Post by mick on Mar 4, 2015 4:53:32 GMT
A Byrness circular
After my last wander up this way (see Spithope Bothy) I just had to return and have a bit more mooching around.
The start point was the same park the car just in front of the church then head up the Pennine way, only this time stay on the path up through Byrness plantation up to the cairn on Byrness hill, then walk along the Pennine way passing Saughy crag, Green Crag, houx crag on Houx Hill, then Windy Crag, then to the highest point on this walk Ravens Pike cairn on Ravens Knowe, from there a downhill walk along Ogre Hill where I turned into the forest and joined up with the Pennine way cycle route and followed this track most of the way back to Byrness.
For this walk I had to keep one eye on the time, the weather forecast wasn’t that good promising a sunny start that was going to get very windy and throw it down later on, so I couldn’t hang around.
I naturally make a huge mistake again, and that was I forgotten how much rain we had been having as a result the walk up the forest was a nightmare, with the muddy path doing its best to send me over onto my arse on numinous occasions, then when I finally got onto the hilltops every thing was sopping wet and as boggy as only the Cheviot hills can get, in fact at one place I had to divert about ½ mile off the path just to walk on dry land.
Anyway the walk
First photo taken as I enter the forest
Looking up at some boulders as I leave the forest and get up onto Byrness hill
Nearly at the top looking across the valley towards Redesdale forest
Finally made it to the top looking along towards Catcleugh Reservoir , I feel the need to point out that I had a bit of a scrabble to get over the boulders to get to the summit which entailed using my hands and dropping down onto my knees at one point .
The cairn on Byrness hill, (it looked like the cairn was built upon an old pillbox but don’t quote me on this)
Looking at the way ahead
A bit further along (Saughy Crag)
The Pennine way what this photo doesn’t show is how wet and boggy the ground is.
Again looking towards Catcleugh Reservoir
Same shot just a bit further along.
Houx Hill just ahead
Quick peep over the top, the sun has started to go now and the wind is picking up a bit
You can’t see it but at this point I was forced to climb over the fence to avoid the huge boggy section, I had made several attempts to get across but it was just so wet And boggy I gave up and went round. (this would be just past Houx hill) looking at the way the fence had been bent down I wasn’t the first to use this path)
Just past windy Crag (I think) and back on the Pennine way again (still very wet)
Ravens pike Cairn
Heading down Ogre Hill, fortunately there is a wooden path to walk along; the only trouble being it was really slippery in places
Looking back along the Pennine way, the ground is still waterlogged and at this point I was sinking well down with every step I took made it a hard slog
Heading down, still very wet, and now I can see that the footpath into the forest has gone. (So has the forest at this point)
Well the first bit of the footpath is ok
The next hundred meters was a nightmare
Now back on a solid road (yeah) and making up for lost time, looking across the valley, the track you can just make out will take you along the valley bottom past the Bothy at Spithope
This track runs about half way up along the valley , and showed signs of recent use by the logging lorries , at this point I am looking towards Ravens Crags
Not really sure where this is
Looking across the other side, note the deer fence around the new trees, I didn’t see any signs of any deer but then the loggers most likely kept them away
Looking down the valley, it’s not very clear due to rain showers
Again not sure where this is or even why
Looking back up towards the crags
Spithope Bothy, I was hoping to cut down and stop there for the last of my coffee but I couldn’t find a route down over the cut timber
Looking back along the track
Towards the Bothy, at this point I had given up looking for a route down to it that I could manage.
Looking over to the other side
Back along the track
Catcleugh reservoir
Looking at some of the trees reminds me that we are now starting to approach winter.
Last photo as I drop down towards Byrness, it was at this point that I saw a sign for the Byrness hotel that had a tea room so thinking why not, I left the track and followed the signs to the building, unfortunately it was closed so I cant comment on how good it might have been, however I did walk down the drive back to the car saving my legs a few extra hundred meters.
The only comment I would like to pass on about this walk is, I really wouldn’t do the Pennine way section again until either the ground was frozen solid or in the middle of a dry hot summer (do we get any of those?)
