The Fiddlers Elbow (Northumberland) November 22nd.
(HEAVY MUD WARNING)
Another fairly local walk on a cold day in November. Overcast but dry we are walking the countryside from Longhorsly in Northumberland. To get to the start take the A1 north, turn on to the A697 at Morpeth and stop in Longhorsly, parking on the roadside.
There are eight of us again, John x 3, Harry, Dave, Brian, Ray and me.
The map to use is OS Explore 325, Morpeth and Blyth. Breakfast at Hieghleygate garden centre, Christmas decoration emporium and farm shop. The coffee/tea/bacon sandwich were acceptable but the place was very busy, full of pensioners enjoying a mid morning shop and snack.
Dobbies Garden Centre, Heighley Gate Morpeth.
Breakfast over we drove the few miles to the village of Longhorsley, and parked on the roadside near a church.
Sorry girls, best we could do today.
Does this church employ a dog-nauper?
It was raining, lightly, so we were soon booted, gaitered and waterproofed before setting off along the road past Horsley Tower, a building with 16th century origins and additions in the 17th century and 1930.
A short distance past the tower we came to Archie's Pond and a footpath that ran parallel to the road and was far more pleasant to walk on.
At the corner of a field we left the path and road and walked on a well marked track across muddy fields and alongside small plantations, crossing several stiles that were slippy because of the heavy rain of the last few days. There were a couple of dodgy footbridges too, testing for anyone over 13 stones (or 90kg.) Eventually we plodged our way to Wingate, a tiny, pretty Northumbrian Hamlet which has a few cottages, a couple of farms and a village hall. The school had long since been converted to a house.
This does not do justice to the pretty hamlet Wingate.
From Wingate the footpath goes roughly south through the yard of South Farm and across several muddy fields until it reaches a minor road. No shelter or even decent seating but we called a Herbie;
Somewhere in this flock is a single tup, wearing his working waistcoat!
Al fresco dining. We shared Racers, Ben's ginger biscuits. Mr Kipling Unicorn slices to celebrate the election, chocolate, biscuits and savoury scones from Mrs A.
Lunch over the group divided. Four chose to continue on the longer, original route, four chose to take a short cut back to Longhorsley.
Those of us on the shorter route followed the road, which went past Fiddler's Elbow, not that you would know. A couple of bungalows but I had hoped for a pub at least with a fine sign.
We followed the road to High Southward edge where we eventually spotted a well hidden signpost that took us across muddy fields and down a very muddy wide lane until we reached a road near a gas installation.
Here we spotted a ladder stile that was the start of a footpath across more mud to the settlement of Muckley, a couple of houses and little more. From here we followed the path across more muddy fields to Acres Cottage where we joined the road that took us the short distance to Longhorsley. First time in many a walk I have had wet feet.
Changed we went to the village pub, Shoulder of |Mutton, which had a welcome fire and Timothy Taylor's Landlord Ale from Keighley. Heaven in a glass. They also had Directors.
Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2019.
The yellow line is the planned route and is about ten miles, the black is the cut off with a distance of 8.25 miles.
Few pictures, my camera lived most of a damp day in a plastic bag.
(HEAVY MUD WARNING)
Another fairly local walk on a cold day in November. Overcast but dry we are walking the countryside from Longhorsly in Northumberland. To get to the start take the A1 north, turn on to the A697 at Morpeth and stop in Longhorsly, parking on the roadside.
There are eight of us again, John x 3, Harry, Dave, Brian, Ray and me.
The map to use is OS Explore 325, Morpeth and Blyth. Breakfast at Hieghleygate garden centre, Christmas decoration emporium and farm shop. The coffee/tea/bacon sandwich were acceptable but the place was very busy, full of pensioners enjoying a mid morning shop and snack.
Breakfast over we drove the few miles to the village of Longhorsley, and parked on the roadside near a church.
It was raining, lightly, so we were soon booted, gaitered and waterproofed before setting off along the road past Horsley Tower, a building with 16th century origins and additions in the 17th century and 1930.
A short distance past the tower we came to Archie's Pond and a footpath that ran parallel to the road and was far more pleasant to walk on.
From Wingate the footpath goes roughly south through the yard of South Farm and across several muddy fields until it reaches a minor road. No shelter or even decent seating but we called a Herbie;
Lunch over the group divided. Four chose to continue on the longer, original route, four chose to take a short cut back to Longhorsley.
Those of us on the shorter route followed the road, which went past Fiddler's Elbow, not that you would know. A couple of bungalows but I had hoped for a pub at least with a fine sign.
We followed the road to High Southward edge where we eventually spotted a well hidden signpost that took us across muddy fields and down a very muddy wide lane until we reached a road near a gas installation.
Here we spotted a ladder stile that was the start of a footpath across more mud to the settlement of Muckley, a couple of houses and little more. From here we followed the path across more muddy fields to Acres Cottage where we joined the road that took us the short distance to Longhorsley. First time in many a walk I have had wet feet.
Changed we went to the village pub, Shoulder of |Mutton, which had a welcome fire and Timothy Taylor's Landlord Ale from Keighley. Heaven in a glass. They also had Directors.
The yellow line is the planned route and is about ten miles, the black is the cut off with a distance of 8.25 miles.
Few pictures, my camera lived most of a damp day in a plastic bag.
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