Wark is a four gadgie walk. (Northumberland) Sept6th
Still not a full turnout because of holidays and family commitments, four of us are having a walk from Wark in the North Tyne Valley. Easy to find, head west on the A69 past Hexham and turn right for Acomb. Drive through Acomb and Wall to Chollerford and take the second exit at the roundabout and head north for Wark. There is parking opposite the village pub, Battlesteads,
 which also goes in for star gazing, don't we all. As with the best walks it is covered by two maps:
OS OL Explorer 43 Hadrian's Wall and OS OL Explorer 42 Kielder Water and Forest.
On the way we stopped at Brockbushes farm shop and restaurant for breakfast. It also has a van where you can learn the art of sausage making.

                      Learn to make sausages

                              Admire an ancient tractor like my uncle had

                             Or have something to eat and drink.

                                         Limited parking in Wark, but free.

Once changed into boots we set off down the village street, past the village green and over the bridge which crosses the North Tyne. Plenty of water in the river today.

                            The waters of Tyne.
Once across the bridge we turned left and walked the path alongside the river, partly wooded it was pleasant, and out of the wind too. We stuck close to the river, following the well posted route until we were directed away from the water towards Low Carry House.

       Daft as a Brush is a charity that helps cancer patients. They have devised walks close to the North Tyne, the South Tyne and after the confluence, the Tyne, all the way to the mouth. Part of our walk is on one of theirs. They have a guide book describing the walks.
Beyond the farm we followed a metalled road for a distance before following a footpath across fields to the remains of a bastle and barn.

                            Bastle ruin on the left.
And from the ruined farm buildings we crossed fields before reaching Countess Park, close to the river again.

                                   Ticks are on the increase, possibly as a result of climate change. They come from deer and maybe sheep. Lymes disease is very unpleasant, don't wear shorts and t shirts!
At one point in the park we came across a fine looking wooden building and as there were a couple of benches outside and nobody around we called a Herbie.

                   Today's feast included flapjacks, French fancies (Mr Kipling), frangipanes and chocolate cake from Mrs A 

                              Could be in Canada, no bears or moose though

                                     Raised on stones, no rotting and no flooding.
Having feasted we walked on, soon joining the dismantled railway at Redesmouth station and then, in the village crossing the road and taking the track to Rede Bridge.

                              Once it was the Redesmouth station
At Crossings Cottage we took the right fork and headed South East to Buteland.

                          Crossing Cottage and topiary.
Buteland farm supports outdoor art and also has accommodation of the type supposedly popular with one of our ex prime ministers.

                         For the want of a shoe..................

                   Caravans at Buteland

                                                       Close up of the horse.
At Buteland we turned east across a field to a minor road, turned right and on the first corner crossed a stile which was in the centre of a bed of nettles and walked south east over boggy fields with Lauder Grass until we hit the track to Lowshield Green Farm
We followed the track for some distance before turning into  a field close to the Holywell Burn. If you follow this walk, the path we took goes alongside a wall originally and not across the field, otherwise you miss the Holy Well which is marked on the OS map as a waterfall.

 Brian and I, heathens, did not visit it but John and Dave did. They emerged, wreathed in white and haloed.
The road past the well took us into Birtley, a very pretty Northumbrian village, unknown to us.At the south end of the street is the village church St Giles, dating back to Norman times but with much 19th century renovation. Across the road from the church is a footpath which goes alongside a wood, across fields and joins a road above Wark.

                               St Giles, Birtley
Changed we went for a drink in the Battlesteads Hotel, restaurant and bar. They had the following on offer, plus soda and lime for the driver.

                 Second left is Tyneside Blonde, always reliable.

               Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2019

The walk is approximately 13 miles of woodland, riverside and rough grassland.
And a few more pictures.

Walking near  Peels and Bastles (Northumberland)
September 1st.
An extra walk for me with John Lockey and friends. Walking from Greenhaugh, following in the footsteps of the gadgies who pioneered this outing earlier in 2019. 
To reach the start we drove through Ponteland on the A696 and turned left just beyond West Woodburn on a minor road and followed signs for the village of Greenhaugh. a busy little place, we parked off the road just beyond the Hollybush Inn.
Booted up, six of us, three men and three women, set off heading south out of the village, across a bridge and turned right down a lane close to Greenhaugh Hall which is a retreat of sorts.

                Sun dappled lane on a day when showers are promised. So far, so good.
We crossed a ford, very shallow although there is a footbridge near by, continued on the path, round a farm, along a grassy (and muddy) track before heading diagonally across a field heading for Thorneyburn Lodge.

           
On a previous occasion John and I had problems at this point and finished up limbo dancing under barbed wire. As we looked at the map a lady cam*e out of the lodge  and pointed out the best route to follow. She was very interesting and explained that the church down the road, St Aidan's, was one of several built after Trafalgar (1805, we beat the French) as livings for the chaplains who had served on the larger battleships and were no longer required. Collingwood, Nelson's successor, had helped with the breaking up of a large Northumberland parish into five smaller ones for these men. He had also had a hand in building of schools, the lady now lived in what had been one! And a nice looking house it was too.
We took her advice and walked down the road, passing not only the church but also these:

                                                   A yurt

                                    A wooden map

                              An open air wigwam( or tipi?)

                                            The church.
At the end of the road we turned left and walked to Redheugh, passing a dovecote on the way.

                                      A dovecote on the way.
Now we were in Kielder Forest, supposedly the largest man made one in Europe. We followed the forest track until we reached the signpost for The Black Middens car park. (Black Middens is a bastle house). From here we took the riverside footpath through woodland, around a field and finally we reached Comb where we stopped for lunch, sitting with backs against a wall.

                Weddings and company bonding catered for
Lunch over the heavens opened, not just rain but hail too. Those with waterproof trousers donned them, him without got wet but the sun came out and dried up all the rain, eventually.
We followed the forestry track through Birkley Wood although the right hand section has been cleared. After about a mile we turned right and walked downhill to a stream and footbridge. The area is called Lightning Bog for some reason.

                                           Stream and footbridge.
The track climbed to a rightangled bend and after a short distance it turned to the left and we were on a very straight path, a lime kiln on the left.

                                 Lime kiln and straight road, almost as good as a Roman one.
After a mile or so we turned off the road and took the track to Heathery Hall, walked round it, down hill across fields to a minor road.
Turning left we past Gatehouse Farm which boasts two bastles, turned into a field and followed the footpath to Sneep Farm.

                                Gatehouse Farm; two bastles (fortified houses against the Scots)
From Sneep Farm we followed a footpath to Burnmouth where we joined a minor road and soon we were back in Greenhaugh.
Having removed muddy boots we went to the Holly Bush, a busy little pub offering three ales, Nels Best, Border Brewery and Flat Tyre. I had the Border Brewery, very refreshing too and we sat in the garden to drink>
This walk is about 10.5 miles, easy going, gentle slopes.

                   Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2019.