Humbleton Hill Fort and beyond then Return
Near Wooler
Northumberland
Distance 17km Climb 510m
Saturday 1 November 2014
Following our walk on Thursday, today was the day we were taking our 11 friends on the same route. As Thursday I still had not had an opportunity to change my camera, unfortunately the camera I had with me has a small scratch on the lens, the scratch sometimes, depending on the light blurs things or comes out as a ghostly light on the photo.
We left the van at the carpark south west of Wooler and followed the path along St Cuthbert's Way. This took us over a footbridge heading north through a small wood with short sharp climb. The Way then turned west.
After approx 300m St Cuthbert's Way continued west, we took the path north on the east side of Humbleton Hill. This took us down hill and was slippery in places. After another 600m we turned west through a gate and started walking up Humbleton Hill.
The weather was as good as it was on Thursday, from Humbleton Hill Fort 298m we still had a clear view of all the surrounding area. My colleague used the leaflets I had obtained from the tourist information to share the information on the hill fort.
We started down following what would have been the outer wall to the path that headed south west. There was a slippery part still here, I told my friends to watch their footing. Over a style where we followed the ground down then a short climb back up to the St Cuthbert's Way.
We headed up to the junction with the St Cuthbert's Way, as identified the previous walk we turned and walked up the few hundred meters up Gains Hill spot height, following the shooting buts up the hill. I noticed today unlike Thursday there were no grouse around, I was sure, Thursday they were only over this side of the area as the shooters were over there.
From Gains Law 319m we walked west to re-join the St Cuthbert's Way, which took us south west around a small re-entrant. We moved through a couple of gates following a wall before turning north west across country, still following the Way.
This took us through a gate by the south west edge of a small dog leg wood. From the top of the wood we continued with a gentle climb north west by a fence until we were south west of Tom Tallon's Crag. This is where we left the St Cuthbert's Way and took a farmers track west to join a footpath running north to south. Once on this footpath we headed south, passed Wackerage Cairn and height 334m.
We joined the road just below Commonburn House. Turning right, south west we walked up the hill to Commonburn House. Today we walked in front of the farm and through a style that took us south down towards the footbridge, that crossed Common Burn.
Once we crossed the bridge we followed the track on the eastern side of a small wood, at the top we stopped and had our packed lunch.
After lunch we headed south along the footpath to Broadstruther. The path undulated in places until it dropped to the Broadstruther Burn. We crossed the footbridge and followed the road to the rise then took the footpath across to Broadstruther.
From Broadstruther we took the bridle path north, that turned east down to another footbridge back over the Broadstruthers Burn. Followed by a gentle climb to a gate into the edge of a sparsely covered wood.
The path followed the Burn down further into the wood. It passed close to the Burn, following the Burn the path continued north east up a steep rise out of the wood. At a gate after a few minutes rest we moved onto a wide path.
The path continued north east and as we crossed a rise we could see the Humbleton Hill fort, where we walked earlier in the day.
The path took us across Wooler Common before dropping down to the road. As we approached the road we could see the van in the car park.
It had been really good walking with very good friends an excellent day out, loved it. It was approx 17km with 510m climb.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
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