Bolam and Shaftoe. (Northumberland) June 8th
Another favourite walk in midweek. Five of us, Brian, Harry, Dave, Kate the gadgette and I are walking from St Andrew's Church in the hamlet of Bolam on a circular stroll taking in Shaftoe Crags and Bolam Lake.
The walk is covered by OS Explorer 325 Morpeth and Blyth. To get to the church drive through Ponteland, on the far side of Belsay village take the right fork signposted for Bolam Lake. Just beyond the car park and visitor centre turn right, up the hill, down the lane and park outside the church.
Preparing for a day's walk at St. Andrew's. Saxon origins, particularly the west tower and the famous window pierced by a German bomb which fortunately failed to explode.
The walk starts through the churchyard, passing the tower at the west end and going through a gate into fields. The first few hundred yards seem to be permanently boggy but once having navigated the ditches the path goes almost due north to the farm at Angerton Steads which has its own tennis court. Moving on and walking round the edges of fields we made it to Low Angerton where we were met by a friendly puppy and its owner, much to Dave's delight.
A little way beyond the farm we crossed the River Wansbeck and followed the finger post on the left across endless fields. At one point the path crosses a dismantled railway, so dismantled it's hard to make out, fortunately a bridge remains.
Once there was a railway..........
As we approached Middleton Mill we left pasture land and crossed a couple of fields of oil seed rape. The farmer had left a footpath for walkers by killing off a line of the crop but the dead plants had a habit of tripping us, we were all a bit tired at the end.
The path through the oil seed.
At Middleton Mill we walked the farm track to the road. On the opposite side of the river is a medieval village, at least in outline. At the road we turned left, crossed the river and took the footpath on the right up one of the only rises of the day and settled down against the wall of a sheep shelter for a Herbie.
Herbie Time; sesame cookies, blackcurrant and apple pies, almond slices and savoury buns sent along by Mrs A who was otherwise engaged.
Lunch over we walked carefully across a field with a herd of young cattle to Middleton South Farm which has a few cut-outs about hunting.
Middleton South.
From the farm we edged a couple of fields, although Dave trotted off to see the Standing Stone that has remained immobile for several hundred years. Going through a gate we turned left up a track towards Salters Nick, a gap in the rocks and crags before passing Shaftoe Grange.
From the grange we followed the path towards the remains of an ancient fort and visited, as usual, the Piper's Chair, a large chunk of rock rumoured to have been the site of a Shaftoe Wedding feast.
An adventurous harry on the top and the rest of the gang too.
Photo courtesy of the Jesmond Cake Company.
From this point we followed the path to East Shaftoe Hall and then turned south on a footpath across several fields.
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