Blanchland Day Walk
6 people attending
10 places left
This walk starts in Blanchland — a village just inside Northumberland, which was built largely from the remains of a 12th-century abbey.
The hike heads out along the River Derwent for a while before heading upward to Allenshields and Buckshott Moor.
The chimney for the lead smelt mill flue that the route has been following, comes into view along with Sikehead Dams. The dams were built for the water management system of the Sikehead lead mine.
It's then upwards before dropping down to the village of Rookhope where we'll likely stop for lunch. After lunch, it's upward again along Bolt's Law Incline Track, which was apparently the UK's highest standard gauge railway. At the top, there's the remains of the site of the Bolt's Law Standing Engine, which hauled the railway trucks with a cable.
The walk then continues to Dead Friar's Bank before dropping back down into Blanchland from Buckshott Fell.
Depending on what time we finish, there'll be the opportunity to visit a pub or tea room.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking.
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: Proper walking trousers. Breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch.
There is a small shop in the village, but it might not be open.