Blawearie – 6th April 2019

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As can be seen above, the weather wasn’t ideal for this walk. The recce was done on a very clear day and the views were great and panoramic. Never mind though, us Nordic Walkers are hardy souls and set off anyway, although there were a few considering just missing out the walk and going straight to the tearoom.

The start

The original start from the car park was too difficult, so we tried a different route, which proved to be just as difficult. Once that was out of the way we got on the walk proper. We continued along the ridge above Hepburn Wood and round towards Bewick Hill. Normally, the Cheviots are visible from here but there plainly weren’t going to be any views today.

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Bewick Hill

When we arrived at Bewick Hill, it was difficult to even see the hill forts for the fog. We did take a look at one of the two WW2 pill boxes, situated on the side of one of the forts. The pictures below were taken from about the same spot. The left one on the walk and the right one on the recce.

After the amazing views from Bewick Hill, everyone was feeling a little peckish. So, we headed off towards Blawearie.

Blawearie

Blawearie is thought to mean “Tired of the Wind”. It can get a bit blowy up there, so the name is understandable. It was the home of a shepherding family called the Rogerson’s, although they appear to have abandoned this location before the Second World War. The ruin is surrounded by Bronze age burial cairns and is at the centre of a very historical area of Northumberland.

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Cateran Hole

Time was moving on and we all wanted to get back to the tearoom before it closed. So, when lunch was finished, we set off for the last part of the walk, a visit to Cateran Hole. The path to Cateran Hole was pretty clear, so it was easy to find. Once there some of the group went in to take a look. A head torch was essential, as it was pitch black inside. The hole is in fact a long tunnel, constructed from gritstone and is just wide enough and tall enough to walk the full length of about 45m. It is thought that this was a smugglers hiding place but nobody really knows its purpose.

Cateran Hole was the last stop on the walk and it only remained to walk the last two miles along the road and back to the car park.

The Rocking Horse Cafe

Once sufficiently cooled down, we got into our cars and formed a convoy to the hidden gem of the Rocking Horse Cafe in Rock, near Alnwick. We had called ahead and they very kindly stayed open for us.  Andrew (our host) was so welcoming and as is usual we filled the tearoom.  The food was lovely and everything is local.   It was a wonderful way to finish the day.

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Thanks to all that walked with us on this challenging walk. Hope to see you all again soon.

Julie and Martin x

P.S. We’ve added a second gallery, so that you can see what the views really look like.


Gallery

Gallery on a clear day


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