There's some part of me wants to see Blanchland, said William.

Northumberland/Durham. July 9th

Blanchland owes its existence to the White Canons, also known as Premonstratenisians who founded an Abbey there in 1165. It was dissolved in 1539. The village was built in the 18th century by the Crewe family who named a pub after themselves. From the abbey ruin they built the church of St Mary the Virgin which therefore has parts dating back to 12th and 13th centuries.

Blanchland also has a large car park close to the village. The walk is covered by OS Explorer 307 Consett and Derwent Reservoir.

To get to the village A69 west, A68 south and lookout for signposts.

William, hero of several detective stories, had been a Paul Simon fan since he heard "Catty's Song"  so the chance of a trip to Blanchland was too much to turn down. Dressed in walking kit for the day he was more than excited to join Helen, Kate and seven of the famous gadgies on a walk across the moors and through woods, maybe there would be mice or frogs to chase, the famous food sharing to indulge in and the trip to a pub after the walk.

Kitted out and ready to go, William sets off for the moors.

 

                       Blanchland car park. There is an Honesty Box at the entrance asking for a donation of £1. Well worth it too.

To start the day we went to the White Monk tea rooms and sat in the garden. William ordered a catty au lait and double shots. Humans had tea or coffee and bacon sandwiches.

Leaving the car park the team headed past the church, past the Lord Crewe Arms and crossed the River Derwent. Turning left we walked up the road for a short distance before taking the footpath through the woods. Far more pleasant than walking the road, thought William, interesting scents, birds too high to catch. Back on the road for a short distance we headed up the track towards Buckshott Farm. A labrador ran towards us followed by a lady who politely informed us this was not a right of way and please turn back. The labrador backed off when it saw William but we returned to the road, headed back towards Blanchland and took the track close to Bridge End.

The track climbed uphill steadily, when it turned right we carried on across fields to Buckshott Fell. The fields reverted to tracks again and we passed a line of Shooting Butts, fortunately August 12th is still a way off.

                              On the beaten track

                             A long distance trail  from St Oswald's church just north of Hadrian's Wall to Durham. Based on old Pilgrim routes.

                       A line of shooting butts

The track crosses a road near point 436 on the OS map and continues parallel to an old flue to the chimney near Sikehead Dam. The flues were built when the area was mined for lead and flourspar. They provided  a draught for the valley bottom smelting.

                      One of the chimneys and Sikehead reservoir.

The footpath runs along the top of the low dam wall and it changes to a hard to find narrow path through the heather, with boggy bits. We could see a single faraway tree and when we reached it declared it was ideal for a Herbie.

There was a collection of odd objects at the base of the tree which was some sort of conifer. There were Christmas decorations in the branches too.

              The faraway tree. The senior gadgie suggested it was a fine example of "krumholtz". William sniffed around and tried to tell the rest that the scent of strange cats suggested to him it was a place where witches and there familiars met to swap spells. Nobody listened, someone was explaining why cricket and football crowds sing "Sweet Caroline."

There was much swapping of sweet things. Walnut cake, apple pies, cookies, angel slices and vegan biscuits.

Lunch over we continued on the path, climbing steadily to Bolt's Law which has a trig point and a cairn.

                              Triangular talking point.

Once the problems of the universe had been settled we followed the fence line downhill. Steep and boggy but eventually we reached the sheepfold at ferny Gill and headed across fields towards the hamlet at Ramshaw. Some of the team were verbally chastised for being on a non permissive path. It was a well made track, did it matter?

 Some distance beyond Ramshaw we took the path on the left and followed it through woodland parallel to Bolt's Burn.

                Path through Bolt's Burn.

Eventually the path joined a forestry track which then joined the road down to BayBridge. Once across the River Derwent we took the footpath on the right and walked by the river to Blanchland.

                      River Derwent and Blanchland cottages.

We decided to head home, calling at the Punch Bowl in Edmundbyers for a drink as it was a warm and humid day. The pub was closed, renovations, so we went on to the Duke of Wellington at Riding Mill and sat outside, taking up two tables as covid rules limit parties to six.

                 Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2021

The walk is about 10 miles with some gentle ascent and woodland walks.

 A walk on the Wylam side. (Northumberland)      June 25th

Four of us, John H., John Ha., Dave and I had planned to spend the day walking the shore of Kielder Water looking for Ospreys. However the forecast was for a day of drizzly rain and Dave the ornithologist said ospreys were unlikely to be out much so we changed plans and chose a walk nearer home. The walk, devised by John H., starts and finishes in Wylam, a village ten miles west Of Newcastle. A69, turn off for Wylam. Head through the village and just before the bridge over the Tyne there is a car park on the left and it's free!.

The walk is covered by OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne and it is recommended although there are plenty of markers.

           Wylam free car park, the walk starts on the track at the back.

Wrapped against the light rain we started off on the walkers/cyclists/riders track at the back of the car park. The track is built on an old disused railway line and goes most of the way to Newcastle. On the way it passes Stephenson's cottage, the birthplace of the railway pioneer.

                              Stephenson's cottage, Wylam, closed.

beyond the cottage and only for a short distance, we joined the Hadrian's Wall Path which goes off to the right and is closer to the river though further away from the eponymous wall. We stayed on the old railway line until we reached Heddon Haughs where we turned left, walked through a farmyard and started the first climb of the day up Station Road to Heddon on the Wall. The best part of a mile and quite steep. Just before reaching the village centre we took the first street on the left and wandered through a small estate before reaching the road at Heddon banks Farm and heading downhill, a bit annoying having just walked uphill. Turning left at Close Lea we were soon in the Close House golf course area. We followed a footpath through Ashbank Wood and Raven's Dene before crossing a couple of fields and taking the road downhill to the outskirts of Wylam village. 

