Gadgie Walks

Bury or Burg or Borough or Brough or Burgh and a Battle. To B or not to B, whatever. Northumberland Dec 17th

MUD WARNING

For what is likely to be the last walk before Christmas we are heading to Rothbury for a slightly different walk. Five stalwarts, (John Ha., John L., Harry, Brian and me) obeying the rules and travelling separately.

Today's language and history lesson: Burg is an Old English word, dating back to Saxon times and means a fortified town or castle. In the south of England it slowly changed, the g becoming a y so you have Glastonbury, Salisbury, Shaftesbury and Bury St. Edmunds.

In the north the g changed to gh so you get Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, Middlesbrough and Rothbury! Always somebody has to break the rule.

Rothbury is a small Northumbrian town on the River Coquet. North on the A1, A697 and turn off at Weldon Bridge. Lovely large, free car park on the south side of the river down Bridge Street.

Rothbury is on the edge of two maps but the one for today is OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble.

Two views of the familiar Rothbury car park. Free!

Booted up we crossed the Coquet using the footbridge, walked along the river bank and turned up Bridge Street, passing the closed cafe we used to breakfast in pre covid days. At the top of the street we turned left onto the main road running through the town, a wide street with a grass strip down the middle and several closed pubs.

At the end of the town we took the right fork and headed along a minor road in the direction of Pondicherry, a string of houses with a splendid view over the valley.

Fence with stone circle. Dave the archaeologist would have explained, and taken a better photo too.

We decided Pondicherry was named for the sea battle between Britain and the French in September 1759 off the coast of India near a colony of that name. The battle was a draw but two years later the city fell to the British. In 1763 it was returned to the French after the Seven Years War. We got Canada. Pondicherry remained a French colony until 1954.

At that moment a Rington's* van drew up and a lady emerged from her house to purchase tea and biscuits. We asked if she knew why the area was called Pondicherry and she explained the locals believed the builders of a large Victorian house had named it for the battle, a British habit, like Waterloo station in London.

Buying tea from the Rington's man (and biscuits and chocolate Brazils)

View over the Coquet from Pondicherry

Moving on we left the road and headed uphill across fields below yet another hill fort. We met three alpacas;

Unfortunately Dave wasn't here to make his usual "You can call me Al "joke.

There is a narrow footpath to follow here, between a wall and woodland but it is well marked with the usual yellow arrow. Turning north west we crossed Physic Lane, a track familiar on other walks, it leads down into the village of Thropton. At this point Brian was well ahead and out of view. We four were confronted by a thicket of prickly gorse and a very muddy and steep footpath which had us sliding around. Emerging into a field we walked to a road junction to find Brian. A complaint about the mud brought the retort that, like hoim, we should have gone round the gorse thicket.

We walked a short distance up the road, passing a farm selling free range eggs and honey before turning right towards the few houses that make up Lynnholm. A track took us out to open fields and, having managed to open a well closed gate, to a point familiar on previous walks as a Herbie Spot.

A winter's day, and a rainbow.

From the old Herbie Spot we followed a footpath north east before turning north west and heading for a plantation, where we called a Herbie under the trees.

Herbie Time; shortbread, Bramley minio apple pies, lemon cake and Mrs A, not with us today, had sent savoury flapjack and cake.

Feasting over we continued through the wood to one of the several tracks running over the area which apparently was once used by Lord Armstrong for carriage driving and trialling his guns, much to the dismay of local farmers who thought the shells may kill their sheep, not to mention their shepherds. The track we followed heads generally east before turning south to Primrose Cottage.

Primrose cottage. I always imagine something more Beatrix Potterish, roses and maybe primroses.

From the cottage we took the track heading northwest but at the first junction turned southwest and eventually left the plantation to cross an open piece of moorland on a very narrow and very muddy footpat. Eventually the very muddy footpath met a much drier track which we crossed, following it through a woodland both deciduous and evergreen. At one point the track looks over Rothbury.

Rothbury

Relatively dry part of the walk.

At some point some of us left he track and followed a footpath downhill through the wood (near mile 7 on the map) It was a mistake, the path was very steep and very muddy, fortunately we had walking poles which give support and confidence. On the road at the bottom we met sensible Brian who had followed the track properly and not risked life and limb. After a short walk on the road we took the footpath on the left through fields and back to the town, passing Addycombe Cottages.