Back to the camp of the crows. (Northumberland) 
November 8th
  The weather can dictate a walk in winter and the last few days have been wet, with a suggestion from the forecast that nothing much will change. Today eight of us are going for a coastal walk, so familiar we don't need a map but after last week we'll carry one just in case.
Starting from Craster the walk is covered by;
OS Explorer 332 Alnwick and Amble and OS Explorer 340 Holy Island and Bamburgh
To get to Craster A1 north, turn right at Alnwick and follow signs. The main car park, in a long disused quarry is on the right as you get to the village. Not free but reasonable.
And then we changed our minds and went to Haltwhistle. The weather had changed, the coast would be wet, inland would be dry. To get to Haltwhistle take the A69 west and turn off for the town.
We decided to have breakfast at Brockbushes Farm Shop and café on the A69. When we got there it was packed with people taking part in a trade fair, no room at the café. We decided to go on to Hexham, a little further west but there was a long traffic tailback into the town. We decided to go on to Haltwhistle where we found a small café with a helpful lady happy to discuss walks in the area. We decided to go to Slaggyford, (Old English; a muddy ford, and well named) a tiny village up the south Tyne valley, use a road map or satnav. (Without mobile phones chopping and changing would have been difficult)
Finally, about 12 noon we started the walk which is covered by OS Explorer 43 Hadrian's Wall.

There is a station at Slaggyford on the narrow gauge South Tyneside Railway and next to it is a small but free car park. probably full in summer but empty today.

                Preparing for the walk in Slaggyford station car park.
Leaving the car park, crossing the line, we walked downhill to the Yew Tree Chapel which seems to be a bnb now. Just beyond, pointing to the left is a sign post for the Pennine Way, longest walk in England and Scotland (just). Originally suggested by journalist band walker Tom Stephenson in 1935 it is a popular walk but we were on it for a few miles only. It's easy to follow, it has what look like little milestones in this area, marked "PW".

                                Yew Tree Chapel, Slaggyford.
The footpath is parallel to the Tyne Trail, crosses fields, muddy after all the recent rain, and then,having diverged from the Pennine Way, dips down through a wood and crosses the Knar Burn  by means of a footbridge.

Footbridge near to railway bridge .
We then left the old railway altogether and crossed muddy bfields with lots of stone stiles, passing close to at least one farmhouse until we reached a heavily metalled track and turned just south of west to follow it. Very straight it could have been Roman and we walked along it for abouth three wuarters of a mile before turning left onto another similar track that went south to Hanging Shaw Farm. Here we made a slight error and continued walking south west until the path vanished. A Scotsman, out shooting rabbits was equally ignorant of a path so we turned back to Hanging Shaw Farm, spotted a public footpath marker and followed the trail down to Knar and a bridge crossing the Knar Burn.

                        The bridge over the Knar Burn.It provided shelter for some.

                 Those of us unable to get under the bridge sat against a wall for a Herbie.
We shared meringues, chocolate biscuits, savouries from Mrs A., biscuits, ginger biscuits and frangipanes. Is this getting out of hand? No.
Lunch over we followed the road uphill to Longdyke Head. Hidden on the right a sign post showed us the way across muddy fields and stiles to Bertram Hill Farm.

                   There is a direct correlation between age and the ability to cross stone walls by stile.
From here the path crossed more muddy fields to Thornhopeburn bridge where we joined the footpath alongside the South Tynedale Railway and walked back to Slaggyford.
On the way home we went to the Boathouse in Wylam, famous for its selection of beers, usually at least twelve hand pulled ales, mostly from local breweries. The Boathouse Challenge has never been taken up by us; a half pint at least from each pump. Once upon a time...…………..

                       Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2019.
                         This walk is about b7.5 miles long and is muddy.

A muddy walk in Weardale (Durham) Nov 1st.
   The young lady on local TV promised us a wet morning and a drizzly afternoon. Undaunted six of us left Tyneside for Weardale to walk part of the Weardale Way. (Ray, John H., Harry, Dave, Ben and me.) A two car expedition we met in the car park behind the Durham Information in Stanhope. (A69, A68 at Corbridge, turn off to the right when you spot the sign for Edmondbyers and Stanhope.)
The walk is covered by OS OL Explorer 31, The North Pennines and it's a good idea to take one, we didn't and had some problems. Our original plan was to drive to Wolsingham, catch a bus to Stanhope and walk the winding Wearside Way back. This route climbed uphill at one point and the cloud was low so we had a rapid change of plan and no breakfast. We all had maps for the Wolsingham walk, because we are sensible sixty and seventy year olds.
We arrived in Stanhope with ten minutes to catch the bus to Cowshill further up the valley. It's quite amazing how six elderly but fairly fit gentlemen can get their boots out of a boot and get them  on and hurry for a bus , especially when the next one is in one hour and forty five minutes. But we did it, aided by a patient bus driver. 

                        Stanhope car park behind the information centre, free but limited in time. Nobody told us.

At Cowshill the bus stopped by the Cowshill Hotel and so we got off. Walking downhill for a short distance we then turned right up a lane past a few attractive houses to Burtreeford bridge, crossed it and spotted the sign post saying Wearside Way. We were off.

                               Down the road and turn right

                    Ready to start.

Initially the way crosses several fields and is on the south side of the river. Easy to follow as there are markers on every gate and stile.

                                   Changing views along the way.
At Wearhead the path crosses to the north of the river but soon returns to the south, crossing more fields to West Blackdene. At some point we stopped at a useful pile of stones for a Herbie.

