Leisurely 11 miles / 17.7 km
This walk combines stretches of the Pennine Way and
the South Tyne Trail to provide a highly scenic walk in quiet countryside, starting with a most attractive section along the river bank.
This is an unreccied walk, the description is taken from a Ramblers Route.
Situated in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the 23-mile South Tyne
Trail follows the River South Tyne from its source via Alston to Haltwhistle. Between these two towns, the route follows the disused railway line (closed in 1976), offering a good all-yearround walking trail. During the
18th and 19th centuries, the North Pennines were extensively worked for lead, coal and limestone.
Steam trains transported these materials from the Alston Moor mining field north to Haltwhistle, and from there they were sent east or west along the Newcastle-to-Carlisle railway. Lambley Viaduct, a most impressive feat of
engineering, was restored in the mid-1990s.
Start: South Tyne Trail car park, NY682607, (Arriving at Rowfoot, a side road runs past the Wallace
Arms Inn to the former railway station and the parking)
Meet time: 9.15am
Start time: 9.30am
Description:
[1] START Turn L out of the car park (NY682607) along the road down to the river, passing the entrance to Featherstone Castle (of which you’ll have good views before long from the river bank). The oldest part of the castle dates back to the 14th century. Turn L when you reach the river and follow the path along the east bank of the river, passing the visible remains of a former prisoner of war camp. Between 1945 and 1948, thousands of German officers were held here. Cross the road and continue along the river bank for 500m then bear away L (there’s no obvious path here) to the far L corner of the field, where you’ll find a house among the trees. Pass this on your R and head back across the next field towards the river. There’s no obvious path, again, but in the far corner you’ll find a stile and gate, where the path becomes easier to follow and leads to a footbridge over the river.
[2] Cross the footbridge with a good view of the impressive Lambley Viaduct. Go up the steps the other side to a four-way junction and follow the sign for Lambley, keeping R at the fork. Cross the village road and follow the footpath, which goes under a road bridge and across fields to the A689. Cross and follow the footpath signed to Burnstones. The Pennine Way soon joins from the R. The path leads over Lambley Common, providing expansive views in the company of moorland birds like curlew, lapwing and golden plover. As you begin to descend towards the wooded valley of Glendue Burn, you need to cross the stile over the wall on your R and carry on down the other side. At the bottom, you cross the fence back to the other side and then go over a footbridge.
[3] Continuing along the Pennine Way you’ll come across some paved parts of a former Roman road. The path becomes rather vague at an overgrown, boggy area, so best to keep above it until you meet a stony track down which you turn L. Soon, leave the track on your L and descend a field to the bottom corner, where you join the road at Burnstones. Go under the viaduct and turn off R along the Pennine Way signed to Slaggyford. At the next lane, leave the Pennine Way and go through a gate on the L down a short stretch of path to the old railway line/South Tyne Trail.
[4] Turn L and follow the Trail back to the start. There is no direct access past Station House onto Lambley Viaduct. You have to follow a path down to the R, which goes underneath the viaduct and back up the other side. At the four-way junction (passed earlier) follow the direction for Haltwhistle via Lambley Viaduct, from the top of which there are splendid views.
Distance: 11 miles
Estimated time: 5 hours
Grade: Leisurely
Please text Mel on number removed by 6pm on the Friday if you are coming on this walk.
The walk leader reserves the right to cancel the walk or modify the route dependent on conditions.