bit muddy) up Rooklands Syke until we reached the ruined farmhouse of Old Rooklands. Although ruined it provided shelter from the remains of Storm Gareth, still blowing quite strong and we settled down for lunch. I'm not sure if this is really a Herbie because it's not really a gadgie walk. In fact half the party at least don't qualify as eithe gadgies or gadgettes.
Looking back down Rooklands Syke as we walked up it.
The ruins of Old Rooklands
The team of happy wanderers. I'm hopeless at names but there's a John, a Jim, a Catherine and a Kathleen at least.
Lunch over, (no gadgies, no sharing) we followed the grassy track past a shed and then turned south east until we hit the road between Rookland (New) and Biddlestone. On the road we turned right and walked the very muddy track back to Clennel cottages and the caravan site.
Just beyond the cottages a footbridge crosses the River Alwinton and we used it. From here the footpath goes over a hill and back to the lane where we started. Down the lane to the village and cars.
Having changed muddy footwear we went to the Rose and Thistle in the village for refreshment. Hexham Brewery, very good.
Rose and Thistle, Alwinton
Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2019
No matrix, but about 7.5 miles. and a lovely little walk in good company, thanks for the invite.
Invited by John Lockey to join him and some of his friendly walking group we met in Alwinton, Northumberland. Easy to find, A1 North A697 at Morpeth, turn left for Rothbury at Weldon Bridge, through Rothbury and Thropton and turn right at the sign post for Alwinton.
The map for this walk is OS OL 16 Explorer, The Cheviot Hills. For a tiny hamlet Alwinton has plenty of parking, but it has plenty of visitors, walkers and cyclists.
We chose the National Park car park at the end of the village, a charge of £2 for a whole day is more than generous, and there are toilets too! The car park is at GR NT 909063, approximately.
At the entrance to the village, on the right is a grassed area which is used as a free car park. (you may well ask)
The walk starts at the other car park. Just out of sight on the left of the photo is a footbridge. We crossed it and headed left up a lane, past a farm and out on to open grassland. On the left is a hillfort, but not today. Not far from a small house on the right we went through a human sized gate and followed the footpath, muddy in places, that eventually took us downhill to Kidlandlee Dean. The coniferous forest here has been cut back and there is a growth of Tooley Tubes, one day it will be a deciduous wood.
At the Dean we turned back on ourselves and walked along the road that follows the River Alwinton.
By the second bridge we turned off the road and followed the footpath (bit muddy) up Rooklands Syke until we reached the ruined farmhouse of Old Rooklands. Although ruined it provided shelter from the remains of Storm Gareth, still blowing quite strong and we settled down for lunch. I'm not sure if this is really a Herbie because it's not really a gadgie walk. In fact half the party at least don't qualify as eithe gadgies or gadgettes.
The team of happy wanderers. I'm hopeless at names but there's a John, a Jim, a Catherine and a Kathleen at least.
Lunch over, (no gadgies, no sharing) we followed the grassy track past a shed and then turned south east until we hit the road between Rookland (New) and Biddlestone. On the road we turned right and walked the very muddy track back to Clennel cottages and the caravan site.
Just beyond the cottages a footbridge crosses the River Alwinton and we used it. From here the footpath goes over a hill and back to the lane where we started. Down the lane to the village and cars.
Having changed muddy footwear we went to the Rose and Thistle in the village for refreshment. Hexham Brewery, very good.
Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2019
No matrix, but about 7.5 miles. and a lovely little walk in good company, thanks for the invite.
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