                Dave, Ben and Harry prepare to get going again after lunch; Titans, Ben's ginger biscuits, flapjacks and toffee Bakewell tarts. In spite of this I lost one pound weight on the day
 Back on the north and  still walking over fields mostly we recrossed by footbridge just beyond Ponderlane.and remained on the south to Westgate village, once the west marker for the Bishop of Durham's hunting range.
It was here that we made a mistake. Unable to spot a marker and not having a map we assumed the footpath remained close to the river. It doesn't, it heads north east to Rookhope and then returns to the Wear by the way of Rookhope burn.

                                We did however spot the copy of a Roman Altar found in Rookhope in 1869.It is not clear where the original is, Newcastle's Great North Museum probably, it has a large selection of Roman artifacts, being close to the wall.
We walked along the road a short distance before spotting a sign saying Public Footpath. Thinking this was the Weardale Way we wandered across fields to the river and followed a footpath close to the water. Several old mine workings later we realised our mistake and climbed up to the road. We do not like walking on roads, especially those with a lot of traffic and so we were o
                         Need a telephoto lens really but Young Shep was learning his trade.
 Back on the Weardale Way we walked through a caravan park, mostly deserted it being late Autumn and then followed the narrow, stony path next to the Weardale Railway all the way back to Stanhope.

                      Fossilised tree stump outside St Thomas's church Stanhope.
On the way home we stopped at the Punchbowl in Edmondbyers for light liquid refreshment or coffee.
Although the forecast had been for a rainy day we escaped a soaking. Only towards the end of the walk did the drizzle set in.

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

Matrix for the day
                                                                       steps                                  miles
NAK                                                           31849                                  11.56
Dave's Nak 1                                              24519                                   11.60
"""""""""""""2                                            24520                                    11.60
SM                                                              24510                                    11.61
OUTDOOR GPS                                                                                       11.41

                         

The Doors, (Northumberland ) October 25th.
After a break of two weeks entertaining the colonials I am rejoining the team. Nine of us are going on a variation of the popular walk from Belford in Northumberland. (John x 3, Brian, Harry, Dave, Ben, Ray and me.) Belford is easy to find, straight up the A1 in the direction of Scotland and turn left at the road into the small town. Breakfast at Sunny Hills farm shop just before the town.

                               Sunny Hills, farm shop, restaurant, classy
The map for the walk is OS Explorer 340 Holy Island and Bamburgh.
The forecast is not too promising, the gentleman from BBC North East and Cumbria suggests heavy rain in the afternoon by which time we may be in the pub.

     The walk starts from the parking area by the Community Hall on the road to Wooler, just off the Belford main street.

                Not really a car park but space for several cars by the Community Hall. On the left of the hall is a lane: walk starts here.

   The lane is part of the Northumberland Coast Path, St Oswald's Way. After a few hundred yards a gate on the left took us to a path alongside a stream close to Westhall, an old, fascinating farm house.

                        Narrow footpath by a narrow stream

                        close to Westhall.
The footpath, muddy today, goes in almost a straight line north west to Swinhoe Farm.
At the farm there is a cross roads of tracks, we took the left hand , no longer with St. Oswald but heading towards Cuthbert's Cave. However, at the delightfully named Dick's Old Walls we turned right through a gate. The footpath keeps close to the fence of a plantation and eventually emerges int  fields. 
  Still heading roughly north west we eventually joined St. Cuthbert's Way. (The saint whose body was carried round Northumbria until it reached the spot that is now Durham Cathedral.)
Crossing into the wood we walked the short but steep path down to the very cave and decided it deserved contemplation and a Herbie.

                                                The cave

                                      and some fine graffiti outside it

                   Three gadgies and a pair of feet enjoying the break.
We shared Ben's ginger biscuits, chocolate brownies, caramel wafers, Savoury scones from Mrs A and Oh Henry's, a Canadian chocolate bar brought from Canada by my sister on her recent visit. Should you wonder why there are only five lots of goodies but nine gadgies, some people, conscious of their figures, do not participate. Fridays are the only day we walk and put weight on.

Lunch over we walked downhill to the track, turned left and after a short distance turned right down another track, heading towards but not to, North Hazlerigg. After a short while we turned left and followed St. Cuthbert's Way towards Old Hazlerigg.

                          Well sign posted walk
                         

Rain approaching over the Cheviots
We turned left and walked some distance along the road before turning right at a marker post into fields. The footpath, not at all clear at this point, climbed steadily onto Raven's Crag, below the impressive Bowden Doors. Once a very popular climbing area but very quiet today, not so much as a carabiner in sight.

                                A section of Bowden Doors

                                Brian demonstrates his climbing skill

                        watched by an admiring herd.
Past the Doors we came to a road, turned left and walked some distance until we spotted the sigh post for Belford Mains.

                            Spelling mistake!

              An unusual cattle grid. Quad bikes can cross, animals won't, although some sheep have apparently learnt the art of walking on the bars.
We walked across very muddy fields, especially at the gates, to Belford Mains, turned left down the road then right and back to the cars in Belford.
At this point in time as they say, the rain started, just as the portly gentleman on TV had said it would, so well done to the Look North team.
On the way home we called in at The Cook and Barker in Newton on the Moor, they had four ales on offer, and coffee for the drivers.

                        Cook and Barker

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

The walk is about 10 miles, fairly easy going with few climbs.

Some pictures from Dave;

1. Pile of real stones 2 WW2 pill box, 3,4 and 5. Large mushroom 6 Bowden Doors