Walking from Werce's settlement.

Walking from Werce's Settlement. November 17th.

Not having been out for a couple of weeks with a knee problem I'm joining the Greens for a short walk on the coast. 

Starting from Warkworth on a cold but bright morning the trip goes up the coast to the River Aln then returns across country. 

The small town of Wark gets its  name from Old English for fort, but Warkworth means Werce's Settlement. The town is dominated by an impressive castle, run by English Heritage and well worth a visit. There is also, on the north bank of the river, a hermitage, accessible by boat from the south side. The church is Norman, dates back to the 12th century and is dedicated to St Lawrence, patron saint of the poor and cooks or poor cooks in my case.

When we have done this walk on previous occasions we have parked at the bottom of the main street, passing the church and using the site by the river. Today, because of work going on there we are using the dunes car park. Drive across the river and turn immediately  right. Plenty of space, toilets and free.

It is quite possible to do the walk without a map but it is covered by OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble

                  The Hermitage at Warkworth

                                      Warkworth castle

                               And finally a car park.

Leaving the car park the eight of us headed down the track towards the dunes but just before reaching them we turned right and followed what is usually a clear track to a point opposite Amble. The track in places was covered with flotsam, brought in presumably by a high tide. And at one point......

................. not a work of art or flytipping. It has been collected by volunteers and will be removed.

At the point where the north jetty starts  we turned north and headed for the beach, leaving behind the view of Amble.

                  Amble, possibly holiday lets

The harbour mouth and Coquet Island. 

The sand was quite firm, easy walking, the beach was popular for dog walkers and the dunes protected us from the west wind. 

To avoid the slippy rocks at Birling Carrs we left the beach at mile 3 and walked through the caravan park, very quiet, hardly anybody there, Once through the park we went back to the beach and walked round the point at the mouth of the River Aln. (Mile 5)

A short steep climb had us next to the cross which marks the spot where a church stood before the flood of 1806 changed the course of the river.

                                        The old rugged cross.

Not far beyond the cross and going down hill we came to the ruined chapel, usually a good lunch spot but there were too many of us so we made use of the remains of a WW2 pill box.

               It looks very old but is a 19th century lying in chapel. Lost its use when the flood changed the course of the river.

After lunch, (no sharing!) we followed the path, part of St. Oswald's Way/ Charles III/ Northumberland Coast path, back through the caravan site to the golf course.

On the way we passed the ruined guano shed.

Guano shed. Built before the storm and well away from the village because of the smell!

The footpath crosses the course and goes under a footbridge. 

                      The bell is to warn golfers that a party of walkers is about to cross the course, except we already had.

beyond the bell the footpath follows the edge of the golf course and back to the lane that leads up to the car park.

On the way home we stopped at the Widdrington Arms which sells TTL!!

             

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             The walk is almost exactly 8 miles, easy going.

Muglyngwyc

 Muglyngwic October 25th 

A new walk for me, starting from Pow Hill on the bank of Derwent Reservoir. The walk is covered by OS explorer 307, Consett and Derwent Reservoir.

Head west on the A69, turn south on the A68 and watch out for signs for Edmundbyers. In the village take the road to Pow Hill Country Park. Two parking areas, we chose the lower one. And they are free.

              Pow Hill car park. Booted and gaitered, ready to go

Seven of us out, with a promise of a dry day, but misty. We walked the footpath down to the reservoir, turned right along the water's edge and after two miles crossed the dam.

                    There were several people fishing in the reservoir

                          And one writing plays, A Midsummer Night's Bream possibly.

At the end of the dam we turned right and followed the road to a car park and cafe (mile 3) which sold tea, coffee and treacle toffee and rented out fishing rods. 

After a drink we walked along the road , turned right and crossed Eddy's Bridge. Leaving the road we climbed through fields towards the tiny village of Muggleswick, not a wizard in sight but of course you're not meant to spot them anyway. 

                         The prior of Durham, before the city had a cathedral, had a hunting lodge in Muglingwyc . This  tower is part of the remains. The walls of one of the farms are also part of the remains.

