with the possibility of cooler and wetter weather.
The winter months occasionally feature sharp frosts, so that boggy parts freeze over, but prolonged wet weather, or rare falls of deep snow, can make this a difficult time to walk. Some of the businesses along the way, especially accommodation providers, close for the winter.
What the Walking’s Like
Walking the Reivers Way is fairly straightforward, but bear in mind that the route is not specifically waymarked, although there are the usual public footpath and bridleway signposts and markers. Keep an eye on the route description and follow your progress on the map. Compared to many parts of the country, Northumberland’s footpaths are lightly trodden, and there are often great distances between settlements and their facilities. Walkers will be encountered in popular places, such as Allen Banks, Hadrian’s Wall, the Simonside Hills, the Cheviot Hills and much of the Northumberland coast. At other times, you may walk all day without meeting any other walkers, even in the summer. The abiding memory is of a succession of scenic highlights separated by wide open, sparsely populated countryside.
Terrain
The Reivers Way includes gentle walks through river valleys and low-lying fields, but this can quickly give way to bleak and barren moorland or extensive forests. When walking far from habitation it is essential to take care over route-finding, as any unintended detours off-route will take time and energy to recover. When mist covers featureless moorlands, or when several junctions of forest tracks are encountered, it is worth taking time to pinpoint your position on a map, and then ensure that you head in the correct direction.
When there is a choice of routes available, study both options carefully, weighing their advantages and disadvantages and take the weather into account. There are two options between Elsdon and Rothbury (Day 5), and both of them include the Simonside Hills. Between Uswayford and Wooler (Day 7), the high-level route over the Cheviot is often easier to follow than the low-level alternative outflanking it. Once the Cheviot Hills are left behind, the route wanders through fields and low hills, with variant routes reaching the Northumberland coast (Day 8). The coast (Day 9) features easy, low-level walking, despite the rugged little cliffs that are often in view. In a nutshell, the terrain along the Reivers Way is remarkably varied from day to day.
Daily Schedule
The Reivers Way can be walked in as little as a week by experienced long-distance walkers, but nine days is more practical, with two weeks offering a fairly leisurely approach. Bear in mind that there where alternative routes are available, distances and the nature of the terrain differ. Walkers shouldn’t feel obliged to follow the nine-day schedule in this book too rigidly, but should adapt and amend it to suit their individual requirements. Trying to arrange a schedule to omit the solitary farmhouse bed and breakfast at Uswayford (end of Day 6 and start of Day 7), can be difficult, and this is the sort of place where a carefully planned schedule can unravel if all the beds are taken.
Maps
Four Ordnance Survey Landranger maps cover the Reivers Way at a scale of 1:50,000. The relevant sheets are 75, 80, 81 and 87. Extracts from these maps are used throughout the guidebook, with an overview (pages 8 and 9) to show the full course of the Reivers Way. For greater detail, and to see the extent of designated access land, five Ordnance Survey Explorer maps cover the route at a scale of 1:25,000. The relevant sheets are OL16, OL42, OL43, 332 and 340.
How to Use this Guidebook
The main feature of this guidebook is a continuous route description, illustrated with OS map extracts. Alternative routes for Days 5, 7 and 8 are described at the end of the main route descriptions, with further OS map extracts showing the variant sections of route in blue.
Waymarking and signposting on rights of way is usually quite good, but keep your eyes open for markers
Some daily stretches are longer than others, and there are long stretches without access to food, drink or accommodation. If a day’s walk seems too long, then check to see whether it can be broken halfway, whether accommodation is available, and whether public transport allows a detour off-route.
Even when facilities are mentioned, bear in mind that they are subject to change. Hotels and bed and breakfasts may not always be open, and they may not always have a bed available, so it is wise to book in advance.
Food and drink may not be available on long stretches, so think twice before passing a shop or pub, and be sure to read ahead to discover where the next ones are located.
If relying on public transport to travel to and from various parts of the walk, check timetables in advance, using the contact details given in this guidebook. If you need specific, up-to-date information about facilities along the way, contact the relevant tourist information centres and ask for advice (see Appendix 3).
Equipment
If you are approaching the Reivers Way as a series of one-day walks, then all you need is your normal day pack, containing the usual waterproofs, food and drink for the day, small first aid kit, maps, compass – and the ability to use them.
If you are walking the route as a continuous long-distance trek and planning to use hotels and bed and breakfasts, then only a little more kit is needed. A complete change of clothes for the evenings is desirable, so that walking clothes can be washed and dried wherever facilities are available. It might be a good idea to pack a couple of spare pairs of socks, which could prove useful if crossing boggy ground in wet weather, day after day.
Campsites are infrequent along the Reivers Way, so if you do plan to carry a tent, sleeping bag and cooking equipment, then it is likely that at certain points you will need to ‘wild camp’. Wherever possible, ask for permission, but if this isn’t practical, then camp unobtrusively, pitching late and leaving early, taking care to leave absolutely no trace of your stay. If you are camping and cooking, then the availability of shops along the way needs to be borne in mind, and remember that the choice may be limited in a small village store.
RESCUE SERVICES
The emergency services – mountain rescue, police, ambulance, fire brigade or coastguard – are all alerted by dialling 999 (or the European 112). Be ready to supply full details of the nature of the emergency, so that an appropriate response can be made. Keep in contact with the emergency services in case they require further information or clarification.
DAY 1
Corbridge to Allendale Town
| Start | Corbridge – NY989643 |
| Finish | Allendale Town – NY836557 |
| Distance | 27.5km (17 miles) |
| Maps | OS Landranger 87 or OS Explorer OL43 |
| Terrain | Fields, forests and riverside paths are followed by moorland tracks, including some that can be wet underfoot. |
| Refreshments | Plenty of choice at Corbridge. Pub off-route from Peth Foot. Plenty of choice at Allendale Town. |
| Public Transport | Regular daily trains, as well as Arriva and Stagecoach buses, serve Corbridge from Newcastle and Carlisle. The Hadrian’s Wall bus serves Corbridge daily through the summer, linking with all parts of Hadrian’s Wall, as well as Newcastle and Carlisle. Tynedale and Tyne Valley buses serve Allendale Town from Hexham daily, except Sundays. |
