Blawearie from Old Bewick

Walk NE along the side road cottages on your left, up through a gate and onto Bewick Moor.

Bewick Hill with high trees around Hanging Crag is on the right and a visit to the large hill fort there comes near the end of the walk.

The views of Cheviot from further up the track are superb

A wander around the buildings on a lovely day like the one we enjoyed made it feel a charming Idyll.

But history tells a different story.

Blawearie has been derelict since the 1940s and they must have been hardy souls who lived and worked here. The nearest grazing was one mile away a desolate place on the surrounding moor through a long Northumbrian winter.

I could find no purpose for this elaborate doorway. It seems a little over the top for a LOO in this location.

Someone had constructed a small garden on the NE side among the sandstone grags. and these are the steps to the garden.

Seen from about 100 yards away to the west from the top of a rocky outcrop, the crags on which the homestead stands are quite impressive.

A few folk had time on their hands and scratchings can be found in a few places. BILLIE SANDERSON being one in 1943

Another great view of Cheviot

To continue the walk retrace your steps until you find the small path going left there is a small signpost.

Follow the path round the side of a small hill there is a Romano-British camp site to the left quite close to the path and it's mounds are covered in bracken there is what appears to be a sheep track leading up to it.

Back on the path continue down towards Harehope Burn. It is a bit marshy down at the bottom of the path

Make your way across towards a wall going up to the right. and follow the path uphill. until the wall turns right again.

This is the steepest bit of the walk and the part of the moor is called Tick Law.

At the top we found the way a little indistinct but make your way left and then left again towards some bracken covered mounds at the top of the hill passing some Cup and Ring marked stones.

The Hill Fort on Bewick Hill is one of the largest in the county.

Past the Fort go through a wicket gate and make your way down bearing right along the lower slope. You can see Old Bewick below you. The path passes to the right of a plantation.

Don't decend , but make for the lower edge of the pinetrees on the under Hanging Crag.

Now follow down to a stile onto the main track and left back to Old Bewick.

NOTE :- If you think there might have been more pictures from the middle of the walk I agree. I had only treated myself to a digital camera, a Pentax OptioS, a month or so before this walk after years with my beloved Pentax S1a. However I went mad at Blawearie, the shots shown here are just a smattering of my "input" on the day, so with only a 64M Memory I found I had to save some space for the Hill Fort and I learned a lesson.

It is a walk we will do again and I will take advantage of my new 2G card to fill in the missing mile or so.

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