Owl Corner December 5th
MUD WARNING
Ulgham is a village in Northumberland, a few miles north east of Morpeth. The name means "Owl Corner".
But we are starting the walk in Longhirst, also near Morpeth, and we are having morning coffee in Pegswod, yet another village near Morpeth.
The Courtyard in Pegswood is well worth a visit. It looks like the cafe/restaurant is in what was possibly a Co-op Store. Lovely inside, upstairs and downstairs. Great service and a five star bacon sandwich.
The map to use is OS explorer 325, Morpeth and Blyth.
Parked outside St. John the Evangelist's Longhirst. Badly parked really as it is a one way road. Thge church is Victorian.
Leaving the church we turned left and after a few hundred yards realised we had gone the wrong way so we about turned and headed for the village. Just beyond the War Memorial we turned left mdown a lane and at Howarth Cottage folowed the right fork. We were on the fiorst rough and muddy farm track of the day. Thge only thing of interest on the way was:
A Poacher Block, designed to prevent any vehicle without the height of a tractor from using the track. Judging by the number of blue barrels on the edges of woodland they would be after pheasants.
We followed the track to mile 3 where a sign advertising Hebron Lake, Coarse Fiching sent us off to the right.
Hebron Lake. Not a fisherman in sight but we did see a heron.
The track went partly round the lake, changing from track to footpath through Broad Wood and Blackdean Wood.
Turning left we walked a short distance on a road before turning left again. Close to mile 5 we walked across a field edging Bricks Plantation. The path on the left is hard to spot, not well marked, but having found it we walked more fields to Tritlington Hall and went down to the hamlet where a low wall made a convenient Herbie Spot.
We have just had a visit from my sister who lives in Canada. For her journey home she had bought some mini Melton Mowbray Pies to eat as she waited for her flight. As we approached the airport a couple of days she called out she had left them at our house. Couldn't go back, Mini Melton Pies for my Herbie! Plus mince pies, cake, cookie and sweet and savoury from the usual supplier.
A Tritlington sheep taking part in a Gymkhana.
Lunch over we headed past the hall again and walked on road, passing but not finding the Hydraulic Ram. Turning north we walked through Robinhood Wood before heading south east across fields to Ulgham. Sad to see the village pub, The Forge, was well and truly closed. Once through the village we took to the fields again. After the recent heavy rain they were very muddy, boots increased in weight. Eventually we came to the road back to Longhirst and the cars.
On the way home westopped at The Ridley Arms in Stannington. No TTL but some local beers and alcohol free drinks, and tea for some.
Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2025.
It is worth pointing out that normally the walk would be very easy going but the mud slowed progress. We also agreed that there is little variation in the walk, woodland, track and fields and there are no really good view points. The walk is 11 miles
