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.
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