BOAC - Warenford Circular via Shielhope - Northumberland

Date	12/04/06
Leader:	Russell S
Distance:	9 mls
Weather:	Overcast with some drizzle
Walkers	13
Parking:	On road in Warenford
Map:

Route Summary - Warenford, Cocklaw Dean, Brownridge, Shielhope, Chatton sandyfords, Lucker Moor, Warenford

A map and compass are essential as on this walk there are many interlinking paths over moorland, some of which is featureless.

We walked through the village then took a footpath through to the A1 (135284) - a very untidy path, overgrown and littered with debris.

We stop for a coffee break

Here we crossed over the main road then followed the footpath, with a wood to our right, turning right at the end of the wood. With woodland to our left the path continued through to Cocklaw Dean.

Continuing through Cocklaw Dean we walked over moorland to Brownridge, a dilapidated set of farm buildings. Here we came across a sheep which had it's horns trapped in a fence. Mick took the lead in rescuing the sheep.

This proved a difficult task as it's horns were well and truly tangled up in the fence. It was obvious that without our intervention it would have joined the remains of many dead sheep we saw on this walk. However the sheep wasn't the slightest bit grateful as it ran off without a moment's hesitation!

At the end of the wood at Brownridge we continued in an easterly direction then took a right fork (093283) to cross a track to then reach the B6348. We did not cross the road; instead we followed the path to Shielhope.

From here there are many interlinking paths so care had to be taken not to take the wrong path. Our route took us Sandyford Moor then Chatton Sandyfords where we took a path in the north east direction over Lucker Moor. Here a farmer asked us whether we had seen any dead sheep on our travels and we told him about the sheep we had rescued - it wasn't his.

We soon joined a track (131279) which took us back to the A1. We crossed over the A1 then joined the old A1 back to Warenford.

Unfortunately the pub at Warenford was shut so we drove to Alnwick for our usual refreshments.