WALKING in NORTHUMBERLAND About the Author Vivienne Is an Award-Winning Freelance Writer and Photographer Specialis- Ing in Travel and the Outdoors
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WALKING IN NORTHUMBERLAND About the Author Vivienne is an award-winning freelance writer and photographer specialis- ing in travel and the outdoors. A journalist since 1990, she abandoned the WALKING IN constraints of a desk job on regional newspapers in 2001 to go travelling. On her return to the UK, she decided to focus on the activities she loves the NORTHUMBERLAND most – hill walking, writing, travelling and photography. Needless to say, she’s never looked back! Vivienne Crow Based in north Cumbria, she has put her intimate knowledge of north- ern England to good use over the years, writing more than a dozen popu- lar walking guidebooks. She also contributes to a number of regional and national magazines, including several regular walking columns, and does copywriting for conservation and tourism bodies. Vivienne is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild. Other Cicerone guides by the author Walking in Cumbria’s Eden Valley Lake District: High Level and Fell Walks Lake District: Low Level and Lake Walks JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS, OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL www.cicerone.co.uk © Vivienne Crow 2018 First edition 2018 CONTENTS ISBN: 978 1 85284 900 9 Replaces the previous Cicerone guide to Northumberland by Alan Hall Map key ...................................................... 7 ISBN: 978 1 85284 428 8 Overview map ................................................. 9 Second edition 2004 First edition 1998 INTRODUCTION ............................................. 11 Weather ..................................................... 12 Printed in China on behalf of Latitude Press Geology ..................................................... 13 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Wildlife and habitats ........................................... 14 All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated. History ...................................................... 17 Where to stay ................................................. 21 Public transport ............................................... 22 Maps ....................................................... 23 © Crown copyright 2018 OS PU100012932 Waymarking and access ......................................... 23 Dogs ........................................................ 24 Clothing, equipment and safety ................................... 25 Using this guide ............................................... 26 NORTHEAST NORTHUMBERLAND, INCLUDING THE COAST .......... 27 Updates to this Guide Walk 1 Craster and Howick Hall ................................ 28 Walk 2 Dunstanburgh Castle and Low Newton ..................... 32 While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guide- Walk 3 Seahouses to Belford ................................... 36 books as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edi- Walk 4 Lindisfarne .......................................... 42 tion. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone Walk 5 Berwick-upon-Tweed to Eyemouth ........................ 47 website (www.cicerone.co.uk/900/updates), so please check before plan- Walk 6 Norham Castle and River Tweed .......................... 54 ning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such Walk 7 St Cuthbert’s Cave and the Kyloe Hills ...................... 59 things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way Walk 8 Doddington Moor ..................................... 64 can be altered over time. Walk 9 Bewick Moor ........................................ 68 We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to updates@cicerone. NATIONAL PARK (NORTH) INCLUDING THE CHEVIOT HILLS .......... 75 co.uk or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Walk 10 Yeavering Bell from Wooler .............................. 76 Road, Kendal LA9 7RL, United Kingdom. Walk 11 Great Hetha, the border and Ring Chesters .................. 82 Register your book: to sign up to receive free updates, special offers Walk 12 The Cheviot .......................................... 87 and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk. Walk 13 Ancient Ingram ....................................... 92 Walk 14 Breamish Valley and Salter’s Road ......................... 96 Walk 15 Harbottle ........................................... 101 Walk 16 Wether Cairn ........................................ 104 Front cover: Dunstanburgh Castle (Walk 2) Walk 17 Clennell Street and Usway Burn ......................... 109 MAP KEY Walk 18 Border Ridge including Windy Gyle ...................... 