Never mind the walk, the pubs have reopened!

April 13th

For a mid week walk five of us, Brian, Margaret, John Ha., Harry and I are off for a familiar walk based on Rothbury in Northumberland.

Rothbury is on the edge of two maps, most of this walk is on OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble, the last few miles are on OS OL 42 Kielder Water and Forest. 

We started the walk at the large car park south of the River Coquet, turn left down Bridge Street, turn right over the river and there it is, free too.

                Regular readers and critics will be familiar with Rothbury carpark.

We left the car park, crossed the river using the footbridge, walked along the bank for a short time before climbing up to Bridge Street and heading for the main street. We crossed the main street, turned right and then left on the next exit. The walk took us past the end of the flats built by Lord Armstrong of Cragside for his retired estate workers.

                      Built in 1873 for retired workers. No idea who lives in them now.

A little further on, between two of a row of cottages we found the gate that gives access to a footpath crossing several fields to Hillside Road. We walked east along the road which became a track. Nearly at the end of the track we took a footpath across fields to a forestry road. turned left and walked a semi circular route round Addycombe and beyond.

                    Come in number 6

Looking down on Rothbury,  not the best view but I was wearing sunglasses.

                                That's a better one.

At the edge of the wood there is a footpath on the right, unmarked but visible, and we followed the stony path in a northerly direction to Primrose Woods.

Walking approximately north east we passed two forest tracks going off to the left and finally reached a more substantial road.

Turning left we followed this road past Crocky's Heugh, turning in a second semi circle, admiring Cartington Hill and the Cheviots until we reached Blue Mill.

                          Follow the track on the left.

We walked up the track in Blue Mill (Chapel Hill on the OS map).After about half a mile we spotted the marker on the right, crossed a stile, and headed across moorland . Turning right at the first junction and taking the right at the next fork. 

               Tiny patch of snow on the distant Cheviot.

Soon we reache one of our familiar Herbie Spots, easy to see as there is a large stone gatepost lying on its side.

                   Herbie time: apple pies, cake, fiery jack flapjack and more cake. If there is a huge turn out one day we shall easily exceed the notional calorie intake- but it's walked off of course.

Moving on slowly we came to the gate that leads down a track that becomes Physic Lane and ends in Thropton.

                             Belted Galloways and a lamb

Thropton, use the footbridge on the right.

                      The gate to the track to the lane to Thropton.

At the bottom of Physic Lane is a small estate of bungalows. There is a footpath between two of them it cuts a corner off. We walked past the Cross Keys (closed) and used the footbridge alongside the road bridge.

Once over the bridge we crossed the road and went through a patch of land serving as a coach depot and found the footpath alongside the Wreigh Burn. The stream joins the River Coquet, the footpath continues to a footbridge.

Bridge over the Coquet.

Once over the bridge the footpath back to Rothbury follows the river. One tricky fence to climb and a couple of styles before we reached a second footbridge taking us back to the north side.

                              Coquet

                                          Dogs do not like styles, this clever little gate is for them!

                                              Another crossing.

Once back on the north side of the river we walked across a field and joined the well made Rothbury riverside walk back into the town. In fields next to the path are some unusual sheep.

We crossed the footbridge back to the car park and went home, or did we...............

Pubs were allowed to reopen on Monday April 12th, provided they could serve outdoors, preferably in a garden.

We went (some of us anyway) to the Cook and Barker in Newton on the Moor and were offered a place in their garden. A young man brought us a list of available alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. One item simply said Real Ales. We asked what he had to offer and the answer came "Timothy Taylors Landlord and Farne Island Gold"  Heaven! And I wasn't driving!

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

This walk is just under 9 easy miles, woodland, fields and views over the hills.