Bill's Walks

St Oswald’s Way, A Bastle and a Walk in the Wannies

Filed under: Other

Distance: 14 miles
Map: Explorer OL42 Kielder Water and Forest
Start: Great Bavington GR NY 984803
Click to View Start Position on Google Maps

This walk is a good one to embark upon if there has been a prolonged spell of wet weather and you are longing to have your feet upon firm ground as much of it is on firm tracks and paths with some road walking on very minor roads where you are unlikely to encounter any traffic whatsoever. Whilst it includes a section of the St Oswald’s Way, in line with my policy of not putting any walks on the site which are long distance walks as there are guide books available, this walk is a circular route and indeed also includes a short section of the Reiver’s Way where again there is a Guide Book. What both walks have in common is that they both traverse fine sections of the beautiful and generally quiet Northumbrian countryside.

This walk starts in the hamlet of Great Bavington which is a few miles west of Kirkwhelpington just off the A696. This is an interesting spot and before you leave have a look at the church. This is signposted and is directly behind the houses. This is one of the oldest non conformist churches in the country. It came about when the vicar of Kirkharle was ejected from the church because he could not agree with the Act of Uniformity. He set up a church at nearby Ladywell and in the 1690s moved to Great Bavington and this is probably the reason that there is a footpath linking Ladywell to Great Bavington. It is now the oldest Presbyterian church in Northumberland and second oldest in England. Note the road here which is on solid rock. The second house you pass on the left on the way to the church served as a youth hostel in the early 1950s but the information board in the hamlet records that it was closed due to the unseemly behaviour of the visitors!

The walk starts by taking the track which leaves the road to Bellingham just to the north of the houses and heads virtually due north passing a small old quarry and crossing a minor stream to a point west of West Harle at a corner of a wall. The route has the St Oswald’s Way crossing a wall where there is no stile and the wall is now damaged whereas the track we have been following also heads east on a firm track and both routes merge shortly afterwards before the farm. Strange! Continue through a gate into the farm and pass the farmhouse to the left to arrive at the farm access road. West Harle has some age and was partly fortified, I believe, due to the continuous troubles in the border region. Continue heading north to a right-angle bend to the right. The route stays on the road for a further half mile to a gate at Sheepwash where it then heads north-west on a clear waymarked track. At the first bend after West Harle there is a footpath heading north-east which looks like a short cut but passes over what can be a wet section. The two routes cross before the access road to Three Farms and it is easier here to cut off the corner to a right-angle bend in the road next to a spring.

Here the St Oswald’s Way follows the road down to the A696 but it is better to follow the footpath already mentioned heading north-east to the north-east corner of the field and over a stile. Here continue in the same direction to reach the A696 via a stile. There is a waymark in the middle of this field to keep you right but there is very little difficulty here. Cross the A696 to enter Kirkwhelpington, the road crossing a bridge over the infant River Wansbeck. This is a peaceful village which has limited traffic and a church (St Bartholomews) dating back to the 13th Century. Walk through the village and before getting back to the main road take what is an old tree lined track north running parallel to the A696. This joins the road at a kissing gate and leaves it immediately via another kissing gate to climb uphill to West Whitehill. Pass to the right of the house and follow the access road north to the road where you turn left. At the site of the old Knowesgate railway station (where there are a few houses) we leave the St Oswald’s Way which heads off towards Rothbury and continue to Knowesgate where the A696 is crossed.

The much loved Wannie Line which was part of the North British Group went from Morpeth to Redesmouth where it joined the line from Hexham to Hawick. There are DVDs of this route and its history available. Briefly it was opened in 1862 by the Wansbeck Railway Company and partly sponsored by Earl Grey, Lord Trevelyan and the Ridley family before being absorbed by the North British Company which was amalgamated with the LNER in the grouping of 1923. The last passengers were carried in 1952 and freight ceased in 1966. The roads in the region were not tarred until the 1920s and for a period of nearly sixty years it served as a vital link in the area transporting lime and iron ore for Lord Armstrong’s works at Elswick, and various quarry products from quarries near the route.

Heading west we pass Herpath House noting traces of the line to the north, descend to cross the Ray Burn and start climbing past Gooses Nest. There are two routes here heading north. The first over a stile contours west for a short distance before crossing the Ray Burn via a bridge and climbs up to join the access road to Ray Mill. However it is easier to stay on the road for a short distance and use the access road to get to Ray Mill which is also a right of way. Go downhill behind Ray Mill on a path to join an old track and cross the Ray Burn by a concrete bridge. Once crossed follow the old track uphill to a stile which is crossed and head over pasture to Blackhalls which is a large collection of farm buildings. Here you are on tarmac and the road is followed round over the railway track to Ray Cottages and Demense.

This area has been inhabited from ancient times and you will note the ancient crumbling bastle on your right. Here were also medieval fish ponds which were used to supply the nearby population with fish. There are many settlements here going back to Romano-British times and aerial photos highlight these. Once you are aware of these you can detect them on passing by especially if you note their locations on your map. The major one is West Whelpington which is just south of Herpath House passed earlier on the road. This was partly destroyed due to quarrying activity in the earlier part of the 20th century. Also at Ray Cottages coal was mined in the 19th century although traces of this are sparse.

Pass behind the last house (the Demense) and through a wood to enter open country through a gate. For the next mile and a half you are walking on a superb turf track. Examination reveals that this was formerly a paved route which has became overlaid and this area over heather moorland is very fine with distant views all round. The path ascends to 293 metres at Ray Fell and Gowk Fell where it then enters forestry commission land still on a good track. After a few hundred metres you arrive at a cross roads of paths and here you are the route of the Reivers Way. Looking north you will see the farm of Wishaw and there are good views down to the valley of the Rede. Turn left and head south on the Reivers Way passing a quarry on you left. This is marked up as disused on my map but has seen some recent activity. A short distance after this look for a waymark on you left down a ride where a faint path is followed south-east to exit the forest at a stile.

The faint path continues south-east towards two hillocks. Aim for the one on the right as it is the site of a homestead where there are pronounced remains. Continue ahead towards the Wannie Line (here in a good condition) and go under a bridge to cross a small burn which is the Ray Burn crossed earlier in the walk. It is a great pity that the Northumberland County Councillors showed little imagination in earlier times in not converting some of these old railways into bridleways as exemplified by other Local Authorities such as nearby Durham and also Derbyshire councils. These are now great community assets. Think what a route from Morpeth to Kielder would have brought not only to the locals and the local economy but also to the area as a whole. You reach the Woodburn road at GR 952841 and here you have a choice – either turn left towards Ferneyrigg and then take the road on the right which leads to Sweethope Lough to GR 954834 at a road junction to Hawick Farm or alternatively cross the road and head due south across moorland on open access to GR 954834. It is interesting to see that the footpath we have been following up to the Woodburn road disappears here but reappears at the Hawick Farm road junction and begs the question “why does it have a break in the middle?”

Head south on the bridleway to Hawick Farm passing Hawick Woods and then on a new section of track continuing south to GR 951820 where there is a crossing of paths. The one on the west leads past Sweethope Lough which offers fine brown and rainbow trout fishing. Here we leave the Reivers Way and head east passing a new windmill to Sweethope Farm. Go through the farm yard, noting the water pump in the garden, and then go on the access road through open country with Sweethope Crags prominent on your right towards Plashetts Farm, where you might see their peacocks. Before that, you pass another homestead and earthworks where the road you are walking on seems to bisect the settlement. Turn left at Plashetts for a short distance and then right on the minor road back to Great Bavington. with Bavington Crags on your right and further earthworks on your left before arriving back at Bavington.