St Cuthbert’s Way - Leg IV: Hethpool to Wooler

Only one car needed today to get the five of us to Hethpool where there is a convenient car park just through the hamlet (belying yesterday’s misgivings). A short walk back past pretty cottages, apparently built in the Arts & Crafts style, brings us to the St Cuthbert’s Way sign that points onto the moor. Crossing the College Burn the route heads left and wends its way along the valley, rising up the north bank through fairly scrubby terrain.

After flirting with a more minor burn the path turns abruptly southwest and up the side of the moor. To our left is the imposing rusty brown mass of Yeavering Bell, the colour appropriate as atop its thousand foot summit is an iron-age fort. Continuing to rise and curl round to the west the path passes under Tom Tallon’s Crag before flattening out. The views so far have been good, and would have been better on a clearer day, but soon disappear in a sea of grey cloud that then turns into significant precipitation.

In what has become an otherwise featureless landscape, a sizeable cairn looms out of the mist and presents itself as a good a place as any for a lunch stop. An eclectic range of snacks, obtained earlier from the Wooler Co-op, emerges from rucksacks, and they are quickly devoured. Those members of the group so prepared struggle into waterproof trousers and we set off again across the moor.

The path is clear across Black Law and Gains Law, and though elevated is fairly flat That it is grouse moor country is evident from the broad track, the shooting butts and of course the birds themselves that from time to time emerge noisily out of the undergrowth. As the rain slackens and stops the cloud lifts to reveal fine views to the south.

The path is steadily downwards and at some significant height the heather and bracken gives way first to grass and then to trees to give a steep wooded descent that pitches us into the car par at Wooler Common.

The St Cuthbert’s Way goes right to take a winding off-road route to Wooler; the road to the left goes direct. Damp and in need of refreshment we take the road, although that is not without its perils as a carelessly placed walking pole is snagged by a grid causing some delay.

Eventually we enter the town and drop down to the centre where the Terrace Café meets all our requirements – seats, tea and scones. Refreshed, though stiff limbed, we are then able to walk the last half mile back to the Tankerville Arms and prepare for another night in the bar where we will toast our cumulative progress, now two thirds of the way to Holy Island.

St Cuthbert’s Way - Leg III: Kirk Yetholm to Hethpool

Setting off in two cars from our base at the Tankerville Arms in Wooler we deposit one at the small hamlet of Westnewton (having lost confidence that the single track road to Hethpool would yield a parking space) and then pile into the second for the short but winding drive to Kirk Yetholm. Here we park across the road from the Border Hotel, noting its attractions for later.

From Kirk Yetholm the route is unmistakable. From this end point of the Pennine Way we follow the shared path south heading along a winding road that goes steeply up before declining to the Halter Burn. Here we cross the burn and follow the signed and well-trod path up Green Humbleton, curling round the side of the hill rather than straight up, which makes the gradient more manageable.

At a fork we leave the Pennine Way and strike off left, still climbing, to a gate that marks the Scotland / England border. We speculate on how passport control may be needed some years down the line. Once through the gate there is a final climb, passing below Eccles Cairn on our left before the path descends steadily down to reach a small plantation.

Entering the dark and gloomy mini-forest the way is through the left hand edge, way-marked by orange tape blazes on the tree trunks. A stile brings us out into a grassy field and the way is straight ahead, eventually via a stony track until an isolated house is reached at Elsdonburn.

From here a narrow tarmac road leads down the quiet valley bottom of the Elsdon Burn; easy walking with the stream to the right, pine trees to the left and good views up ahead. In a mile or so a right turn into Hethpool is reached, but our way is straight on down the single track road we abandoned earlier. After just twenty minutes walking we stumble over the car parked at Westnewton.

Repeating the short drive to Kirk Yetholm gets us back outside, then inside, the Border Hotel where alcoholic, soft or hot brewed drinks (according to taste and driving responsibility) and snacks are consumed for an hour or so before returning to Wooler.

More substantial fare (and universally consumed alcoholic drink) is partaken back at the Tankerville Arms as we toast our day’s walk and prepare for that of tomorrow.