Diane

Rothbury (Riverside car park) – Addycombe – Thropton – Allerdene – Newton – Rothbury.

Bitterly cold, wind hitting Force 5 on occasion, some sunny spells. Snow on Hedgehope. Clear visibility

Diane, Richard, Michelle, Michael, Sandy, Ron, George, Ken.

Ashley - bad back again

Comments

We covered 7.8 miles. The rivers were high but the tracks weren't as muddy as anticipated beforehand. There were some complaints about the climb up to the ridge at the start.  We stopped at a rocky viewpoint above Rothbury, where the names and dates of previous visitors had been engraved in stone.

We found a nicely sheltered lunch spot behind some large rocks beside two telephone masts. We had a view of the Northumbrian flag planted in a cairn and fluttering in the strong breeze. It was reminiscent of Mount Tumbledown on the Falklands. We were served damson gin by Diane. After lunch we visited the flag cairn, which offered wonderful views of Rothbury.

We met a group of kids on bikes pretending to cycle off some rocks. We then dropped down to Thropton along a path with huge cowpats. There were several fine houses on the ridge with good views over Coquetdale.

Wildlife: no bulls, lots of sheep, deer, heron, mallard ducks, moorhen, crows and a rabbit. The zwartbal sheep at Rothbury had gone.

After the walk, we went into the Queen’s Head in Rothbury for tea and coffee, no scones.

Jingling Gate, Chapel Park

Walkers in Rothbury

Happy walkers on the ridge

Walker on the moor

Rothbury Moor

Back along the route

Heads down

Ship Crag Cairn

Snow on Cheviot

Coquet Bridge

Sun on the river

River Coquet

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