The wilds of Wylam

Back to the Tyne. December 8th

THe few centimetres of snow and ice that fell at the weekend have been washed away by nearly a whole day's  rain on Thursday. As a result, discretion being the better part of valour as the old saying goes, we have opted for a walk with some hard tracks.

The walk starts from Wylam: west on the A69 and turn south at the Wylam sign. Through the village towards the station, just before the bridge over the Tyne there is a free car park on the left.

There are five out today: Brian,  Margaret,  Harry,  John the Wylam jazz man and me. The walk is covered by OS Explorer 316, Newcastle upon Tyne but it's  not essential. Or is it.

Morning coffee in the Coffee Tree cafe, Wylam. Filled by a group of Yoga ladies who were having a morning celebration for the birthday of one of their number. 

             Wylam free car park, not a winner, but plenty of spaces.

Leaving the car park we turned left and walked across the bridge crossing the Tyne.

            Wylam can quite rightly claim to be the birth of the railways. George Stephenson was born here and started his engineering career in the local pit.

After the recent snow and heavy rain the Tyne looks troubled. Fortunately there is a bridge over it.

Immediately over the bridge we turned into the station car park and set off on the Keelman's Way, a walk along the riverside on a firm  track, mud free too. Passing the Ryton Golf Course, with care even though there were few players on the sodden course, we reached the Ferry House after two and a half miles. Carrying on past a nature reserve and the headquarters of a rowing club we reached the Newburn Bridge.

              The Ferry House. Once there were several crossing points in the area. All gone.

Welcome to the rowing club. Nobody out today although the water here was calm.

The battle of Newburn in 1640, one of the opening matches of the Civil War took place here in August 1640. Score; Scotland 1 England 0. England won a later rematch.

We crossed the river on the narrow Newburn Bridge walked up to main street and climbed the steps to the War Memorial.

                                     Newburn War Memorial

A footpath, rather muddy, climbed uphill and then down towards Newburn School. Beyond the school we turned up a track, passing a very large sign advising us to "BEWARE OF THE DOGS". The footpath followed the stream in Throckley Dene, one of the few in the area without a sign of old industries. Even on a cold day, walking a muddy path it was a peaceful stretch of woodland. There are some deer in it, but they remained hidden.

After crossing a road (built on the Vallum), we were in a field and turning left climbed steps built into the hillside to a picnic table at the top. Well there was a table here the last time we did this walk but it has gone. No Herbie.

At this point we headed downhill towards the river but for some reason Harry and I got separated from the others but managed to find a route that took us to  Tyne Riverside Country Park. Heading west along a dry track we set out for Heddon Hall. However at one point my phone rang. It was Margaret, enquiring as to our whereabouts. Surprisingly we were several hundred yards apart, they were Herbieing at a picnic spot directly opposite the Ferry House, so we joined them.

 The Ferry House from our Herbie spot. Cookies, mince pies and almond cake and savoury bun from Mrs A. One of my regular readers, a lady who lives in Canada, was recently on holiday in the UK. She told me she had looked in vain for a chain of cake shops called Mrs A. I had to explain that Mrs A is actually Margaret.

Lunch over we followed the Hadrian Wall footpath back to Wylam. There's a choice: A good hard track on a dismantled railway line, also used by bell less bikers who can't shout a warning either or a muddy footpath close to the river which eventually joins the hard track and passes Stephenson@s cottage.

Stephenson's cottage, his birthplace. Closed to visitors at the moment.

Having changed from muddy boots we went to the Fox and Hounds. Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Guinness or tea.

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

The map need some explanation. The numbered route was the original plan. The black line the route we followed. We made a change to cut out a steep hill from mile 7 to Heddon. 

The walk is about 10 miles, easy going but take care in housing estates.