100 Walks in Northumberland E-Book

Norman Johnsen

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Northumberland offers a wide range of delights for the walker - from coastal walks to important historical features such as Hadrian's Wall. This collection of 100 walks of up to 12 miles will help you explore the best of this diverse county. The Crowood Walking Guides give detailed and accurate route descriptions of the 100 walks, with full-colour mapping and details of where to park and where to eat and drink, and places of interest to see along the way. Of great interest to anyone living in Northumberland, or visiting family or friends and who enjoys walking - from retirees to young families. Illustrated with 100 colour route maps and one regional map.

Leseprobe

100 WALKS IN NORTHUMBERLAND

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2017 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2017

© The Crowood Press 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 184 0

Mapping in this book is sourced from Google Earth.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this book. However, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. The Publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of any reliance on the information given in this book, but should be very grateful if walkers could let us know of any inaccuracies by writing to us at the address above or via the website.

As with any outdoor activity, accidents and injury can occur. We strongly advise readers to check the local weather forecast before setting out and to take an OS map. The Publishers accept no responsibility for any injuries which may occur in relation to following the walk descriptions contained within this book.

Contents

How to Use this Book

Walks Locator

WALK 1

Falstone Circular

3 miles (4.8km)

WALK 2

Hareshaw Linn

3 miles (4.8km)

WALK 3

Walltown to the Milecastle Inn

3 miles (4.8km)

WALK 4

Blanchland & Pennypie

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 5

Druridge Bay & Country Park

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 6

Holystone & Lady’s Well

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 7

Kilham Hill Trail

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 8

Steel Rigg & Hotbank

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 9

Vindolanda & Henshaw

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 10

Wooler & Earle Mill

3½ miles (5.6km)

WALK 11

Housesteads & the Pennine Way

3¾ miles (6km)

WALK 12

Sinderhope & the Golf Course

3¾ miles (6km)

WALK 13

West Hill & St Gregory’s Hill

3¾ miles (6km)

WALK 14

Allendale Town & The Hope

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 15

Alnmouth, Lesbury & the Coast

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 16

Biddlestone & Singmoor

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 17

Cawfields & Hallpeat Moss

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 18

Cottingwood Common Circular

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 19

Harbottle & Drakes Stone

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 20

Hartside & Linhope Spout

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 21

Holystone & Dove Crag

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 22

Walltown & Thirlwall Castle

4 miles (6.4km)

WALK 23

Allendale Town & the River East Allen

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 24

Berthele’s Stone & Hepburn Wood

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 25

Carey Burn & Broadstruther

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 26

Happy Valley & North Middleton

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 27

Craster & Dunstanburgh Castle

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 28

Craster & Howick Hall

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 29

Ford Village Circular

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 30

Hepple & Coquetdale

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 31

Sinderhope & Low Acton

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 32

Spartylea & High Knock Shield

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 33

Walltown & the Vallum

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 34

Wooler & Weetwood Moor

4½ miles (7.2km)

WALK 35

Humbleton Hill & Wooler Common

4¾ miles (7.6km)

WALK 36

Holy Island Circular

5 miles (8km)

WALK 37

Ros Castle & Ros Hill Wood

5 miles (8km)

WALK 38

Simonside Circular

5 miles (8km)

WALK 39

Spartylea & Swinhope

5 miles (8km)

WALK 40

The Breamish Valley Hill Forts

5 miles (8km)

WALK 41

Thrunton Woods & Castle Hill

5 miles (8km)

WALK 42

Morpeth & Bothal

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 43

Newbiggin, the Wansbeck & the Art Trail

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 44

Once Brewed & Winshields Crags

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 45

The Harthope Valley & Middleton Old Town

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 46

Wooler & Fowberry

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 47

Walltown to Once Brewed

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 48

Allen Banks & Staward Peel

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 49

Bolam Lake & Shaftoe Crags

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 50

Cambo & Kirkwelpington

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 51

Haltwhistle & Park Village

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 52

Ingram & Old Fawdon Hill

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 53

Stannington Circular

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 54

The Rothbury Terraces

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 55

Walltown & the Tipalt Burn

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 56

Wylam & Newburn Bridge

6 miles (9.7km)