And it would be really nice if the forestry people would restore the footpaths that they have ruined.
After my last wander up this way (see Spithope Bothy) I just had to return and have a bit more mooching around.
The start point was the same park the car just in front of the church then head up the Pennine way, only this time stay on the path up through Byrness plantation up to the cairn on Byrness hill, then walk along the Pennine way passing Saughy crag, Green Crag, houx crag on Houx Hill, then Windy Crag, then to the highest point on this walk Ravens Pike cairn on Ravens Knowe, from there a downhill walk along Ogre Hill where I turned into the forest and joined up with the Pennine way cycle route and followed this track most of the way back to Byrness.
For this walk I had to keep one eye on the time, the weather forecast wasn’t that good promising a sunny start that was going to get very windy and throw it down later on, so I couldn’t hang around.
I naturally make a huge mistake again, and that was I forgotten how much rain we had been having as a result the walk up the forest was a nightmare, with the muddy path doing its best to send me over onto my arse on numinous occasions, then when I finally got onto the hilltops every thing was sopping wet and as boggy as only the Cheviot hills can get, in fact at one place I had to divert about ½ mile off the path just to walk on dry land.
Anyway the walk
First photo taken as I enter the forest
Looking up at some boulders as I leave the forest and get up onto Byrness hill
Nearly at the top looking across the valley towards Redesdale forest
Finally made it to the top looking along towards Catcleugh Reservoir , I feel the need to point out that I had a bit of a scrabble to get over the boulders to get to the summit which entailed using my hands and dropping down onto my knees at one point .
The cairn on Byrness hill, (it looked like the cairn was built upon an old pillbox but don’t quote me on this)
Looking at the way ahead
A bit further along (Saughy Crag)
The Pennine way what this photo doesn’t show is how wet and boggy the ground is.
Again looking towards Catcleugh Reservoir
Same shot just a bit further along.
Houx Hill just ahead
Quick peep over the top, the sun has started to go now and the wind is picking up a bit
You can’t see it but at this point I was forced to climb over the fence to avoid the huge boggy section, I had made several attempts to get across but it was just so wet And boggy I gave up and went round. (this would be just past Houx hill) looking at the way the fence had been bent down I wasn’t the first to use this path)
Just past windy Crag (I think) and back on the Pennine way again (still very wet)
Ravens pike Cairn
Heading down Ogre Hill, fortunately there is a wooden path to walk along; the only trouble being it was really slippery in places
Looking back along the Pennine way, the ground is still waterlogged and at this point I was sinking well down with every step I took made it a hard slog
Heading down, still very wet, and now I can see that the footpath into the forest has gone. (So has the forest at this point)
Well the first bit of the footpath is ok
The next hundred meters was a nightmare
Now back on a solid road (yeah) and making up for lost time, looking across the valley, the track you can just make out will take you along the valley bottom past the Bothy at Spithope
This track runs about half way up along the valley , and showed signs of recent use by the logging lorries , at this point I am looking towards Ravens Crags
Not really sure where this is
Looking across the other side, note the deer fence around the new trees, I didn’t see any signs of any deer but then the loggers most likely kept them away
Looking down the valley, it’s not very clear due to rain showers
Again not sure where this is or even why
Looking back up towards the crags
Spithope Bothy, I was hoping to cut down and stop there for the last of my coffee but I couldn’t find a route down over the cut timber
Looking back along the track
Towards the Bothy, at this point I had given up looking for a route down to it that I could manage.
Looking over to the other side
Back along the track
Catcleugh reservoir
Looking at some of the trees reminds me that we are now starting to approach winter.
Last photo as I drop down towards Byrness, it was at this point that I saw a sign for the Byrness hotel that had a tea room so thinking why not, I left the track and followed the signs to the building, unfortunately it was closed so I cant comment on how good it might have been, however I did walk down the drive back to the car saving my legs a few extra hundred meters.
The only comment I would like to pass on about this walk is, I really wouldn’t do the Pennine way section again until either the ground was frozen solid or in the middle of a dry hot summer (do we get any of those?)
And it would be really nice if the forestry people would restore the footpaths that they have ruined.