The Falstone Circular Walk is a lovely little ramble around dramatic riverbanks and an old railway line. The old railway line you follow on the walk was once part of the Border Counties Railway which was in use between 1862 and 1958. Imagine steam trains bound north for Riccarton over the Scottish border – an easier journey than by car today.
A
Falstone walk
posted on 18/12/19 by Delphinium. Last update : 06/02/23
Description
(S/E) Turn left out of the car park and walk to the road junction. Turn left again and head for the railway arch. Go under the arch and then left up a track leading to a gate which brings you on to the course of the old railway line. From here you can see the top of Kielder Dam. The track is level easy walking and brings you past a row of houses built for forestry workers. As the track emerges from a shallow cutting the view ahead opens out to reveal the old farm of Hawkhope (meaning ‘hawk valley’).
(1) The railway track now joins a forestry track. Turn left on to the track, cross over the Hawkhope Burn, almost hidden among the alder trees, and turn left again down the track to the Farm. Pass through the gate and continue along the road through open pasture and over a hump-back bridge crossing the Hawkhope Burn. The fenced areas on the sides of the burn enclose a conservation project managed by local volunteers. The next gate takes you into the show field, where the Falstone Border Shepherds’ Show is held every year in August. The route now runs alongside the River North Tyne, a favourite spot with fishermen hoping to catch trout and salmon. The route brings you back towards the village.
(2) At the bend in the road by the tennis courts take the path alongside the river as it bends back away from the village. In summer it is aglow with wildflowers. Continue through a wicket gate until the path opens out at a wide sweeping corner of the river. Situated here is the sculpture ‘Stell’. Follow the path to the stone bridge. At the bridge, bear left and head through a wicket gate ahead and in between a group of conifers until the path emerges on to the road and leads back to the tearooms. Tea anyone? (S/E)
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 142 m - Car park
- 1 : km 1.43 - alt. 156 m - Hawkhope
- 2 : km 2.56 - alt. 137 m - Path alongside the river
- S/E : km 3.56 - alt. 141 m - Car park
Useful Information
Car Parking and Toilets: Falstone Old School Tearooms
Local Services: Falstone, Kielder, Bellingham
National Park Information Point: Falstone Tearooms
Terrain: Well signposted paths and tracks with one or two muddy sections
Getting there
From the south/east/west (A69): Near Hexham leave the A69 and take the A6079 north. Turn left onto B6318 to Chollerford and at the roundabout take B6320 signposted for Bellingham. From Bellingham turn left and follow the tourism signs for Kielder Water and Forest. Just before Kielder reservoir turn right into Falstone.
Park in the Old School Tearooms car park.
From the north (A68): Follow the A68 south from Jedburgh then take the B6320 to Bellingham. From Bellingham follow the tourism signs for Kielder Water and Forest. Just before Kielder reservoir turn right into Falstone. Park in the Old School Tearooms car park.
Public Transport
For information on public transport contact Traveline
Tel: 08706 082608
More information at Northumberland National Park here.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
