Heading South On The Great North Road

Posted bynickletjogPosted inPreparation

LETJOG PEAK No 49: Currock Hill, Tyne & Wear (246 metres)

Walk Date: Wednesday 13 September 2023

The mural at Prudhoe, on the Tyne Riverside Heritage Trail

Since yesterday’s adventure across the tops of the Cheviots I have travelled 50 miles or so south on the Great North Road, to Wylam on the banks of the Tyne, just a few miles west of Newcastle, where I have based myself for the final ‘away trip’ of my LETJOG Peaks challenge. These three days of walks in the North East have showcased to me the beauty of this corner of the country, with today’s lower-level Tyneside ramble complementing yesterday’s exploits in the highlands. Once again I had perfect walking weather, dry and cool, becoming warmer as the sun burned through the early haze.

Today’s walk covered 16 miles, the first five or so westward along the River Tyne Trail, then turning southwards and uphill through the villages of Stocksfield and Hedley on the Hill and on to the County Top at Currock Hill, before a gentle descent across fields and through woodland back to Wylam
My walk profile shows the level riverside walk (with a short uphill diversion around the works site in Eltringham), then the climb up to Currock Hill, and the descent back to Wylam; in all the path registered a cumulative climb of just over 500 metres

Wylam these days is a pleasant commuter village on the Tyne, about ten miles west of Newcastle. In earlier centuries the settlement prospered on the back of its colliery and an ironworks site, and it later became renowned for its links with famous engineers of Industrial Revolution times, being the birthplace of Timothy Hackworth and ‘Father of the Railways’ George Stephenson, whilst William Hedley also attended the village school. I had a good opportunity to explore the centre during my two nights staying at The Boathouse, a convenient location for the start of my walk today.

Red light spells danger – crossing the tracks in Wylam . . .
. . . and bridging the river . . .
. . . to join the River Tyne Trail
The Hagg Bank Bridge was built in 1876 to carry coal from the collieries at Newbury and Walbottle westwards across the Tyne to Carlisle; nowadays it is a footpath only

So tonight, after three great days of walking in the wonderful North East region of our country, I shall be heading home, southwards, on the Great North Road for few days’ rest ahead of the final climb of my LETJOG Peaks adventure. My 50th summit is Haddington Hill, near Wendover in Buckinghamshire, just a short trip from home, and all being well I will be reporting back very soon on these final steps of my journey.

Shades of ochre in a newly-laid dry stone wall complement the autumnal hues in the landscape

‘Heading South on the Great North Road’ is a song by Wallsend-born musician and songwriter Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting. In the decade from their formation in 1976 Sting was frontman, songwriter and bassist for new wave band The Police, before he embarked on a successful solo career. Sting’s work incorporates elements of many musical genres including rock, jazz, reggae and new-age, and his compositions often bear the influence of childhood experience from his early life in and around the ship-building area of Tyneside. Sting’s 2016 album ‘57th & 9th’, his 12th solo studio album, has been hailed as a return to his rock roots, although the ‘Great North Road’ track, that I have chosen as my Blog heading today, sounds to me rather closer to a folk sound. The song fits with my mood tonight, and that is the main thing.

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