Up and down the South Tyne

 Up and down the South Tyne. August 11th

A walk last done several years ago. Today's  ramble starts in the village of Slaggyford in the South Tyne Valley. 

West on A69, turn off for Alston on the Haltwhistle bypass and eventually Slaggyford gets a mention. There is a car park just over the level crossing by the station.

The map to use is OS OL 43, Hadrian's Wall but you could manage without it.

                           The car park (and it's free)

            Slaggyford station. Narrow gauge trains run up and down to Alston. Check for open days

We went back over the crossing passing a converted chapel with some fine stained glass windows and turned right at the village. After walking on the road past the caravan site we turned left, crossed the river, walked through a farm yard and headed uphill.

                                             The South Tyne

                               Williamston

From here the footpath heads north, sometimes through fields, sometimes through woodland, passing The Bog until  we reached Eals Bridge.

                             And there's a Lime Kiln on the way

                                 Eals Bridge.

Beyond the bridge we walked on the road to the hamlet of Eals, took the left fork  and after a while crossed over fields (mile 4)  to Tewsbank Woods. Once over a footbridge we followed the narrow steep path uphill, tricky in places, needing care. Many of the trees at Hag Wood have been cut down and replaced.  We followed a rough path through the wood and eventually reached Lambley Viaduct.

(A more sensible route is the one on the map that crosses a field towards Asholme Farm, involves a stile but takes you to the old railway line, avoiding muddy paths through woodland)

                              Lambley Viaduct, now a country walk

                                South Tyne heading north

The railbed is closed at the end of the viaduct, the old station beyond being private property. It is necessary to take the path down  at the end of the bridge, go underneath it and then climb back up to the old railway. 

Exhausted we called a Herbie (mile 6) and shared apple pies, biscuits, scones and cake.

Lunch over we headed back to Slaggyford on the old railway line, in part it is the South Tyne Trail, in part it is A Pennine Journey but the best part about it is that it is flat.

                           Kearsdale Hall ?

An alternative route back is to go to the village of Lambley and join the Pennine Way which is on an old Roman road now called the Maiden Way. Plenty of stiles on this route though.

Back at the station in Slaggyford we were in time to see the last train of the day pull out on its way to Alston.

                     Take the last train to Alston..........................

On the way home we stopped at the Fox and Hounds in Wylam. They were serving Tim Taylor's Landlord and refreshing soda and lime for the drivers.

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

The walk is about 10 miles, mostly easy going apart from that bank beyond Eals.