WALK 57

Alnham & the Shepherds’ Cairn

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 58

College Valley & Hethpool Linn

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 59

Corbridge & Aydon Castle

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 60

Featherstone Rowfoot & Coanwood Friends Meeting House

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 61

Flodden Battle Site & Pallinsburn

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 62

Fourstones & Bridge End

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 63

Greenleighton & the Fontburn Reservoir

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 64

Humbleton & Black Law

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 65

Rothbury & Lordenshaws Hill Fort

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 66

Rothbury & Wannie Lines

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 67

Yeavering Bell & the College Burn

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 68

Guile Point & Return

7 miles (11.3km)

WALK 69

Hartburn Glebe & the Wansbeck

7 miles (11.3km)

WALK 70

The Five Kings

7 miles (11.3km)

WALK 71

Allendale Town, Catton & the River East Allen

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 72

Alwinton & Kidlandlee

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 73

Clennell & Puncherton

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 74

Eglingham, Cateran Hole & Blawearie

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 75

Etal & the River Till

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 76

Hartside & Little Dod

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 77

Hauxley & Amble

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 78

Hethpool & the Border Ridge

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 79

Humbleton Burn & Hellpath

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 80

Once Brewed & Vindolanda

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 81

Steel Rigg & Housesteads

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 82

Haydon Bridge & the Stublick Chimney

8 miles (13km)

WALK 83

Lambley & the South Tyne Trail

8 miles (13km)

WALK 84

Morpeth & Mitford

8 miles (13km)

WALK 85

Hulne Park Circular

8½ miles (13.7km)

WALK 86

The Cheviot

8½ miles (13.7km)

WALK 87

Thrunton Woods & Long Crag

8½ miles (14.1km)

WALK 88

Blanchland & Slaley Forest

9 miles (14.5km)

WALK 89

Blanchland Moor

9 miles (14.5km)

WALK 90

Bolam Lake & South Middleton

9 miles (14.5km)

WALK 91

Fourstones & the Scout Camp

9 miles (14.5km)

WALK 92

Wylam & Horsley

9½ miles (15.3km)

WALK 93

Allendale Town & the Chimneys

10 miles (16km)

WALK 94

Alwinton & Copper Snout

10 miles (16km)

WALK 95

Bamburgh & Glororum

10 miles (16km)

WALK 96

Killhope Lead Mining Centre & Allenheads

10 miles (16km)

WALK 97

Tom Tallon’s Crag

10 miles (16km)

WALK 98

Wark & Redesmouth

10 miles (16km)

WALK 99

Warkworth & the River Aln

10½ miles (16.9km)

WALK 100

Thropton & Tosson Hill

11½ miles (18.5km)

How to Use this Book

The walks in the book are ordered by distance, starting with the shortest at 3 miles and ending with the longest at 11½ miles. An information panel for each walk shows the distance, start point (see below), a summary of level of difficulty (Easy/Moderate/Hard/Strenuous), OS map(s) required, and suggested pubs/cafés at the start/end of walk or on the way. An introductory sentence at the beginning of each walk briefly describes the route and terrain.

Readers should be aware that starting point postcodes have been supplied for satnav purposes and are not indicative of exact locations. Some start points are so remote that there is no postcode.

MAPS

There are 100 maps covering the 100 walks.

Start Points

The start of each walk is given as a postcode and also a six-figure grid reference number prefixed by two letters (which indicates the relevant square on the National Grid). More information on grid references is found on Ordnance Survey maps.

Parking

Many of the car parks suggested are public, but for some walks you will have to park on the roadside or in a lay-by. Please be considerate when leaving your car and do not block access roads or gates. Also, if parking in a pub car park for the duration of the walk, please try to avoid busy times.

