Another Newton

 Another Newton and a castle. November 10th

Including prefixes and suffixes there is a large number of Newtons in England, and more in the rest of the UK. This new village is just off the A69 in Northumberland. Head west and turn north at the sign. There is free parking by the community centre.

OS OL43 Hadrian's Wall covers the walk.

On the way we stopped for breakfast at Brockbushes Farm Shop. It was packed, there was a Christmas Fair on and visitors needed tickets. We went straight to Newton and went to the Duke of Wellington pub for tea or coffee, no bacon butties. The young man serving said we could leave our cars in the yard as we promised to call in after the walk for drinks.

                       parking behind the Duke of Wellington pub in Newton.

Lovely sunny morning, booted and lightly suited we set off. Walking through the village on the road heading north east we passed the entrance to Mowden School and the church at Newton Hall. After a half mile we turned north into the first fields of the day and headed  towards Heathery Edge.

The church at Newton Hall, dedicated to St. James and built in 1857.

Round the Heathery Edge farm buildings and onwards, following muddy tracks on field edges until we reached the farm at Shildonhill. Turning left on a narrow road, at mile 2 turned right and followed another minor road until we met  and crossed the B6321. Still on a road we walked to the B6318, usually known as the Military Road and buiolt on top of Hadrian's Wall. Here we joined the Hadrian Wall Path, also in this area known as St. Oswald's Way. He gets around, St Oswald. 

The footpath here is alongside the road and it is fairly busy but just beyond mile 4 we crossed over, went into the field and spotted three very large stones that made a Herbie Spot.

                          We don't see many of these.

              The vallum close to our Herbie Spot. (Skinny whips, savoury and sweet from Mrs A)

The vallum was a defensive earthwork south of the wall. Pretty clear at this point.

Lunch over we headed across the watery fields to Halton, home of an impressive house with what looks like a peel tower, and some equally impressive hedges.

                         Halton

Back on tarmac we headed south to Aydon Castle hoping for tea but it had closed for the winter.

Aydon Castle. Originally a manor house built in the 13th century, fortified to keep out the Scots later.

Leaving the castle we followed tracks to the village of Aydon, joined  the B6321heading north east before getting back into fields at mile 7.

From this point the footpath is quite well marked and follows field edges again before crossing the Brockhole Burn.

                   Well maintained footbridge on Brockhole Burn.

Continuing uphill and walking through a small wood (mile 9) we were soon back at Newton. And having removed muddy boots we went to the Duke of Wellington, fine pub and restaurant, serving Timothy Taylor's Landlord.

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The walk is about 9.5 miles, some on roads but easy going with a couple of short climbs.