HAUGHS AND HEUGHS

 How to tell your Haugh from your Heugh.

Northumberland February 3rd

Today's walk starts and finishes in Simonburn, a village in the North Tyne Valley.

Simonburn has a church, St Mungo's, dating from the 13th century but built on the site of an older place of Christian worship, a ruined castle first mentioned in the 15th century, and a tea room which unfortunately doesn't open until April.

Head west on the A69, beyond Hexham turn right for Chollerford and follow signs.

Just four today, Brian, Margaret, John H. and me

OS map OL 43 Hadrian's  Wall covers the walk. 

We stopped for bacon and tea at Brockbushes Farm Shop on the Corbridge roundabout. Always good.

                               Breakfast  at Brockbushes

Unfortunately when we got to Chollerford we had a problem. There is a narrow bridge across the Tyne there, controlled by traffic lights. A truck had broken down on the bridge, blocking traffic. We decided, eventually that a detour would take so long we would be starting the walk late and so we changed plans and opted for a walk from Hexham. (Same map)

Crossing the bridge at Hexham from the A69 we turned right and left the car on the Tyne Green Countryside Park. Free and there are toilets.

Car park on the Tyne. 

                                           Hexham Bridge

There  was a couple of men sculling merrily on the river and a group of young people being taught the art of canoeing. We headed west along the footpath, sandwiched at times between the Newcastle to Carlisle railway and the river itself.

Approaching the confluence of the North and South Tyne we walked the edge of Kingshaw Haugh.

             Meeting of the waters. South Tyne just about visible on the left.

A haugh is a piece of flat land near a river or stream.

                  A haugh on the north bank of the Tyne. The word is from Old English "healh"

Close to the path we spotted this plaque:

Daft as a Brush is a charity that raises money for cancer sufferers. The charity has marked out paths on the Tyne, (north and south bits) and has a book of the walks. Well worth buying. 

Havong passed a few riverside cottages we left the Tyne (south) at Coastley Burnfoot Farm,  walked through Burnfoot Wood, under a dismantled railway, over the A69 and up to Coastley The stream in Coastley Dene was fairly full but fortunately there was a footbridge allowing us to avoid the ford.

From here we followed a very straight track leading uphill for at least a mile. Rather like a green lane or maybe an old drove road, it took us to Plain Trees Farm at Low Gate. The caravan site was quiet, we used one of the picnic benches for a Herbie, sharing apple pies, cookies, savoury buns and fruit cake from Mrs A.

Turning east we walked along the road for a short distance before following the finger post on the left for Highside. The field next to the footpath was home to a herd of Alpacas.

                If Dave had been with us he would have called out "You can call me Al."

The footpath at Highside took us across fields, alongside a wood, then into the wood to Leazes, a rather fine looking house converted into several apartments.

From there it was downhill to the river, passing Hexham Golf Club and a fine looking Walled Garden, until we reached the railway. The footpath alongside brought us to a pedestrian tunnel, so low that even at a mere 5ft 10 inches plus boots, I had to crouch a little. The footpath passed the Tynedale Golf Course Club House and  then  we were back at the car.

On the way home we called in at the Wellington pub in Riding Mill. Blacksheep and IPA or tea.

Never saw a Heugh but next week we will do the Simonburn walk and all will be explained, unless the truck is still on the bridge of course.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2023.

The walk is just over 7 miles with one long climb.

                                Grade 1 stile according to Ofstile