COUNTRYSIDE CODE

Consider the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors

Leave gates and property as you find them and follows paths

Leave no trace of your visit and take litter home

Keep dogs under effective control

Plan ahead and be prepared

Follow advice and local signs

Walks Locator

WALK

1

Falstone Circular

START Old School Tea Rooms, Falstone, GR NY723874

NEAREST POSTCODE NE48 1AA

DISTANCE 3 miles (4.8km)

SUMMARY Easy

MAP OS Explorer OL42 Kielder Water & Forest

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Falstone Old School Tea Rooms, T01434-240459, www.falstonetearoom.co.uk (open from 10.30am Mon–Fri, from 10am at weekends)

PARKING Falstone Old School Tea Rooms car park or at various places in the village

An easy circular walk that takes in part of the forest to the north of Falstone. The route is on waymarked paths and forest tracks. The return section continues through Falstone to visit the sculpture called the Stell on the banks of the River North Tyne.

START From the Tea Rooms turn left onto the road. Walk past the church and under the old railway line to the T-junction. Turn left and then right at the first gate; Falstone Burn is on your left-hand side. To keep away from the muddy section, walk away from the Burn slightly uphill, and as you approach the wood in front of you look for a ladder stile going over the wall and into the wood.

1 Once over the ladder stile turn right and follow the path through the trees and uphill, with the wall to your right. Keep going on the path, following the waymarkers, which will then direct you left over a small bridge and through a gap in a wall. The route climbs some more, going through the forest and away from the Burn. As you continue the path turns into a wide forest track and makes its way through a clearing to a T-junction, where you turn left.

2 At the next T-junction on a bend take the left turn into the bend and continue on the track as it comes into a clearing, with views on your left-hand side. Look for the marker post on your left next to a lone tree that indicates a path going left. Take this left turn and follow the path until you reach the T-junction of another forest track, where you turn right. At the next T-junction turn left through a gate and walk down the hill back towards Falstone. Looking right, you can make out the high dam wall of Kielder.

3 Follow the track down to the road, where you turn left then right back under the railway and down the road to the Tea Rooms. Turn left past the Tea Rooms and the United Reformed Church until you come to the River North Tyne, where you turn left. Follow the path alongside the river past the sculpture of the Stell and continue until you reach the road bridge, where you turn left. Walk down the field edge to the gate and continue along the path back into Falstone.

Points of interest

Stell: A stell is an old Norse word that means a stone-walled shelter for sheep, but in this case the artist Colin Wilbourn worked with local people to produce a stone shelter for people. Rectangular in shape, two of the sides are stone three-seater settees complete with stone cushions and steel antimacassars on armrests and settee backs. There is a steel carpet on the floor and access is gained through two gates on the other two sides. Open to the elements, this is a great place to sit and watch the world go by.

WALK

2

Hareshaw Linn

START Centre of Bellingham, GR NY839833

NEAREST POSTCODE NE48 2BA

DISTANCE 3 miles (4.8km)

SUMMARY Easy

MAP OS Explorer OL42 Kielder Water & Forest

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK There are various pubs and cafés in Bellingham

PARKING In Bellingham village or use the Hareshaw Linn car park at GR NY840834

An easy walk that uses footpaths, steps and footbridges that lead you through the woods close to Hareshaw Burn to visit Hareshaw Linn, a 30ft waterfall.

START From the High St on the B6320, walk down the road signed to West Woodburn and Redesmouth. Cross the bridge over Hareshaw Burn and take the signed footpath on the left immediately after the bridge. Walk past the alternative parking for Hareshaw Linn and continue past the information board about the Hareshaw Ironworks.

1 In damp or wet weather ignore the footpath close to the information board that leads along the Burn, but instead take the track above the footpath. Both routes come out at the same place, which is before a gate that you go through to continue on a track with some paved sections.

2 There are steps and footbridges to negotiate and the track steadily rises until the waterfall is reached. Linn is an old English word for waterfall.

