Allendale, a bastle and a cross.

 Allendale, a bastle and a cross.May 9th

It's several years. since we did this walk from the small town of Allendale in Northumberland.

A map is useful, OS Explorer 31 North Pennines covers the walk. 

Once the centre of the lead mining industry Allendale now relies to some extent on tourism. There is limited but free parking, several cafes and pubs  and on New Year's Eve the famous "Tar Bar'l"when people walk round with blazing barrels on their heads. Definitely not to be tried at home.

Not one for the calendar but a car park in true Yorkshire fashion.

Having taken on fuel we set off downhill towards the River East Allen, the road in the centre of the picture above. 

We passed the Allendale Sci Fi Film museum, not something to be expected but here it is:

                    Dr Who and the Daleks

We crossed the East Allen and took to the path on the west side. The path crossed fields, the walls were crossed mainly by stiles which can be difficult to cross, especially when the odd rung is missing. We were now on Isaac's Tea Trail, a thirty mile or so walk named for Isaac Holden

                    Isaac Holden (1805-1856) had been, like most people in the town a miner, digging for the lead ore. Either through recession or ill health he left the mine and rode the area selling loose leaf tea, non of your fancy tea bags.

After four miles there was some discussion on the route, which accounts for the squiggle on the map but eventually we followed the leader, crossed the stream, climbed to a field and declared a Herbie. ( Almond slices, scones, Bakewell cherry tarts and sweet and savoury from Mrs A).

                        Herbie view

Lunch over we carried on the well marked path to Sinderhope, crossed the road and walked uphill again to the Sinderhope Bastle. A young man(they all are these days) told us he was a stonemason working on the restoration of the building. At that moment the owners arrived and kindly allowed us inside to see the work inprogress.

   I forgot to take a picture of the outside but this is part of the interior. It has a flagged floor, unusual for an upper floor. When complete it may be a main residence or B'n'B. A bastle is a fortified house as opposed to a peel tower which is a mini castle, usually attached to a farm as  protection against the Scots.

Walking downhill from the bastle we came to a road, turned right and after a short walk took the road on the right that crosses Allendale Common. Starting as a tarmacked road it climbs for a long way and becomes a rough stony track. At the cross roads near mile  seven we split the group, amicably. Three of us decided to take the shorter route across the moor, passing Stobb Cross  a possible bronze age cairn and eventually descending into Allendale. The other four carried on to the next cross roads and turning left made their way back to Allendale.

We met up in the Lion House. A hot day, many people, like us, sat outside enjoying TTL or a refreshing soda and lime.

                      The Lion House.

                    Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2025

The walk is 9 miles nearly, or 10.5 on the longer route. Some climbs, stiles and steps but some great views.

              Four photographs from Nagel studios.

And mine:

                                                                        

Across the Borderline

 Across the Borderline  May 2nd 

It's several years since we walked this beautiful walk. Centred on St. Abbs in Scotland it is a coastal walk especially good for birders and flora fans. Head north up the A1, passing Berwick on Tweed in England, cross the river into Berwickshire as it used to be called and turn off for Coldingham.

St. Abbs was, until 1890 called Coldingham Shore and was a fishing centre. The name comes from St, Aebba, Northumbrian nun who started a religous house here in the 7th century. A home for monks and nuns, but separate I suppose. She opened another in Ebchester, near Prudhoe.

The walk is covered by OS 67 Duns, Dunbar and Eyemouth. There is parking in Coldingham, limited but free.

               Roadside parking in Coldingham. The small car park close to the Priori was full.

We started the walk with a look round the remains of the Priory in Coldingham, the building that remains being considerably less than the outline of the original.

                                 Coldingham Priory.

Leaving the Priory by a path at the back we found the road that leads to the beach of Coldingham Bay, taking a footpath on the right we headed for the sands.

                           Coldingham bay, with beach huts.

                    Steps off the beach.

We left he beach, climbed the steps into St. Abbs and went downhill again to the harbour for breakfast at a cafe, and we had only walked two miles.

                    St Abbs harbour.

Breakfast over we climbed away from the harbour and after a short walk on the B6438 turned right, went through a gate and walked alongside a high wall, soon joining the footpath on the cliff tops.

