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.

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

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

 

Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to Wark we go

Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to Wark we go.

18th October 

Postponed from last week because of heavy rain, six of us are off for a walk up the North Tyne Valley, starting in the village of Wark. The name comes from an old English word for fort.

The walk from Wark is covered by two maps:

OS 43 Hadrians Wall and OS 42 Kielder water. 

There is limited parking just off the road opposite Battlesteads restaurant and hotel.

                             Car park.................

.........................oppposite Battlesteads.

Booted but not overdressed, fairly warm for mid October, we headed up the village street, turned right and walked down to the narrow bridge across the North Tyne.

               The narrow bridge over the North Tyne. Built in 1878 there is room for only one car to cross in either direction and the pedestrian way is also narrow, single file.

The river was full, not surprising after all the recent rain. Once across we turned left and followed the footpath close to the river. 

The path is well marked, one of the trails on North, South and main Tyne plotted out by Daft as a Brush. A cancer charity well worth supporting, they have produced a book of Tyne trails as well as putting up markers.

                                        We have a sign.

We stuck close to the river for about two and a half miles before crossing fields to the dismantled railway. (mile 3) Easy walking until we came to a bridge which informed us it was not a right of way. Taking a footpath on the right we went down, turned back under the bridge, walked through a bit of woodland and were back on the river bank. (mile 4)

As we rwached Countess Park we came across this:

 Be warned  and cover up. The little blighters can get everywhere and are difficult to dig out. Lymes disease can be very unpleasant and in Britain not all doctors can recognise it.

At a bend in the river , about four and a half miles in, we came to the Ginger Bread House and stopped for a Herbie.

The Ginger Bread house and the river North Tyne. Picnic tables available and we shared  mince pies, cherry Bakewell tarts, almond slices and sweet and savoury from Mrs A.

Lunch over we headed on our way, rejoining at Mile 5 the dismantled railway and following it into Redesmouth. Make sure you follow the footpath signs, the locals aren't to keen on walkers using their road, 

At the end of the village we turned right on the road and followed it until we came to a finger post for Buteland.

Crossing boggy fields and climbing we reached the farm and cottages at Buteland, took the path round it and then took the road downhill for about half a mile to the next farm. After a chat with a friendly farmer who was raking hay (in October? ) we followed a narrow path through a wood down to a stream with no easy crossing point. Some of us suffered wet feet.

                           Coal truck from a mine. Unusual to see up at Buteland

                                  Buteland horses.

Having crossed more boggy fields and negotiated some tricky stiles we eventually reached the road and followed it all the way to Birtley. (no not that one).

At one point along the road we crossed Holywell Burn. John was the only one brave enough to climb the wall and go down to the burn to photograph the waterfall and Holy Well.

                             Waterfall and well. Close by is the Devil'sStone, a large rock from which old Nick attempted to jump the Tyne. We missed the stone, he missed the river.

This used to be the Birtley pub.

We walked through the village and at the church followed the finger post and a footpath alongside a wood, crossed several more boggy fields and reached a gate onto the relative firmness of a road. About a miole further on we were back at the cars.

Changed we headed for the Fox and Hounds at Wylam. They serve TTL and alcohol free Guinness.

                       Wark village green.

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The walk is about 11 miles. The section on the river is, for me, the highlight. Some climbs and some mud.

                                 It's nearly Halloween