Walking in Northumberland
Northumberland
is a paradise for those walkers who seek unspoilt and untamed landsacape,
space, solitude and that exhilarating sense of freedom that dramatic
hill country can provide. Northumberland National Park and the Cheviot
Hills provide spectacular scenery with vast straw coloured areas of
open wilderness moorland and opportunities to see great wildlife including
redshank and golden plover. Stretching from the north of the county
down the western side to the South Tyne valley the Park offers a range
of scenic facets and walking possibilities. Of particular interest are
the Breamish Valley, the beautiful Coquetdale and the Simonside Hills
south of Rothbury which offer splendid views over much of Northumberland.
On the west side of the National Park Kielder Forest Park offers quiet
dark pine woods and the blue expanse of Kielder Water.
Crossing
the county from the western border just south of the National Park to
Newcastle Upon Tyne in the east is Hadrian's Wall, northernmost frontier
of the Roman Empire. Here the more gently undulating landscape retains
the impression of space and walking the wall with nothing but the sound
of the wind and the cries of the Curlew is an enjoyable experience.
It's a facinating one too, exploring the Roman forts and milecastles
and marvelling at the scale of this civil engineering project and picturing
the lives of the legionaires who were stationed along it.
South
of Hadrian's Wall the land rises once more into the North Pennines Area
of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is an area not to be missed, once
again with remote moorland, but tempered with contrasting attractive
villages such as Allendale and Blanchland near the Derwent Reservoir.
This stunning area continues southwards into County Durham and the upper
Tees.
Much
of Northumberland's coast from Berwick-upon-Tweed south to Alnmouth
is an Area of outstanding Natural Beauty and a walk along part of this
coast is yet another 'A' list project. The cliffs and beaches are superb
and have the added advantage of being relatively free of people. The
bracing climate and particularly the very common sea mist make the beaches
unattractive to sun worshippers and so there has been little demand
to develop the coast. This in turn, has ensured that wildlife has remained
and walkers will be impressed with the variety of sea birds including
terns, comorants, fulmars, kittywakes and many others. There are also
two of Northumberland's many castles stunningly sited on the coast,
Bamburgh and the ruined Dunstanburgh (NT), near Craster.
Blanchland - Blanchland is a delightful
stone built model village on the banks of the River Derwent clustered
around the church and nestled within woodland and moors. The name is
derived from the white robes of the monks of the Premonstratensian Abbey,
which was founded here in 1175 and dissolved in 1539. The village layout
is based on a monastic plan and the church comprises the former chancel,
crossing and north transept of the abbey church.
OS Maps: Explorer 307
A Walk from Blanchland [NY 965505]
Most of this walk is over pastureland with attractive views along the Derwent valley. The final section is along the riverbank and a gentle bridleway stroll. The route takes in Baybridge, Allenshields, Rope Barn and Low Haugh. About 3.5 miles.
Best Pub for this walk
Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland Tel: 01434 675251 (Good Pub Guide)
The tremendous age of this fine old hotel is evident everywhere. It was once the lodge of the Abbot of Blanchland and the abbey guesthouse. The attractive garden was the cloisters. The bar is a stone barrel-vaulted former storeroom. The lounge, with its huge fireplace was a room used by the monks for curing and storing bacon. There is an excellent range of bar meals available from filled rolls, ploughman's and soup to Cumberland sausage with black pudding, smoked salmon, prawn and tuna salad and pasta with Parma ham.
This walk is fully described in the guidebook 'Pocket Pub Walks in Northumberland' by Stuart Miller
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