                   St Abbs from the cliff top walk.

This section of the walk is close to the edge at times  but is well worth it for the views and the names: Black Craighead, Halterem's Loup and Wuddy Rocks to name but three.Flanking Kirk Hill we passed, without noticing the remains of St. Abb's Kirk before climbing the grassy slope towards the lighthouse. Sitting with our backs to the wall of the house we had a Herbie, approximately  four miles in.

                           The lighthouse

                 Herbie time: Bakewell tarts, flapjacks, almond slices and sweet and savoury from Mrs A

Rested and refreshed we continued on the cliff top path, stopping after a few hundred yards to watch the mass of birds nesting on the rocks. (And missing the remains of St Abb's Nunnery)

              There were Guillemots, Fulmars, Gannets possibly Puffins and other birds on the rocks.

Ornithology satisfied we walked on, noting that the path we have taken down to Pettico Wick is now closed to protect the nesting birds and the flowers there. The path we followed took us to the road and after a few hundred yards of tarmac we turned left to take the footpath on the side of Mire Loch,  sedge warblers, reed warblers and swans.

                              Mire Loch.

Soonwe were back on the path we had followed from the village and once there we stopped at the Old School Cafe for an ice cream.

Cooed down we took the Creel Road, really a path, back to Coldingham, enjoyed a well earned pint in the village pub and then went home.

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The walk is about 8 miles, Several short steep climbs but worth the effort for the views and the wild life.

Dukesfield, Dipton and the Devil

 Dukesfield, Dipton and the Devil

Today we're  off to walk from Slaley, a string of a village high above Corbridge. Head west on the A69, turn off at the A68, turn right for Riding Mill and once through there turn left for Slaley.

The walk is covered by OS OL 43 Hadrian's Wall. 

There is no car park in Slaley, we left our cars on the road by the church.

Parking outside St. Mary's Church Slaley. The church is 19th century. 

Having booted up I realised that I had left my camera at home. Two weeks ago I left my flask. Is this the beginning? But after walking 100 yards one of the team of five realised he had left his rucksack so I didn't feel too bad. I used my phone for a few pictures today. Some say you don't need a camera anymore but it's my preference to snap away on it.

Next to the community shop, which has restricted hours, don't expect to buy a tin of beans at 5pm, is the entrance to a footpath leading in a northerly direction and going gently down hill. Having crossed a couple of fields we came to a small wood with a marker, if you follow this route ignore the marker and continue in the fields.

We passed Woodfoot farm and reached a road, turned left and after a hundred yards or so spotted the ladder stile on the right,

               Watch out for this stile, and clamber over.

Once over we followed a woodland path on the edge of Dipton Wood until we reached a road (mile 2). We walked the road for a short distance before coming to this fine entrance, so we entered.

Walk this way.

At the end of the track is a farm, on the right of the farm is the entrance to a lovely long woodland walk above, along and near to the Devil's Water.

We crossed the stream by a footbridge to the path on the west side, walked a path through a field which would have inspired Wordsworth to compose a poem about daffodils until we reached Peth Foot. 

A slight error, we walked on but not far, before it was pointed out we should have used the footbridge to go to the east side.

At about 4.5 miles into the walk we came to the arches of Dukefield  and decided it was a fine spot for a Herbie. (Titans, an ALDI special, ginger biscuits and almond slices.)

A smelting centre for mainly lead ore dug from the surrounding hills.It operated from about 1666 to 1835. Only the arches remain, we sat on the edges of the water wheel pit for lunch, the wheel having gone years ago. The lead ingots were taken to Newcastle for shipping. The water wheel was to power bellows to heat the fire for smelting.

Lunch over we continued following the river to Mire House Farm. From the farm we took the soggy, boggy path through woodland to Steel Hall (mile 6) and from there turned through ninety degrees to head north east to Dukesfield Farm. Once round the farm we followed tracks across fields, then farm track then road, going past the interestingly named Palm Strothers, until we reached Slaley, changed and went home, it was only 3pm.

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The walk is 8.5 miles, field and woodland. A few short climbs but easy going. 

                                                 The start