Hulne
Distance: 6 miles,
Minnimum Time: 2hrs 15mins,
Difficulty: Moderate,
Description:
While you're there: Itâs easy to spend a whole day in Alnwick. As well as the obvious draw of the castle and the adjacent Alnwick Garden, donât miss the narrow Hotspur Gate, named after the most famous of the Percys, and the Old Cross Inn, with the display of old bottles in the window, unaltered since a landlord died while arranging them more than 150 years ago. The Bailiffgate Gallery has a good reputation and in the former railway station is one of Britainâs largest secondhand bookshops.
What to look out for: Winter walkers in Hulne Park may be rewarded by the sight of bramblings. They fly in from their homelands in the birch and beech forests of Scandinavia and Russia, when food is scarce there. About 6in (15cm) long, they resemble chaffinches, but have a white rump, particularly visible when they are flying. Look out for them near beech trees, as this is where they feed. You may also spot the snow bunting, another winter visitor this time from Greenland and Scandinavia. Although they favour sand or shingle coastlines, they have been seen in Alnwick and are easy to spot because they are mostly white and around 6.5in (16.5cm) long. They feed in flocks and, in flight, they have been compared to drifting snowflakes.
Where to eat and drink: There is a variety of places in Alnwick. Those who wish to imagine themselves as Kate Winslet or Leonardo Di Caprio could head for the White Swan Hotel on Bondgate Within, not far from the Hotspur Gate. A visit to its Olympic Room is like being aboard the Titanic, for the Olympic was Titanicâs sister ship, and the roomâs fittings came from her when she was broken up in 1935.
Directions:
From Bailiffgate walk away from Alnwick Castle, home of the Percy family, Dukes of Northumberland. Often called the âWindsor of the Northâ, its warlike exterior - seen on-screen in the Harry Potter films - hides rich Renaissance-style interiors. Cross over to Rotten Row and continue up past the school to the imposing gateway into Hulne Park, landscaped in the 18th century by Lancelot âCapabilityâ Brown.
Go through the arch and follow the drive ahead, crossing a bridge and following the Farm Drive. Pass the Park Farm entrance (to which you will return) and, 0.25 mile (400m) beyond, turn left up a blue-waymarked track, Tower Drive. Keep right where the path divides to reach a cottage and the Brizlee Tower (not open to the public). The 78ft (23.7m) tall tower is carefully placed to take in views to the Cheviot Hills and towards the coast. It was designed by Robert Adam for the 1st Duke. Continue over the crest of the hill and down to where the track levels out. It swings round to the left, with superb views across the Aln valley to the Cheviots beyond. Opposite a single standing stone (the Long Stone) and a bench, the present Duke and Duchess of Northumberland have had a new burial ground consecrated. The gates of this drystone walled enclosure were commissioned from Stephen Lunn, a local blacksmith, to reflect the interests of the Duke and Duchess.
Keep along the path, descending to a crossroads and turning left to pass the Hermitâs Cave. Rejoin the Tower Drive and turn right, descending to Farm Drive and turning right. Re-trace your steps for a short distance back to the Park Farm entrance. Turn left towards the farm, then after 50yds (46m), turn left on the greenway marked trail into the woods. The track goes through trees to a gate, then though grassland to another gate and an iron bridge, constructed by Cookson of Newcastle in 1812. After the bridge turn right towards Hulne Priory, then turn off the track uphill to its entrance. The earliest Carmelite monastery in England, Hulne is surrounded by a strong wall that hides a pretty garden. You can still see the ruins of the church, chapter house, sacristy and refectory, while the former infirmary is now a private house. In the 18th century a summerhouse was added in the corner of the cloisters, linked by an arch to the thick-walled tower built in 1486.
After visiting the priory, turn right out of its entrance. The track bends to a gate in a wall. Turn right at the next green waymark, then right again, going downhill to meet a crossing track. Turn left and follow the track beside the river. Go through an orange-waymarked gate, cross a bridge with a gate at the end, and go ahead, still following the orange waymarks.
At the far end of the field, pass a bridge on the left and continue on the track as it rises up the bank and into the woods. Pass a second bridge, the Duchess Bridge, and when you reach a grassy triangle there is a choice. For much of the year you can continue on here, following a delightful track that loops round into a little side valley, crosses a series of bridges, then gently ascends to join the main estate road. But when this route is out of bounds, you can turn right, and follow a shorter route which rises up through a parallel side valley. Both routes emerge close to the estate cottage passed near the beginning of the walk. Turn left to return to the arch and the outside world.
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