Northumberland: A Walk at Wark!!
12 people attending
13 places left
A gorgeous 8.5 mile yomp departing from the village of Wark (pron. w-AH-RK apparently!!), following the North Tyne along its sinuous and beautiful course towards Bellingham before turning inland to cross the wilder lands towards Birtley, passing the remains of several medieval homesteads and fortified houses along the way, where the inhabitants periodically holed themselves up against the savage ravages of the Border Reivers. We swoop down through woodland to complete our circuit to the river, and a well earned pint of diet sprite (or alternative beverage) in Wark.
This walk is flat for its first half by the river, and then has some gradual but lengthy gradients as it cuts across the wilder pastures, and drops back down to the river. Manageable for most ODL hikers if powered by sufficient jelly babies.
Picture Credits
All the photographs for this page were taken by the walk leader, ncl_toby and permission is given to ODL to use them.
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, even if they are extremely mild, or who has recently tested positive for Covid-19, is asked not to attend.
What to bring
Hand sanitiser and a face covering: whilst we are living with Covid-19, please bring your own to events to help keep everyone safe
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, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
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: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, 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 unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch, snacks and a flask. And something to sit on for rest breaks! There is no where to buy anything en route. We'll stop at a pub in Wark after the walk.