Walking in Redesdale and the North Tyne Valley

This area of the National Park is dominated by the vast rolling uplands of the Otterburn Training Area (OTA), the wide expansive plains around Otterburn and Elsdon and the wooded valley of the North Tyne itself. If you want to get away from it all and feel nothing but the wind in your face, hear nothing other than the call of curlews and skylarks, and see only far horizons, then this area is for you. 

You can find out more about the Otterburn Training Area here.

Bellingham is the largest town in the area and is located on the route of The Pennine Way. It has a wide range of accommodation available in and close to the town. Just outside Bellingham lies Hareshaw Linn, a delightful walk of around 2 hours that takes you through a magical wooded gorge to the thundering 30' high waterfall at the end. It is ideal for families and provides a great day out with picnic sites along the way. A National Park leaflet is available from any of our National Park Centres and from Bellingham Tourist Information Centre, you can download it free here.

Amongst these hills, the remains of medieval castles and bastles (fortified farms) pepper the landscape, conveying a more sinister legacy, that of the Border Reivers. This land in he 15th and 16th Centuries was a buffer between warring kingdoms, a wilderness swept by the fear of Reivers. These rustlers and thieves terrorised the Borders, pitting family against family and valley against valley and it marked one of the bloodiest chapters of Northumbrian history. Today, the remains of castles and restored bastles are open to public view.

Many other villages such as Otterburn, Elsdon, Greenhaugh and Falstone are excellent places from which to explore the National Park. Falstone for example lies at the east end of Kielder Water and Forest Park and is conveniently close to all the recreational facilities that the area has to offer (cycling, horse riding, fishing, walking and water-sports).

At the end of the day, why not drop into a traditional village pub where you may come across live music, a games night or just a quiet evening when you can join in a friendly chat with the locals.