We continued our busy year this summer by running three local Activity Days during the first week of August with the aim being to meet some of the requirements of the Northumberland Challenge while having a lot of fun too.
The Northumberland Challenge has been set up to celebrate 100 years of scouting in Northumberland and is a reminder that the first ever official scout camp took place in our very own County (Brownsea was a trial run) and highlights the strong links that Baden Powell had with the area. Scouts are required to meet at least five specified individual challenges, usually with a Northumbrian theme, such as to cook a Northumbrian meal or to participate in a Northumberland quiz etc.
Day 1 (Monday 4th August): CheviotFord and Etal Scouts, under the guidance of Scout Leader Joanne Hall and Assistant Scout Leader Nick Allen, chose to do something a little more arduous for the first of these days by aiming to reach the top of Cheviot, which measures 815 metres above sea level. A tough enough task normally but ascending Hedgehope, the second highest summit at 714 metres, first made it a real challenge by anyone’s reckoning. Altogether this would be a journey of just under 10 miles including two of the highest hills in England.
Though not as high as Cheviot, Hedgehope is a much steeper climb from the Harthope Valley but the Scouts, of varying abilities, took this in their stride only occasionally stopping for water breaks and to admire the view for miles around – from the Lammermuirs in the north, along the coast including Holy Island and Coquet Island, down to Blyth Power Station and inland to Tosson Crags and the great expanse of the Cheviot Hills - before enjoying a well earned lunch on the top of Hedgehope. The next stage, along Comb Fell, was slow but fun going, plodging and trudging through peat bog and water pools before traversing deep peat ravines on the way to Cairn Hill and the final approach to the target of Cheviot. There is something about getting wet and dirty that Scouts really love! Once on the plateau of Cheviot, the path of stone slabs laid across the incredible peat bog landscape welcomed the now weary hikers to the triangulation pillar which marks the summit of the highest hill in the County. All that remained now was the descent back into the Harthope Valley which was somewhat easier and gentler than the climb.
All Scouts and Leaders had achieved something quite special and felt a huge amount of achievement and pride. They experienced a real sense of wilderness, having only come across two other people on the whole of the route until the return to the valley where a man was taking his bicycle up into the hills and planning to rough camp for a few days.
Day 2 (Tuesday 5th August): Ingram ValleyFollowing the physical demands of Day 1, a somewhat more relaxed day was required while maintaining a combination of appreciation of the surrounding environment, physical activity and fun. This was made possible by cycling up the Ingram Valley, from Ingram to Linhope, a journey of about 3½ miles in some of the most attractive scenery in the United Kingdom. Although not a huge distance by bike, there were enough upward inclines to make the going quite tough.
Just past the farm of Linhope, and beyond the reach of vehicular access, was the ideal spot for lunch and leaving bikes before the gentle ½ mile walk to Linhope Spout. The heavy rain from the previous week had resulted in a spectacular fall of water. The deep plunge pool of the waterfall, or linn as they are known in Northumberland, was an ideal swimming pool for the Scouts and some of the rocks acted as natural diving boards. Despite being the middle of summer, the water was cold but did not discourage the youngsters from jumping in and swimming.
Having spent about an hour messing about in the water, the return leg back to the cars was quick and easy, taking about a third of the time of the outward journey, being able to free wheel most of the way.
Day 3 (Wednesday 6th August): The Lindisfarne Trail One of the numerous challenges that can be done is to walk the Lindisfarne Trail, a walk created by North Northumberland District Scouts as an alternative to the Lookwide Trail in the south of the county. This is to walk from the mainland, across the causeway and around some of the more notable places on the island. Unlike most walks or trails, it cannot be completed at any time of the day. This is because the causeway is tidal allowing the island to be reached by foot or by car for certain times only, so the safe crossing time tables must be consulted.
