Gadgie Walks

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.