We started off down the road to the River Derwent but a note stapled to a telegraph pole informed us that it was not possible to cross the river so, sensibly, we turned back and headed for the small church.

The porch made a crowded but comfortable Herbie spot. (mile 5) A feast of oat bars, almond slices, cherry bakewell tarts and two types of muffin from Mrs A.

All Saints, Muggleswick. The original church was built in 1259, the current one dates back to 1728 with 19th century additions.

Leaving church we walked along the road to Haverley Lodge, turned left and at mile 6, after a brief look at the woodland above the Derwent headed off into the woods. The path was clearly marked on the map but not easy to find or follow on the ground. But we made it to a minor road, turned right and after a few hundred yards entered another wood with a hard to find footpath. We battled on through dying bracken and eventually emerged into fields and a climb to the isolated farm at Carp Shield. Not a pond in sight.

Beyond the farm we reached a ruined field barn, traversed some more woodland, crossed a couple of boggy streams but finally made it to  a wall.

                 Ruined field barn, or maybe house.

We followed the wall  for a mile, climbing slowly, passing Lamb Shield before starting the descent to Edmundbyers. Again the path was made difficult by tall but dying bracken, it traps your boots and tries to trip, But having crossed the Burnhope Burn we were soon in Edmundbyers.

                             In the beer garden behind the pub/YHA in Edmundbyers.

From the village we walked across muddy fields and ditches back to the car park.

Some went to the pubs in Wylam, some went home. But it's a lovely walk, lots to see, good views and bracken battles.

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The straight line at mile 7 is my fault. We had stopped, I paused the GPS and forgot to switch it back on. The straight line miles 10 to 11? I have no idea.

The walk is 11 miles. Roads, woods and some climbs but not difficult

Rothbury, the return

 Rothbury with the Greens. October  20th.

A Sunday walk with The Greens, that friendly group of walkers we occasionally join. 

Greens is their name. Not their politics as far as I know.

It was raining heavily, the forecast was for a wet morning but sunny afternoon.

The walk is covered  by OS OL 42 Kielder water and the car park on the south of the Coquet is free.

                     Familiar car park in Rothbury

                      

                       And a fairly full Coquet.

We crossed the river by the footbridge and headed for the Bewick Bistro next to the church for breakfast.

                               Bewicks bistro and bacon sandwich restaurant.

Fed, and pleased to see the rain had stopped, we left Bewicks, passed the church, and turned right to cross the river by the road bridge.

                                        All Saints church, Rothbury

                                    It's a long way to Preston.

Once over the water we turned left, walked through a small industrial estate, it contains the office of Shepherd's Walks, the company that arranged our Dales expedition and are planning our trip on St. Cuthbert's Way next September. Highly recommended.

Soon we were on the dismantled railway, we followed the track for a couple of miles before leaving it.

                                                   Waterfall beside the old railway.

At one point we left the old line and continued across the first slightly soggy fields of the day to the farm at West Raw.

                     Highly decorated farm building at West Raw.

From the farm we headed north west, saying hello to some friendly horses and climbing steadily across soggy fields. Just after four miles of the walk we stopped for a Herbie. Some sat on the grass, some sat on rocks. The Greens are not into sharing............yet. Probably as well, there were eight of us.

After the break we carried on uphill then turned south, watched by some interested cows, ubtil we came to a road.

                                    Friendly horses.

Turning left we walked about half  a mile on the road to a finger post that sent us on a super soggy track to Lordenshaw farm.

                         Interested cows.

Once past the farm we reached a road, turned right and headed for the car park nearby. From here we took the less soggy but grassy track over Gatleigh Moor to Whitton Glebe Farm and from there a farm track full of puddles took us past Dr. Sharp's folly and back into Rothbury.

                  Sharp's folly. Looking a bit worse for wear with the tree growing on the top.

On the way home we stopped at the Ridley Arms in Stannington. Shuggy Boat blonde, tasty.

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                     The walk is a bit less than 9 miles. Easy going but soggy today.