114 Walk 19 Thrunton Wood ...................................... 119 Route symbols on OS map extracts Walk 20 Rothbury Terraces .................................... 123 (for OS legend see printed OS maps) Walk 21 The Simonside Hills .................................. 128 start point finish point start/finish point KIELDER .................................................... 133 route route direction Walk 22 Tarsetdale Bastles .................................... 134 Walk 23 Bull Crag Peninsula ................................... 139 Features on the overview map Walk 24 Cat Cairn, Lewis Burn and Lakeside Way (south) ............. 142 Walk 25 Kielder Forest and Lakeside Way (north) ................... 147 County/Unitary boundary Area of Outstanding Natural Walk 26 Deadwater Fell and Peel Fell ............................ 152 National boundary Beauty/National Scenic Area eg Northumberland Coast Urban area TYNE VALLEY AND NATIONAL PARK (SOUTH) 800m National Park 600m INCLUDING HADRIAN’S WALL ................................. 157 eg NORTHUMBERLAND 400m Walk 27 Heavenfield and Wall ................................. 158 200m Forest Park/National Forest Walk 28 Hadrian's Wall and Greenlee Lough ...................... 162 75m eg National Forest Walk 29 Vindolanda and Crag Lough ............................ 167 0m Walk 30 Best of Hadrian’s Wall ................................. 171 Walk 31 Haltwhistle and the South Tyne .......................... 176 Walk 32 Hadrian's Wall Path and Thirlwall Castle ................... 182 NORTH PENNINES ........................................... 187 Acknowledgements Walk 33 Allenmill Flues ...................................... 188 The author wishes to thank the following for their help with this guide- Walk 34 Above Allenheads .................................... 194 book: Andy Chymera, Senior Public Transport Project Officer at Walk 35 Blanchland Moor .................................... 199 Northumberland County Council; Alex Bell, Definitive Map Officer at Walk 36 Birkside Fell and Beldon Burn ........................... 204 Northumberland County Council; Northumberland walking guide and co-owner of Footsteps, Patrick Norris; Alex MacLennan and Richard Appendix A Route summary table .............................. 209 Gilchrist, of the Forestry Commission; history enthusiast and keen walker Appendix B Useful contacts ................................... 213 Raymond Greenhow; Martin O’Loughlin, of Natural England; and the Northumberland Estates. A particularly big thank you to Heleyne and Jess for accompanying me on most of these walks, and for being patient models whenever the camera appeared. 7 WALKING IN NORTHUMBERLAND A1 OVERVIEW MAP Duns 5 Berwick-upon-Tweed A697 Greenlaw R Tweed 6 Holy Island A1 4 Lindisfarne Coldstream 7 Northumberland MelroseMelrose Kelso Coast 8 3 A6091 Belford 11 10 Seahouses A68 Wooler 2 A697 9 1 Jedburgh 12 RR TeviotTeviot 13 14 Alnwick 18 17 16 19 A1 15 20 Amble A68 NORTHUMBERLAND Rothbury 21 A1068 26 25 24 Otterburn Newbiggin-by-the-Sea R N 22 23 orth Morpeth Ty Kielder ne A696 Ashington Water Bellingham Bedlington A68 A189 Blyth A1 Cramlington Newcastle 28 A19Tynemouth 27 upon Tyne 30 29 32 Haltwhistle Corbridge Brampton A69 Gateshead R 31 A69 R Tyne South S Hexham Shields o o u Allendale Town A1 t Sunderland h 33 Washington T 35 y Consett n e 36 Chester- BlanchlandA68 A le-Street A690 Alston A Seaham R Eden 34 692 691 CUMBRIA Wearhead Tow Law Durham Peterlee 0 R Wear 20 A167 N km Crook Looking across to Bamburgh Castle from Lindisfarne (Walk 4) Langwathby 0 10 miles A19 THE PENNINESBishop Auckland A68 A689 8 9 WALKING IN NORTHUMBERLAND INTRODUCTION Northumberland – a land of open spaces and big skies There’s something very special about and the upland birds that are some- walking in Northumberland. It’s got times the walkers’ sole companions to a lot to do with all the history in the the ancient woods and vast expanses landscape – from cliff-top castles and of heather moorland that burst into world-class Roman remains to long- vibrant purple bloom every summer. abandoned prehistoric settlements hid- Stretching from Berwick-upon- den in the hills. It’s also got something Tweed in the northeast to Haltwhistle to do with those big northern skies, in the southwest – two places that, largely free of pollution, unfettered by even as the crow flies, are about man-made constructions and open- 95km apart – Northumberland cov- ing up views that stretch on for miles ers more than 5000km2. It’s not quite and miles and miles… It’s undoubt- the biggest county in England, but as edly got a lot to do with the landscape you wander its hills and valleys and itself: remote hills, seemingly endless beaches it feels like it. There are wide, beaches, wild moors, dramatic geo- open spaces here like no others found logical features and valleys