3 The path ends at the waterfall so the route back is just a reverse, with the added enjoyment that it is all more or less downhill.

Points of interest

Hareshaw Ironworks: The area around Hareshaw Burn is quite peaceful, but in 1838 this was the site of a large ironworks with blast furnaces, coke ovens, stores and stables in full operation for over 10 years. Delays in getting the railway to Bellingham and mounting transport costs finally forced the the ironworks’ closure in 1849.

WALK

3

Walltown to the Milecastle Inn

START The parking area alongside the road, at GR NY674661

NEAREST POSTCODE CA8 7HF

DISTANCE 3 miles (4.8km)

SUMMARY Moderate; this walk can be extended using the Walltown to Once Brewed walk (see below) by continuing along the Wall from Great Chesters, making it 9 miles in total

MAP OS Explorer OL43 Hadrian’s Wall

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK There is a shop at Walltown Quarry Visitor Centre and a café at the Roman Army Museum; The Milecastle Inn, T01434-321372, www.milecastle-inn.co.uk, is on the B6318

A short linear walk that visits some of the best preserved sections of the wall and the Roman fort of Aesica. The walk ends at the Milecastle Inn, where a bus, the AD122, will take you back to Walltown. The bus operates daily between the end of May and the end of August and a timetable can usually be obtained from www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/.

START From the car park walk diagonally uphill to the right to reach Walltown Crags, turn right and follow the path as it descends to cross a stile and and climb the steps to regain the height on the other side of the pass. The path continues along the top, rising and falling as it follows the contours of the ridge line. After passing through a wood, you will pass the farm at Cockmount Hill and beyond you will see the outline of Aesica Roman Fort, whose modern name is Great Chesters.

1 After looking round the site of the fort, cross the ladder stile over the wall and continue to follow the wall line down the field past Burnhead to cross the wall over a stile. Cross the road bridge and turn right on the minor road. Follow this road down and cross the B6318 to arrive at the Milecastle Inn.

Points of interest

Walltown Visitor Centre is open Apr–end Oct and has a small shop. The toilets are open all year round. Walks led by a National Park Ranger are held over the summer. The car park here has parking charges. Close by and only a short walk away is the Carvoran Roman Army Museum based on the site of Magnis Roman Fort. There is a car park at the museum, which has an entrance fee but is well worth visiting. The museum is open all year except Dec and Jan.

Aesica Roman Fort was built to guard Caw Gap, just over a mile away to the east. In its lifetime the fort was guarded by auxiliary soldiers from modernday Belgium and Switzerland. The fort was excavated in 1897 and one noticeable feature was the construction of bathhouses fed by aqueducts running for six miles to the north of the wall.

WALK

4

Blanchland & Pennypie

START Blanchland car park (£1 honesty box), GR NY964504

NEAREST POSTCODE DH8 9SS

DISTANCE 3½ miles (5.6km)

SUMMARY Easy

MAP OS Explorer OL43 Hadrian’s Wall and OS Explorer 307 Consett & Derwent Reservoir

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The White Monk Tearoom, T01434-675044 (open daily 10.30am–5pm); Lord Crewe Arms, www.lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk

From Blanchland the path goes along the River Derwent, on the edge of Northumberland and Durham, before heading north along a track across moorland and then returning down an old drovers’ road.

START From the car park walk out onto the minor road and turn right. Walk through Blanchland as far as the bridge and take the public footpath indicated through the gap in the wall on the right-hand side. This path will lead you down to the River Derwent and continues alongside the river until it comes out on the road at Baybridge.

1 Turn right and walk to the crossroads, then straight ahead along the narrow road. The road continues until it curves to the left alongside a wood, where you go through a gate and along a track. Keep on the track with the wall to your right until you cross a bridge at a T-junction. Turn right through a gate with a public footpath sign indicating Blanchland; on your left is Pennypie House. You are now on the Drovers’ Road, which took wagons, sheep and cattle up to Hexham. Continue on this track downhill past Shildon and the old mines, where the track becomes a road. Continue on the road until you come to the car park on your right-hand side.

