The Physician's manor and the Duke's Folly.

(Northumberland) February 25th.
Today's walk has been done several times before but it was chosen because we hoped that after all the recent rain and storms the tracks would be relatively mud free.  A reduced team, five macho males only;:

me, Dave, John H., Brian and Ian.

The walk starts, and finishes in Lesbury; A1 north, turn east at Alnwick and follow signs. There is some limited parking near the church. Lesbury gets its name from " laece-burg" OE for "leechburg" a leech being a physician.

The map to use is OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble

     Parking outside the church of St. Mary, Lesbury. 13th Century origins with additions in 17th, 18th and 19th Cs.

Once booted up (no breakfast today!) we set off west along the village road before turning right at the first roundabout and walking along a busy road north west. No pavement on parts too. (Sidewalk for you Americans). 

Once under the railway bridge we turned right up a lane past the old station cottages. A train passed.

Azuma train heading north to Edinburgh on the main east coast line.

Beyond the cottages we turned left through a marked gate into a field with a fine flock of sheep. The footpath reached a farm track (mile 2) which we followed for a short distance before leaving it for a grassy cross field track to Dunsheugh Farm.

          Friendly but not keen on being photographed without his agent.

Just beyond the farm, having taken a short cut by climbing a fence rather than using the track, we reached Ratheugh Crag with its Observatory.

Built by the first Duke of  Northumberland in the 18th century on a high spot giving fine views over the sea and over his estates to the west. Marked on OS  maps as Observatory. (Mile 3)

A footpath round the building was overgrown with brambles and blocked with trees blown over by recent storms finally reached  a field. Crossing it we came to a road.

Mrs Whitehead, one of my junior school teachers always maintained the roots of a tree were as large as the tree itself. She knew all about yurts, she might have misunderstood "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Said it meant don't tell lies!) but she was wrong about the trees. Victim of Arwen or Dudley or Eunice or Franklin.

We turned left on the road then at the cross road turned right  and walked to Peppermoor farm. From here the signed footpath crosses a field before entering a narrow footpath alongside a disused quarry. The footpath comes out at the entrance to Longhoughton Quarry which has only recently reopened and is marked as a small pond on the OS map. It was a pond two years ago. (mile 4)

Longhoughton quarry.

A short distance down the road we spotted the fingerpost that pointed the way along a path on the side of the quarry, across fields, under the railway and to the village of Longhoughton. Just beyond the Running Fox cafe there are a couple of benches which made a great place to have a Herbie.

Herbie time in Longhouton' Blackcurrant and apple pies, almond slices, flapjacks and Mrs A sent savoury and sweet cake (chocolate)

Moving on we followed the road beyond the Running Fox down to the beach at Low Stead (mile 6) where we turned south and walked along the good track through the village of Boulmer.

Art work on farm walls near Boulmer.

Beyond Boulmer we took to the beach, the sand was quite firm fortunately. Towards Fluke Hole (mile 9) we climbed up to the golf course  at Foxton Hall, passed several houses and the clubhouse before reaching a road. Straight over and downhill towards the meandering river Aln.

                                      River Aln and Lesbury.

The path crosses fields, goes close to the river and eventually reaches Lesbury. Changed we headed for the Ridley Arms at Stannington which had enough Timothy Taylor's Landlord for one each before the barrel was emptied. Lindisfarne by way of compensation.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2022

The walk is just under 11 miles, easy going and almost mud free.

                       Local swapping Library

                                  Distant Dunstanburgh

                Yet another Northumbrian beach

After the storms

 Walking in the rain round Corbridge (Northumberland) February 2oth.

Last week the UK was hit by two vicious storms; Dudley and Eunice. The latter was due to arrive with snow and strong wind so we wimpy gadgies chose to stay at home. However, on Sunday I joined the Gosforth Greens for a walk based on Corbridge. There were seven of us.

Corbridge is a pretty little town on the River Tyne, the sort of place that gets mentioned in The Times "quite reasonable places to live in the North" articles in the Sunday supplements. 

There had been a Roman fort in the area, Corstopitum, which sounds like the cry of a Roman maiden.  The ruins are still well worth a visit, the fort that is, not the maiden

Easy to find A69 west, turn off at the Corbridge roundabout, drive through the town, cross the river and park for free on the right.Covered by two maps: OS OL 43 Hadrian's Wall and OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne.

The walk was intended to be a figure of eight, starting at the Corbridge car park, staying on the south side of the Tyne, crossing through the car park and circulating the town.

Corbridge car park. In the background are the cricket and rugby clubs.

