To the Edge of the Moor

About trip

Distance: 3 miles, Minnimum Time: 1hr 45mins, Difficulty: Easy, Description: If you were dropped into East Allendale you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the northern part of the Yorkshire Dales. Like that area it’s rugged rather than beautiful, but it’s also peaceful and serene. Appropriately, Allen comes from the Celtic word ‘aln’ which means shining or foaming. The main centre, Allendale Town, is set on a hillside overlooking a bend in East Allen River and sheltered beneath the heather moors of Hexhamshire Common. It proclaims itself to be the true geographical centre of Britain, and co-ordinates inscribed on to the church tower’s sundial reinforce this. Mining Town. On entering the large Market Square with its many large hotels and inns, it soon becomes obvious that this place has seen busier times. This was once a mining town, the region’s most prosperous, with good veins of lead and silver. In the halcyon days of the 18th century Allendale had a population of over 5,500 - four times what it is today. Allendale was lively, for the miners were hard-working men who filled every one of the inns. Even with the death of mining at the turn of the century, it stayed busy, with coaches bringing people from the industrial north-east for health and enjoyment. Perhaps Allendale is most famous for its Baal Fire Festival, which takes place each New Year’s Eve. It’s said to be of Viking origin. At 11:30pm the pubs empty and a crowd gathers in the square. Suddenly the night sky is lit up by flaming tar barrels carried on the heads of a procession of 40 men dressed in fancy costumes. Known as guisers, they parade around the town streets accompanied by the Allendale Silver Band. Close to midnight the guisers hurl the burning contents of the barrels on to a bonfire, whose flames then explode high into the sky. The church bells chime in the New Year and Auld Lang Syne is sung before returning to the pub for more celebrations. There are many long walks from Allendale Town to the moors but a good introduction explores the immediate environs of the valley itself. Passing the old inns you go down to the river, which is lined by fine stands of trees. In spring and early summer the fields and woods are full of wild flowers like bloody cranesbill, wild primrose, herb Robert and ragwort. Later the walk climbs away, to high fields and old farms looking down on the rooftops of Allendale Town. The river, in some places hidden by trees, but in others shining among the valley meadows, meanders into the distance to those dark North Pennine moors that yawn across the western skies. While you're there: Killhope Wheel is the pride of the North of England Lead Mining Museum at the head of Weardale. Around 33ft (10m) in diameter, the wrought iron water wheel towers above the crushing mill site. They’ll give you a hard hat and lamp before leading you underground to the mine face. It’s open every day from late March to the end of September and on October weekends. What to look out for: On Dryburn Moor, west of the River East Allen, you’ll notice some old chimneys. They’re connected to the flues from the Allenmill Smelt Mill. The two brick-built flues drew off the sulphurous fumes and created a draught to stoke the smelting furnaces. The draught also caused the silver content of the fumes to condense on the walls where it could be recovered. Where to eat and drink: There’s a handful of choices in Allendale Town, of which the King’s Head is probably the smartest. There’s a varied menu and well-behaved children and dogs are welcome in the bar. The nearby Golden Lion serves locally brewed beers from the Allendale Brewing Company. Directions: From the centre of Allendale Town take the Whitfield road and turn right before the Mill Bridge on an enclosed path, signposted to ‘Allenmill’. The path descends to the banks of the River East Allen and follows it north through its tree-filled valley. Here you see a barred-up entrance to the Blackett Level. This is part of a curtailed scheme to drain the valley’s lead mines and provide waterpower to turn the machinery. It was originally intended to drill the shaft all the way to Allenheads (7 miles /11.3km) but after 40 years and a good few problems the scheme was halted well short at Sipton. At the road at Allen Mill turn right before taking the second of two cross-field footpaths. This leads towards the houses of The Haining, which line the Catton road. Take the waymarked footpath by the side of the last house as it climbs towards the farmhouse of Housty. If the path is too steep for you, a zig-zag grass track will lead you to the top field below the farmhouse. Turn right through a gateway, go through another gateway, then follow the field edge, on the right. On reaching a wood turn right through a gate, then left to go through a series of gates to follow an overgrown path alongside the wood’s western perimeter. The trackless path now traces the top edge of two fields before crossing a ladder stile and turning right. The route now follows a narrow path down to a lane known as Leadside Bank. Turn left and climb the lane before turning right along a farm track signposted to Moorhouse. Leave the track just short of Cose Hall and head for the stile to the right of the farmhouse. Once over, turn right to the bottom left edge of the field, then follow the wall on the left in the next field before crossing Philip Burn on a footbridge. Climb the far banks, go over another stile, then turn right along a fence. The path turns left at the field corner and passes through a small wood. At an intersection of paths, go over the stile and turn right. Steps lead down to the footbridge over Shield Burn and more climb up to the lane at the other side. Turn left along the lane then right, passing the fire station to return to the village centre.