Points of interest

Pennypie House: So called because it is thought that this was an inn on the drovers’ road that sold pies to passers-by for a penny.

Drovers’ Road: Going north from Blanchland, the track is an old drovers’ road that led across the moors to Hexham. There would also have been traffic along this road from the mines at Shildon.

WALK

5

Druridge Bay & Country Park

START Hadston Scurs car park (accessed from the minor road off the A1068), GR NU278007

DISTANCE 3½ miles (5.6km)

SUMMARY Easy

MAP OS Explorer 325 Morpeth & Blyth

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Depending on the time of year, there is a Visitor Centre in the Country Park

A nice, easy, short walk along the coast and into the Country Park. The route goes around the lake and back along the coast. There are activities for children during the summer months in and around the Visitor Centre.

START From the car park turn left on the track until you reach the concrete walkway leading down to the beach. Walk onto the beach, turn right and follow the coastline of Druridge Bay until you reach the second set of steps on your right. Cross the access road and follow the path into the Country Park.

1 When you reach the edge of the main car park in the park, turn left and, keeping to the grassed area, follow the road until you meet a track that is leading right down towards the lake. Follow the path as it goes to the left around the lake. When you reach the weir you can use the stepping stones to cross the end of the lake or continue on the path as it swings around the edge of the lake to cross a footbridge and pass the stepping stones on the other side.

2 Continue around the lake, crossing a concrete footbridge, and just before the path starts to swing back towards the main car park turn left on a path that is signed to the beach. This path will lead onto the access road, where you turn left and then right through a gate that leads across the field to another gate, where the path goes through the dunes onto the beach. Turn left and walk back along the beach to the car park.

Points of interest

Druridge Bay Country Park: The Visitor Centre has displays and information about the local area, and a café and shop which is open at weekends and during school holidays. The toilets and information area are open daily 9.30am–4.30pm. The café, shop and display rooms are open Apr–Sept 11am–4pm at weekends, on Bank Holidays and during the school summer holidays.

WALK

6

Holystone & Lady’s Well

START Holystone Forestry car park, GR NT950025

NEAREST POSTCODE NE65 7AJ

DISTANCE 3½ miles (5.6km)

SUMMARY Easy; a pleasant walk over agricultural land

MAP OS Explorer OL16 The Cheviot Hills

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The Cross Keys Inn, Thropton, T01669-620362;The Three Wheat Heads Inn, Thropton, www.threewheatheads.co.uk; there are also more pubs and cafés in Rothbury

Starting from the village of Holystone, the route passes Lady’s Well and heads north, crossing the River Coquet at Sharperton. With little effort it gains the high ground above the river before turning back along the wide valley bottom to return to Holystone via a footbridge.

START Walk down the road back towards Holystone village, looking out for a public footpath sign on your left that indicates the way to Holystone across the field. Walk across the field, keeping the house to your right. As you get past the house there is a track leading left towards a group of trees that surrounds Lady’s Well. Turn left here and walk to Lady’s Well; having visited the well, turn left as you come out of the gate and follow the track round the side of the well to cross a ladder stile with a public footpath marker.

1 Continue across the field with the fence line initially to your left, crossing a number of stiles, until you come to a farm track where you turn right, heading towards the buildings at Wood Hall. Turn right on the road and follow it as it bears left across the road bridge and then bends right past the village of Sharperton. Continue on this road until it bears sharp left and go right through a gate with a public footpath sign indicating High Farnham (1 mile).

2 Follow the path uphill, with the stream below you to your right, and exit through a gate to cross a field, keeping the bankside to your left. As you gain height you can see the edge of a wood in front of you. Down below and to your right you can see the bridge that you will cross on the way back to Holystone.