Crossing the road, but not the bridge,we took the footpath on the bank of the River Tyne. Not surprisingly the river was fairly full and the water was fast flowing. The path was close to the water in places so I took great care not to slide in, wouldn't have stood a chance.

Just beyond Tynedale Park rugby ground we crossed the railway line (Carlisle to Newcastle) and climbed a steep set of steps  up to Farnley Grange (Mile 1). Turning right we walked a short way along the road before turning left and heading along the delightfully named Ladycutters Lane to West Fell (Mile2).

                    February Fairmaids on the banks of the Tyne.

We left the lane and crossed fields and a road until we came to a plantation, crossed another road and followed a steep and very muddy path downhill to Dyvels Water. (Pronounced Deevels I was told by a passing walker.) At this point the heavens opened, as the weather forecast had promised.

                              Glorious mud, downhill too

           Definitely a bridge over troubled water. Built and erected in 2020 to replace an old one. (Mile 3)

Once across the bridge we headed uphill, entered fields and headed north to Dilston on the River Tyne Trail. Passing close to the old mill and several attractive cottages we reached the railway line again.

Once over the line we followed the Tyne Trail to the confluence of Dyvels Water and the Tyne and walked  round Dilston Haughs on a raised track which is a flood defence, Back at the car park, seven very wet walkers decided to cut the walk short and do the other half on a hot dry day in June.

                               Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2022.

The shortened version of our walk was five wet miles with a couple of short steep climbs.

Fried  bacon sandwich at the Muddy Boots* cafe

(Northumberland) February 11th

Back to familiar places. Today's walk starts at the Muddy Boots Cafe in Ingram. Easy to find : A1 North A697 turn left at signpost for Ingram. After four miles turn left down the lane past the church and park in front of the cafe which also has a small museum dedicated to life in the valley. 

Almost a full house: Harry, Brian, Margaret,  John H., John C., Ian, John L. and me.

The maps to use are: OS  OL 16 Cheviot Hills and OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble.

              The little museum of Breamish Valley Life in the cafe

                          Car park at the cafe

             Muddy Boots. It used to be the information centre  but that side was closed in county cuts years ago. Great cafe though.

And off we went. Leaving the car park we walked back up the lane past St. Michael's and all Angels church, some bits of which are 11th Century but most of it 19th C. 

            Most of the plantations had evidence of the damage done by storms recently

                                                         We walked past Ingram farm and took the finger posted path on the left towards  Turf Knowe (mile 1) passing several settlements of interest to archaeologists, plus a hardly visible fort close to mile 2. Turning west and standing clear of a friendly farmer in his tractor we headed for Chesters, an abandoned farm house which was used as an outdoor centre too. There is a steep descent before Chesters and a difficult bit through a storm damaged wood but we made it safely.

                        Approaching Chesters.

                             Chesters, doesn't looked too abandoned, perhaps it,s still used.

At Chesters we turned south across moorland full of Lauder grass (qv). A mild mannered dispute at one place where there was a fork in the paths was eventually solved and we continued on our way, meeting three other walkers, quite unusual on our trips in the Cheviots.

The path wanders through Riddles Plantation and soon a Herbie was called. 

Sitting in the sun on a cold but sunny day: Apple pies, flapjacks, chocolate biscuits, sweet and sour from Mrs A. (About mile 5)

Lunch over we crossed the field to a track and at a junction turned left and joined a straight farm road to Prendwick.

Like many farms Prendwick has had to diversify and there are several pupose built holiday chalets close to the farm.

Why not holiday in a chalet in beautiful Northumberland.

The path goes through the farmyard, (Friendly Farmers) and not far down the lane a finger post on the left points the way to Ingram.

               February Fairmaids at Prendwick.

The footpath heads northwest over moorland, (miles 7,8,9) gently climbing to start and after a level section on the tops heads easily downhill back to the cafe at Ingram.

Using my mini electric razor as Garmin GPS devices have been christened, we walked for 4 hours and stood around or lunched for 1.

On the way home we stopped at the Shoulder of Mutton in Longhorsely for rehydration. Timothy Taylor's Landlord, tea and coffee.

Across the road from the pub with a plaque. It commemorates Emily Davidson, the suffragette who was killed by the king's horse in June 1913. She is buried in Morpeth. She left the cottage on the start of her fatal journey.

                   Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2022.

The walk is about 9.5 miles, mostly easy going. Panoramic views of the Cheviots.

*Now called Ingram cafe, I preferred Muddy Boots!

                       Ridge and furrow fields, Iron age or Romano British near Ingram

                  

                               Typical Northumberland Views

                           Prendwick Farm

                                          More damage, with February Fairmaids

                                       Well ear Prendwick

                            St. Michael and all Angels

                       Emily Davidson cottage, Longhorsely