Looking back at Northumberland (2023)

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Pheasant Inn, Stannersburn

I’m sort of up to date with my travel diaries in the sense that I’ve written about our most recent trips, but I only caught up by missing out a huge chunk of 2023/4 in which we visited all four nations of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. I’m a completist – it must be the librarian in me – so I will slowly go back to fill in the gaps.

June 2023 found us in Northumberland staying a few nights in the village of Greenhaugh. Our accommodation was in the very charming Holly Bush Inn, seen below. (The header shows the inn in the next village where we ate one night when the Holly Bush restaurant was closed. Both are highly recommended for their food, and the Holly Bush had a fine array of beers.)

Blacksmith Cottage
Holly Bush Inn
Bar

Greenhaugh and the area around it is very pretty.

Greenhaugh Orchard
Cottage with postbox
Ruined bastle (fortified farmhouse)
Interesting gate post!
Field near Tarset
Greenhaugh Burn
Blue door, Tarset

We visited Kielder Water, a large reservoir created in the 1970s, a couple of times including, in John’s case, once by bike when he circumnavigated the whole lake while I did a shorter walk.

Panorama
John on Tower Knowe Peninsula walk
Tower Knowe Peninsula walk
John on the dam
“Waterstones” 1982
Kielder Water
Kielder Water
Anabel at the Belling
Photo bombed!
John getting ready to cycle
Jetty
Shelter
Tyne Salmon Cubes 2008 – 2 of 4
Robin’s Hut 2009
Elf Kirk viewpoint
Elf Kirk viewpoint

We also did a circular walk at Hadrian’s Wall, starting at The Sill, an impressive visitor centre new to me, and passing both Housesteads and Vindolanda, the most complete Roman forts in the country. The route took us through Sycamore Gap, of which I am very glad because a few months later the iconic tree was felled in an act of wanton vandalism.

The Sill
Peel Crags
On the wall
Milecastle and Crag Lough
John and Anabel at Sycamore Gap
Sycamore Gap
Looking back at Sycamore Gap
Anabel
Curious sheep
Come on, hurry up!
What are you looking at?
Cycleway sign
Vindolanda
Heather thatched Causeway Cottage

We didn’t go straight back to Greenhaugh, but detoured to Haltwhistle. I have written before of how I grew up here to the age of five, and have visited various nostalgic spots (Haltwhistle: the Centre of Britain). However, I couldn’t locate the old school on our last visit, but I subsequently read that it has become a bed and breakfast. Some day I will stay there but it’s always booked up when I look. Anyway, here I am outside the place I started school at the age of 4¾, for one term only, at Easter 1962.

Old School House
Old School House sign
Anabel at Old School House

We were not heading home when we left Greenhaugh but carrying on to visit friends in West Yorkshire. Our journey first of all took us along the Kielder Forest Drive. The highest point (1500ft/457m) is Blakehopenick where we stopped to look at an interesting sculpture, the Nick. It was breezy up there!

The Nick
The Nick
The Nick
The Nick

We made one more stop on our way, but it deserves a post to itself. Coming soon!

England, UK , , ,

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  2. Pingback: This week’s small pleasures #436 – Thistles and Kiwis

  3. Nice day out exploring Northumberland. We went to the Kielder Observatory last year but we haven’t the lake yet.
    I didn’t know about the Nick very interesting.
    Such a shame about the Sycamore tree we were lucky to walk along the wall whilst it was still there.

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  5. I’m catching up on everyone’s posts after being away in Japan for a month. It’s so hard to find time to read posts while travelling. And I’m like you. I like to do things in order and finish one trip before I start the next. My UK trip from last year is almost done, only two posts to go. And then I’m starting on our amazing Antartic adventure. So Japan will have to wait until later in the year.

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      • We consider ourselves lucky to be able to travel as much as we are now. My parents, who are now in their late 80s, have reluctantly come to the conclusion that their travelling days are over. They have travelled all over Australia and the world all their adult lives and are missing the joy that brings. We are keen to follow in their footsteps as long as we are able.

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        • We were surprised to meet an Australian couple in the Channel Islands which we didn’t think would have been on their radar at all! It was part of a wider trip and they seemed to be seasoned European travellers. They were a bit older than us, mid 70s maybe, and were saying they didn’t know how many more such trips they had in them but wanted, like your parents, to keep going as long as possible.

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  6. You got a selfie in before the big chop. Weird what people will do for attention. Hopefully the part of the tree that’s left will keep growing. Walking the whole distance of the wall would be an experience. Another lovely time away for you and John.

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  7. Ah, my favourite English county! I’m so glad you got to see the Sycamore Gap tree before it was felled – such a dreadful bit of vandalism 😦 Your accommodation sounds lovely and I enjoyed seeing your images of the Wall country and Kielder Water in particular. Oh, and that Nick sculpture does a great job of framing the countryside!

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  9. Northumberland looks beautiful. I went to university in Durham and the one thing I regret is not having spent more time exploring the surrounding area and only visiting Northumberland once in the three years I was there. Glad you got to see the Sycamore tree before it was felled, it was so sad and such a senseless act.

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  20. How wonderful to see Sycamore gap once again. 🙂
    We do occasionally visit Haltwhistle, it’s a lovely little town and there’s a cute little bar/coffee bar in the square , and now I’ve forgotten it’s name. I am sure we will get there again this year.
    Kelder Water looks nice. Never been, I hear it can be very midgy!

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  22. Never been to Kielder though I know there are some bothies in that area/ forest park. I have visited Hadrian’s wall and Housesteads as we were rock climbing on the cliffs immediately below it. It’s a great area, scenic beaches, fairly wild, unspoilt, and empty for England considering Newcastle and Carlisle is not far away. An hours drive or under. A lot quieter in summer than the 500 and Skye in recent years I’d imagine. Bob. BSS.

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  23. A fine photo of the Sycamore Gate especially with the fate that happened to it later. I still can’t understand the wanton behaviour of some people! Lovely photos of your visit to Hadrian’s Wall and the Nick…makes me want to visit again! Thanks.

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  24. The Nick is interesting, looking as was that gate topper. The views, though, are what draw me in. I loved standing at the top of the wall near Vindolanda and just thinking about who and what the land has seen. Bernie

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  27. Great pics here. The old home looks so inviting and I hope you get to stay there. I like that neat sculpture and I’m not one for modern. I also like that neat sign that reminds me of a totem pole.

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  28. How lovely to capture The Sycamore. Your trip covered a lot of the places I hiked round as a teenager on those carefree youth hostelling days, only a short distance from home. I remember excitedly poring over OS maps. I think I must have been around 14 when I set off with friends. Could that happen now?

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