It's only Bolam Lake but I like it

 It's only Bolam Lake but I like it. (Northumberland) March 12th.

 Margaret, Brian and I are meeting up at Bolam Church for a familiar walk round Bolam Lake and Shaftoe Crags. Slight easing of lockdown allows us to exercise together. 

The walk is on OS Explorer 42 Kielder Water and Forest and there are several routes to the church at Bolam, I went through Ponteland and turned off to theright at Belsay heading for Bolam Lake country Park, turned right and drove the mile to St. Andrew's Church where there is limited parking.

                         Parking at St. Andrew's Church Bolam. The church dates back to the Saxon days with additions and alterations at regular intervals.

                 This alteration was made in WW2 when a German bomb pierced the church wall but failed to go off.

 As promised by the local weather forecast, it was windy, with an occasional very light shower. Leaving the church we headed walked back to the road, turned right and headed downhill to the lake. There is a footpath passing close to the visitor centre/cafe (closed) and continuing round the north side of the water, through woodland and over several small streams, until it reaches the road. We turned right and walked along the road to Bolam West Houses where we took the track on the left leading to East Shaftoe Hall. 

Part of the track has been improved with redundant concrete sleepers from a Glasgow railway line.

                           The track to take at Bolam West Houses

                Modern day shepherd leads and feeds his flock.

At one popint the track turns off to the left but we carried on alongside a wall over several fields to Salters Nick, a mini gorge once presumably part of the drove and salters roads.

                                Salters Nick. A bit muddy today but not a problem

                    Turn left before going through the gate.

Beyond the nick we turned left at the gate above and walked a muddy path round Shaftoe Crags to the ancient fort and the large stone known as Piper's Chair. Normally a Herbie Spot but there was no shelter from the wind so we pressed on.

                                  Ancient fort. Not much to see

                                           Sheltering from the wind although we agreed it was not as bad as the Buttertubs day on the Tributaries walk last August.

            View from the Pipers Chair, once the venue for Shaftoe Weddings and drinkings, allegedly.

Moving on we came to East Shaftoe Hall, large farmhouse with a walled garden.

                     Walled garden at East Shaftoe Hall

                        East Shaftoe Hall. The west (left) end is 14th century, allegedly.

At the hall we took the path due south across fields, one ploughed, one already producing a crop. The footpath crosses a Roman Road, the Devil's Causeway but I can never make it out. At he bottom of the fields we came to a metalled track and turned left, eventually passing mu symmetrical farm.

                                               Three of a kind

                              Symmetrical Sandyford

Not far beyond the farm we crossed a track. The footpath is unmarked but crosses a field to a footbridge close to Shortflatt Tower, a peel tower that is difficult to see but is reckoned to be 15th century or earlier.

We headed north east across fields to the White Gate and then a short distance up the road to the south car park at Bolam Lake Country Park.  The "chairs" made a good Herbie Spot and the trees offered shelter from the wind.

                                Herbieing in style: Racer bars, savoury flapjack and sweet tart from Mrs A.

              Bolam Lake. Constructed early 19th century "to give employment to the poor and unemployed"

Part of the Bolam Hall Estate now a country park.

Late lunch over we walked round the edge of the lake to the visitor centre and cafe which were closed, probably only open at weekends at the moment. Leaving the park we walked back up the road to the church and cars and went home, pubs being closed still.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2021

The walk is just over 7.5 miles, easy going but muddy (and windy today)