and Donkleywood Walk Grade: Moderate Distance: 7 miles (12 km) Time: 3 hours Map: OS OL42 1:25000 Water

This publication includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright and/or A Facing the Blackcock Inn, turn left E Follow the waymarkers across database right 2009. Licence number 100022521. and walk uphill and under the old rough pasture, keep an earth bank and railway bridge.Turn right up the hill. then a stock-proof wire fence to your Pass the old Falstone railway station, now right, cross the head of a deep clough holiday accommodation. Continue on up on your left. A clough is a cleft in a hill- the road for about a mile to the top of side or deep river valley. Keeping the the hill. clough of The Deep Sike burn on your left, reach Hill House via a series of B At the row of pines, turn left along bridleway gates. Take care the bank- the track, signposted Border Forest Ride. side is steep in places. D Go through the gate and continue along A C the metalled road, with expansive views F Go in front of Hill House and through a of the North Tyne River valley. On the way-marked gate. Head diagonally down- E right of the road is a hill, following the waymarker on the gate, F National Park native species plantation keeping the Thorney Burn gorge on your B commemorating 40 years of Northumber- left, and a small pond surrounded by trees land National Park (1996). Also look out to the right. G for the currock, or pile of standing stones G K on the skyline to your left. The disused railway line is crossed, H via a field gate and then a small gate to C After passing the remote farmstead reach a tarmac road.At the road turn I of Rye Close, the tarmac surface changes J right, walking past Old Hall Farm. to grass. Continue along the rutted track for 1/2 mile to Slaty Ford. Look H After 400 yards, at a bend in the road, out for red squirrel in the nearby woods. take the footpath to ‘Donkleywood 11/4 miles’. Cross the bridge and go directly D Drop down to Slaty Ford. Here Please use an OS map on this walk up the opposite bank to a stile over a the old road crosses the Thorney Burn. fence. Follow the waymarker diagonally Start OS Grid Ref: NT 724 875 Parking: Falstone Old School Tea Rooms Slaty Ford makes an ideal picnic spot, over the field, and through a field gate in but do not cross the ford.Take the Nearest National Park Centre: Once Brewed Nearest Toilets: Falstone the corner, then through a gate on the marked bridleway to the right, just right and into a small plantation. Bear Local Services: Falstone, Kielder and Bellingham before the gate indicated Hill House left downhill towards the river, keep the Terrain: Suitable for most abilities, with some hills, can be boggy in places keeping the Thorney Burn on your left. fence line on the right follow it to a stile Description: A delightful walk taking in hill views and the tranquillity of the River North Tyne valley by a field gate. www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk Old Railway Bridge

Falstone and Donkleywood Walk Curlew

I Follow the waymarkers across pasture Getting there Local Facilities Falstone remained a rural backwater land, aiming to the left of a clump of trees From Bellingham turn left and follow the Falstone Old School Tea Rooms are housed in until the opening on the brow of the hill, until Camp Cottage tourism signs for and Forest. the old Victorian schoolhouse. Pupils rode of the Border is reached, and where the remains of an Just before Kielder reservoir turn right into into school from the outlying farms and left Counties Railway in 1862 which old Bastle can be seen. Pass in front of Falstone. their ponies in the school stables - now the contributed to the development of local coal Camp Cottage, and with the fence line on kitchen! Northumberland National Park your right go over a new stile into the mines at Lewis Burn and .The Public Transport Authority worked with the local community to new plantation, and keeping the fence to Plashetts Mine closed in the 1930's and the A bus service from via Bellingham renovate the building in 2004, incorporating the right, exit the plantation through a gate. railway line in 1958. runs every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday all many innovative renewable energy features. J The name Falstone is believed to derive Now, with the river North Tyne in year round.The 880 route features two buses Food is available at the Old School Tea Room from 'fallow stone' a dull coloured or sight, turn right and follow the deer proof from Hexham to Kielder Castle and two and The Blackcock Inn at Falstone as well as yellowish stone. fence to go through ancient oak woodland. return services. Each Sunday and on bank The Pheasant Inn at nearby Stannersburn. K Emerging from the woodland, go over holidays the 714 bus service is available from The tiny village of Falstone lies at the foot of the Wildlife the stile, and follow the waymarker the Metro Centre and Newcastle via Otterburn and Bellingham to Kielder. Kielder Dam, the largest man-made reservoir Birds to look out for down by the river indicating the way over rough ground to in Europe. Like many settlements in the North Donkleywood, which is reached via a Contact Traveline for further details. include heron, dipper and wagtail. On the Tyne valley, Falstone may have developed from a moorland you may see curlew and skylark, remarkably constructed, and well preserved shieling. Many farmers lived in Bastles, or fortified BERWICK and buzzard circling overhead. stone bridge over the old railway line. farm houses, as defence against fellow Border On reaching Donkleywood, turn left and A1 Reivers.The Border Reivers were lawless local Red squirrel live in both native broadleaved follow the road uphill to the pines, then woods and the planted conifer blocks. Northumberland NORTHUMBERLAND families who robbed each other and their drop back down the hill along the road National Park Look out for nibbled fir cones, a sign of NP National Park Centre Wooler peaceful neighbours during the 16th and 17th to Falstone, and welcome refreshments. Hadrian’s Wall A697 their presence. A1 centuries. Ingram NP ALNWICK Ingram Powburn Alwinton A68 Rothbury Rothbury NP Thropton B6341Elsdon KIELDER WATER Kielder & FOREST Otterburn Falstone A696 MORPETH Bellingham A68 A1

A696

NP Once Brewed A69 NEWCASTLE Haltwhistle HEXHAM This publication includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey The road to Donkleywood © Crown Copyright and/or database right 2009. Licence number 100022521. Falstone Red Squirrel and nibbled fir cones www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk