There's a book called Northumberland 40 Coast and Country Walks and it's been the saviour of my mental health since the pandemic started. Last year just as restrictions were tailing off, my lovely friend Li and I started going on a weekly walk together, first, we went to Northumberlandia and then as we were talking and looking for ideas for other walks I realised I had bought the Coast and Country book years ago with the intention of doing all of the walks and blogging about it. Life, of course had gotten in the way and I never started but now it was the perfect time and so we began.
The walks in the book are all between 2-10km and have varying degrees of difficulty, however, none are for professional level hikers and so Li and I thought we would be okay. Now I must admit that I intended to blog about this from the start but I'd lost my motivation to write in the middle of the pandemic so bear with me as I do a bit of a catch up to where we are up to today. We're not doing the book in any particular order, we both just take turns to pick a walk from week to week.
Walk 1 - Hareshaw Linn
Our first walk from the book wasn't actually planned from the book, it just so happens that it is actually in there but we walked to Hareshaw Linn, a beautiful waterfall in the village of Bellingham, a 5km walk through beautiful woodland, it's 10km there and back, dog-friendly but not buggy friendly and over all kinds of lumpy and bumpy terrains but well worth a trip, the book tells me that it was a big hit with the Victorians.
Walk 2 - Brizlee Tower, Alnwick
Walk 3 - Black Middens and the Reivers Trail
Walk 4 Lindisfarne, the Holy Island
Walk 5, The Bamburgh Circular
Walk 7 - Morpeth Loops
The winter came and we ended up back in lockdown and I didn't see Li again until the restrictions started to lift, we've started walking again and done another 2 walks from the book and if you want to read about those, you'll have to wait for part 2, coming very soon...
If you'd like to get your own copy of the Northumberland, 40 Coast and Country Walks book, it's available on Amazon and you can let me know which walks you've enjoyed.
Ways to support my writing
1 comment:
"Northumberland: 40 Coast and Country Walks" is a fantastic guide for exploring one of England’s most scenic regions. Each walk is well-described, with clear maps and practical tips, making it accessible for all levels. The book offers diverse routes from coastal paths to rural trails, perfect for nature lovers and adventurers alike.
Post a Comment