Turning right at the junction we walked uphill on Holeyn Hall Road before taking the path on the left across fields. Turning right we walked the edge of fields to Horsley Wood where we followed a woodland path that on a sunny day would have been a delight. We joined the road for a short distance near Wylam Hall and then continued on a footpath to Wylam Cricket Field, suitable place for a Herbie in the rain.

                        Grey day in Northumberland

                    The Tyne from close to Hagg Bank bridge. The smoke is from the toilet paper factory at Prudhoe.

After a lunch including chocolate mini rolls, snickers, Bliss bars and apple pies we headed into Wylam, passing the home of another railway pioneer,

                                       Timothy Hackworth, another Wylam railway pioneer.

Walking on we crossed the river by the Wylam Bridge, crossed the Newcastle- Carlisle Railway line, passed the Boathouse which claims to be" probably the best pub in the world". It usually has at least a dozen ales on hand pump but today we walked on by, the shame of it.

Someway beyond the pub we took the footpath on the right through Daniel's Farm. This part of the walk is on the Heritage Way, an eighty mile ramble that circles Tyneside and Wearside.

                                 Heritage Way marker and common footpath marker.

The footpath through the farm has deer fences on either side. We must have seen a hundred deer in the fields. They are raised for venison. They are beautiful animals, the almost vegetarian in me was not happy.

             Several fields later we were at Bradley Hall Farm and having crossed Bradley Park we reached the old stretch of road parallel to the A695. Turning right we walked to Crawcrook almost before taking the footpath on the left that turned back for a while before heading downhill across fields back to Daniel Farm where we made friends with a turkey and some Llamas.

Back on the road we were soon at the car park (passing the Boathouse again!) and off we went, home.

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The walk is about 10.5 miles and even on a damp day is very enjoyable, woodland, fields, views and normally a great pub at the end!

       Hang Bank Bridge, model for the Tyne bridge

                  Mother duck. Her babies are below the weir

 We're going to Gilsland. (Northumberland) 

June 18th.

A much reduced gadgie team of three, due to holidays, Dave, John Ha. and I are off to  follow a walk not covered for several years. 

The forecast is for a warm, dry day and so it proved top be. The walk starts near Gilsland which is found by driving west on the A69, turning right for Greenhead and then left, sharp right and down a road to a small but perfectly formed National Park car park on the right near a short terrace of houses..

The walk is covered by OS OL 43 Hadrian's Wall and is recommended although part of the route is well marked.

                            Rural car park for about a half dozen cars.

The walk: We went a short distance down the road and followed the sign post for Thirwall Castle. The path crosses the Carlisle - Newcastle Railway line and a path took us to the ruin.

                  A fine ruin, Thirwall Castle. Probably recycled Roman Wall which is nearby.

Having admired the ruin we walked alongside the railway to Longbyre where we took a footpath  that followed the Pow Charney Burn across a boggy field to the farm at Barron House. The path goes through the farmyard, there was a collection of sheepdogs which chorused our way through.

Slightly nervy collie.

From the farm we walked a track for a short distance before taking a footpath on the left across fields to an isolated house that made it clear it was not on the path.

                                   Not this way.

We walked a short way down the road and then entered the woods on the right. It is only fair to say that we wandered on good trails through the woods, across at least one footbridge until we emerged at the Gilsland Spa Hotel. It is equally fair to add that the woods, with splendid English sun shining through the trees casting shadows and lighting up the flowers were a delight.

Gilsland Spa Hotel which appears empty at the moment. Starting life in the 18th century it has been hotel (visited by Sir Walter Scott and Robbie Burns), convalescent home for the Co-op movement and hotel again, currently being refurbished.

We followed a footpath at the back of the hotel. Initially across a field and then through woodland where the path was a bit muddy but easily passable.

Eventually we reached a road and walked alongside the RAF bombing range to a small car park on the right. From here we took the footpath down to Crammel Linn.

                       You have been warned. We could see in the distance the remains of a jet on the ground. A pretend MIG?

The Linn is a waterfall and there were already a few people bathing in it, sunbathing around it or leaping from a low cliff into it. Interestingly the gates to the area were well and truly locked, we climbed the wooden one, some young men vaulted the metal one which had wire mesh to stop people putting feet on bars.. A polite notice from the RAF pointed out that it gave permission to enter the Linn, but behave.

We stopped for a Herbie.

                   Crammel Linn from our Herbie Spot; (Apple pies, almond slices and peanut and chocolate bars.)

For the return journey we followed a footpath parallel to the stream (River Irthing) through woodland until we re-joined the path we had taken from the hotel on our way to the Linn. The path is well marked with black and yellow arrows. Easy to follow.

Back at the hotel we walked down the road and just beyond the church of St. Mary Magdalene took the footpath on the left downhill across fields to the stepping stones and then on a footpath to the village of Gilsland.

                     St Mary Magdalene, Anglican parish church for Gilsland, built 1852

                      Substantial stepping stones across the Irthing.

In the village we turned left and walked along the road, under the railway bridge before joining the Hadrian's Wall path. The path runs alongside an impressive Roman ditch, crosses fields and soon had us back at the car park.

Roman ditch, dug by hand!

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The walk is about 10.5 miles, fairly easy going with a few short climbs