FOUR GO TO RIDING MILL

 Four go to Riding Mill. February 23rd.

Mud warning

Brian, Margaret, John C and I are off for a walk from Riding Mill. a village in the Tyne Valley, easily reached by following the A69 west to the Corbridge roundabout and following signs. There is limited parking next to the railway station, free.

Riding Mill does not have a lot to offer, a station on the Newcastle Carlisle line, a pub, no shop as far as I know, the original mill is now a private residence. Mainly a commuter village for Tyneside.

Two maps cover the walk: OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne & OS Explorer 307 Consett. Could be useful.

Breakfast at Brockbushes which is being expanded, opening new premises later this year. It will be much bigger. And it does a great bacon sandwich.

                Not the most inspiring of car parks, but free.

Once booted and coated, (it was cold) we crossed the railway line, using the footbridge of course, and followed a footpath close to some old cottages, crossed the village road, walked up East View lane, over the railway again  and off into open land. 

After crossing a field we crossed the A68, a busy road, and followed a footpath through a small wood.

Excluding roads, this is probably the least muddy part of the walk.

Just outside the wood we passed this solid looking building. WW2 bunker?

 Once out of the wood (mile 1)  we crossed more fields  and a minor road. After a short stretch of dry road walking we reached Broomley (mile 2) and took the track to Old Ridley. (mile 3) A road heading roughly south west took us through the hamlet of Hindley, a collection of large houses, until we came to a crossroads. Going straight across we walked uphill on a muddy farm track, passing Wheelbirks which looked inviting.

                                           Wheelbirks ice cream and food.

At the top of the hill we came to the A68 and had to walk a short distance on the side of it, carefully watching the traffic. Turning right we came to  the farm at Lower Fotherley (mile 5) which seems to have the ruins of an old Peel Tower.

Could it be the ruins of a Peel Tower?

Across a field from the farm we settled down on some stones at the edge of a wood for today's Herbie, a quiet affair, apple pies, sweet and savoury from Mrs A. (mile 6).

Lunch over we walked the muddy woodland path, crossed a field and reached Healey, a small village with a small church.

Top: a nice bit of topiary. Bottom: St John's church, a Victorian chapel of ease.

After  walking through the village we turned left and at Burnt House took the muddy footpath through Broomleyfell plantation. Emerging on a minor road we turned left and on the corner spotted the finger post pointing back to Riding Mill. Across a couple of soggy field , adding more weight to boots already caked with mud and finally a road back into Riding Mill.

On the way home we called at the Fox and Hounds in Wylam which serves TTL and zero alcohol Guinness.

           Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2024.

The walk is just over 9 miles, some climbs but generally easy going apart from the mud.