The Scouts arrived at the car park, at the mainland end of the causeway, at 10.30 am, in overcast, drizzly weather and shortly after the first safe crossing time. From this point there are two safe routes to the island. The first is to walk along the road, built in 1954, which is the now accepted way onto the island. The second is to follow the Pilgrims Way which is marked by a line of poles across the sands, and is the original safest crossing route and has been used for centuries and now forming the final stretch of the long distance path, St Cuthbert’s Way (one of the other challenges is to complete this).
If it had been a fabulously sunny day we might have followed the Pilgrim Way and wade across the South Low (Low is the name for a stream in this part of Northumberland, and rhymes with cow!). Instead, we followed the road, using the bridge to cross the South Low and passed a hut on stilts – actually a refuge box to ensure stranded motorists can remain safe. Only the night before had some Spanish visitors needed to be rescued by the Seahouses lifeboat, having misjudged the crossing times – and this is not an unusual occurrence!
Once past the bridge we were able to leave the causeway and head across to the line of poles. Although this is not the official trail and not recommended by North Northumberland District Scouts due to “quick sands and incoming tide”, it does mean you get away from the traffic, which can be considerable during holiday periods and so long as you cross while the tide is going out there should be no problem. The sands are generally firm, though a bit ‘mud-like’ in places and you will get wet and dirty so good walking boots or wellys are ideal footwear. Having said that, it is the most fun and enjoyable way to walk across to the island and the Scouts really enjoyed being able to clamber up into the refuge boxes on the way across. And of course it means you follow the footsteps of the likes of St Aidan, St Cuthbert and many others who were influential in making this area the cradle of Christianity in England.
We arrived on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne at Chare End, which translates from Northumbrian into English as road end, indicating that in the ‘olden days’ this was where the road began or ended. A short walk to the public car park next to St Aidan’s RC Church allowed for a wee-wee break at the public conveniences and a chance to build up energy levels with a stop for lunch.
From this point the trail heads to the castle - originally built for defensive purposes against the Scots in Tudor times and later remodelled by Lutyens as a private residence – and then skirts around the back of it before winding around the harbour, past the pan-tiled former herring houses, now holiday and residential homes, once used for smoking and curing herring. The Scouts took great interest in the old upturned boats, which line the harbour, and are used by local fishermen as sheds. An excellent example of recycling! This is the centre of what was once the main industry of the island, fishing. Hundreds of creels, or lobster pots, are stacked by the fishermen’s buildings at the beginning of the pier, indicating that fishing is still important here, though seriously depleted from the days when it was the major industry on the island.
From here we moved upward onto The Heugh, a ‘wall’ of hard, igneous rock which forms the highest part of the island where we passed a Celtic cross war memorial, again designed by Lutyens, and the old coastguard station. It is worth stopping a moment somewhere along the ridge to enjoy the panoramic views across the harbour to the castle, down into the Priory or across the sea to the mainland. Next stop was St Cuthbert’s Beach which is definitely a good point to take a break. Some scouts walked across to St Cuthbert’s Isle, exploring rock pools formed by the low tide on their way. Others took their time and scoured the beach hunting for small fossils, crinoids, locally known as St Cuthbert’s beads. Some did both! All were apparently absorbed.
Finally we headed back into the village, pausing for a quick visit to St Mary’s Church, past the entrance to the Priory. Rather than going back to the village car park, we ended our route at The Lindisfarne Hotel where we enjoyed the reward of a soft drink in the café garden. Fortunately, we had made transport arrangements so we could get back to the cars on the mainland.
No doubt we will do the Lindisfarne Trail again in the future – but customise it still further – and take the time to venture inside the National Trust owned castle and visit the castle’s walled garden, created by the famous writer, artist and designer Gertrude Jekyll in 1911. The Lime kilns at Castle Point give an indication of one of the other important past island industries where lime was produced for mortar production and would only demand a short detour to the trail. If time allows, bearing in mind that the tide will be coming back in to return Lindisfarne to its island status once more, the Priory might be worth considering visiting. But then again, despite having faced attacks by Vikings, it may not yet be quite ready for marauding scouts!