3 Go over one stile and then a second to enter the wood, walk through the wood and exit over another stile. Ahead is another wood and in the left-hand comer hiding behind a large tree is another stile to cross. Once across the stile turn right and walk along the field line to the road. Turn right on the road and walk along it a short way until it turns sharp left. On the left there is a public bridleway sign indicating Holystone (1 mile) that is pointing to the right.

4 Turn right through the gate to follow a track down through a wood, crossing a small stream and then exiting the wood through another gate. Follow the track down diagonally left to pass through a metal gate, picking up the marker post that leads you to the footbridge over the River Coquet. Once over the bridge go across the field to exit onto the road, where you turn left. Turn right into Holystone village and follow the road around to the right to pick up the original path that will lead you across the field and over the stile onto the road, where you turn right back to the car park.

Points of interest

Lady’s Well: This is an attractive well, although its shape is a rectangular stone water tank. It has almost certainly changed since St Ninian supposedly came here at Easter 627 to baptise 3,000 people. The statue of St Ninian came here from Alnwick in 1780. It was originally in the well but was replaced with the cross in the nineteenth century.

WALK

7

Kilham Hill Trail

START Parking area on side of road (grassy lay-by), GR NT881320

NEAREST POSTCODE TD12 4QS

DISTANCE 3½ miles (5.6km)

SUMMARY Moderate

MAP OS Explorer 339 Kelso, Coldstream & Lower Tweed Valley

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Cafe Maelmin, Milfield, www.cafemaelmin.co.uk; there are also various cafés and pubs in Wooler

The first section along the old Alnwick to Cornhill railway line gives way to a short but steep climb to the top of Kilham Hill. The views from the top are extensive in all directions, north and west into Scotland, east across farmland to the North Sea and south across the Cheviot hills.

START From the parking area walk back down the road you have just driven up to the T-junction, cross straight over the road and go through the gate. Cross the field to a metal gate, go through it and turn right onto the old railway line.

1 Walk along the railway line until you reach a fence ahead of you with a stile. Turn right here to follow the path up the hillside through the trees; at the Y-junction keep left and walk through the trees to a ladder stile going over the wall onto the road.

2 Turn left on the road a short distance and go through the first metal gate on your right. Turn diagonally right to walk up the hillside. There is a marker post higher up that you may be able to see to the left of the gorse bushes. Beyond the marker post is a metal gate that you go through. Continue on a visible path as it crests a ridge then descends, before climbing again and swinging right.

3 Go through another metal gate and then left up towards a marker post, where you turn right. As you climb higher there is a marker post to your right, which brings you in line with the cairn at the top of Kilham Hill.

4 From the cairn, follow the path down the hillside, passing some marker posts until you get to a deer fence. Go through the offset metal gate to continue down the hillside through a new plantation, keeping the fence line to your right.

5 At the bottom of the hill go through the metal gate on your right to cross a footbridge over a stream. Climb the bank on the other side, go through the gate at the top and turn right to arrive back at the lay-by.

WALK

8

Steel Rigg & Hotbank

START Steel Rigg car park, GR NY750676

NEAREST POSTCODE NE47 7AW

DISTANCE 3½ miles (5.6km)

SUMMARY Hard

MAP OS Explorer OL43 Hadrian’s Wall

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The Twice Brewed Inn is on the B6318 close to the car park, T01434-344534, www.twicebrewedinn.co.uk

Great views of Hadrian’s Wall on the crags above Crag Lough, returning along the line of the wall.

START From the car park go out onto the minor road, turn right and walk along the road to the first public footpath sign on the right. You can see the track going away to your right as you approach the footpath sign. Cross the stile and follow the footpath through several fields, keeping the line of the fence to your left. There are great views of the crags above Crag Lough and further along you can see Hotbank Crags. Another finger-post points the way across an unmarked field.

1 As you cross a ladder stile exiting the field system, turn immediately right to cross another ladder stile that will take you down a farm track to Hotbank Farm, which you will pass on your right. Exit from the farm area through a gate and turn right to walk past Milecastle 38 and the main farm track leading into Hotbank Farm.