The walk started from the cottage we were stopping at in the hamlet of Whitton above Rothbury.

The walk started by following Silverton Lane.

Looking across to Garleigh Moor, which would be our return route.

Sharpe's Folly, which is becomeing a regular landmark on the website.

Looking across Rothbury to Rothbury Terraces as we head along the lane.

Just before we drop down through the newish housing estate to reach the old railway line we get a glimpse of Cragside.

Having cut through the housing estate we reached Mill Lane, which we would follow down to the old railway lines. This point also marked where we started following St Oswald's Way.

The day before we had checked out this part of the route and had followed the track on the other side of this field to Mill Lane.

At the bottom of Mill Lane we reached the old railway lines.

The walk along the old railway line was very pleasant.

Heading along the track we were reminded how much further north we were, as the trees are only just starting to green up.

We came across this cutting, although it isn't quite as picturesque
as the one we had gone through yesterday when we walked
the first section of the track.

We soon reached the point where we had to leave the railway line and continue across fields along St Oswald's Way.

The route is easy to follow as we cut across well signed fields towards Craghead.

Heading along the field we can look up at the railway line, which we can't use.

Having passed through the farm at West Raw we leave St Oswald's Way and follow this quiet lane.

The lane takes us to Butterknowes where we are entertained for a short while by the ducklings on the pond.

When the lane reached the junction at East Raw we took the footpath downhill towards Lee Plantation.

Looking through the trees to Bog Burn as we head into Lee Plantation.

The map showed a footbridge which we could use to cross the burn, accessing it proved to be a bit tricky as we had more than a few fallen trees to negotiate to reach it.

Having crossed the bridge we sat having lunch in amongst the garlic next to the burn. As we sat there we couldn't help but notice all of the fallen trees on the other side of the burn.

The map showed us stopping on this side of the burn and setting out after lunch it looked like the worst of the fallen trees was behind us.

We were to realise that wasn't the case. The fallen trees here had fallen across the stile, making it impossible to use.

We also found that the fallen trees mean't that the path through the wood kept crossing the burn, which at first was just a case of hopping across a shallow bit of water.

As we headed further into the plantation we found ourselves having to negotiate not only the fallen trees but an increasingly wider and deeper burn where bridges were also no longer accessible. In some places if it hadn't been so dry this winter we would have struggled to get across and may well have had to backtrack to a road.

Having waded across more than a couple of stretches of the burn with no option other than to get wet feet we took the first opportunity we had to escape the plantation and trespassed across a field up Suers Hill to the road. After following the road for a bit we were back on route and soon cutting across moorland towards Garleigh Moor.

Looking up at Garleigh Hill as we headed towards Lordenshaw.

Having reached the car park at the foot of the Simonside Hills we headed across the lower slopes of Garleigh Moor on the last ascent of the day.

I deliberatley kept left as I was looking for the ancient monument with the cup and ring marks in the stone, which we had missed when we walked up here last year.

Looking across to the Simonside Hills from Lordenshaws.

Once over the summit we decided to take the opportunity to sit and admire the view across the valley to Rothbury Terraces before we head downhill to Whittondean.

From the same spot we could also look across to the Cheviots.

Having walked through Whittondean we head along Hillhead Road back to the cottage, but there's still time to enjoy another look at the Simonside Hills.

 

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