|
|
 |
|
Walking
in Rothbury
and
the
Surrounding Area
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Northumberland is a paradise for walkers of
all ages and abilities. Whether you just fancy an easy and pleasant
stroll along the river bank, or a hard eight hour slog along the
border ridge, this area has everything you need!
Three things make the area stand out - firstly, how amazingly
unspoilt (and almost uninhabited!) the countryside can
be. In any other popular walking area, you’ll
find so many other people “trying to get away from it all ”
that it’s almost like walking down your local High Street.
Not here! In Northumberland, you can often walk for miles without
seeing another human being.
|
Secondly, there are the views - this is, in Trevelyan’s
words, “the land of the far horizons” - every step seems
to reveal another amazing vista, each more beautiful than the
one before!
Thirdly, this is such safe walking country. Even in winter,
there are numerous exciting and invigorating routes where, should
the weather suddenly close in, there is always a safe path down to
lower levels - not that this happens very often in Rothbury and
Coquetdale, where the presence of the Cheviot Hills to
the North and the Lake District’s hills to the South-West has
created a micro-climate where rainfall is low by UK standards and
snow is a rare occurrence! |
|
|
|
With so much beautiful countryside and so many splendid
walks from which to choose, it’s hard to mention more than a
few. From Rothbury itself, the fine scarp of the Simonside
Hills to the south is the great magnet for ramblers and is best
approached by a long gradual climb from the village centre. However,
for those with less time (or energy!) a 3-mile drive to the car park
only a couple of hundred feet from the ridge allows you to attain
the summit with just a short scramble. Meanwhile, to the north of
the village, lie the Blaeberry Hills - not so high as the Simonsides
but with stunning views and miles of meandering paths to explore! |
Enjoyable and well-signposted forest walks
are in abundance - notably, in Thrunton Woods, Hepburn Woods
and the Kielder Forest. Many visitors also enjoy exploring
our coastal paths - the walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh
Castle is especially worthwhile and is easily reached via a pleasant
drive through lovely countryside.
And, of course, we have the Cheviot Hills themselves, rising
to well over 2,600 feet. A short drive up the Coquet or Breamish
Valleys brings you to high ,wild, grassy slopes which are more
than enough to make any rambler’s mouth water with anticipation.
Dozens of walks take you right up to the Border Ridge, with
stunning views of Scotland, whilst others lead you to well-preserved
hill-forts or to rocks still bearing the ancient cup and ring markings
left by our long-dead ancestors (Lordenshaws, near Rothbury, and Old
Bewick are particularly fine examples.) If you find that our hill-forts
are to your liking, the Breamish and College Valleys
have a number of excellent walks, taking in a number of well-preserved
forts. |
|
|
| |
 |
| To the south-west of Rothbury and Coquetdale lies Hadrian’s
Wall, where the visitor can actually walk on the line of the
Roman Wall itself - at Housesteads Fort, for example, or
from Steel Rigg Car Park! Both are less than an hour’s drive
from our area - as are many other Roman sites of interest, such as
the forts at Corbridge, Chesters, Vindolanda and Birdoswald. |
|
