LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

While driving to the start of the walk it started raining and stopped while I was driving from the end of the walk.

I parked in the meadow just after the tea rooms and shop. There wears a bridge at '2' shortly after an adventure playground. There was no path to the right of the bridge at '2' due to recent 'thinning' of trees. There was debris everywhere and no visible path. Shortly after the bridge there was a good, new tarmac path which meandered beside the river. I couldn't find a track from the new path to the higher forestry road at  '5'. I took the first good track down from the tarmac road to the valley bottom at '6'. Others parts of the walk were either up or down. There were noisy partridges in the field. At '9' the path divided into four tracks where a very large tree stump was by the track.I took the path on the far right which was the good forestry road, steeply climbing up Potato Hill. At '10' I took a good track to the right where a new cycle way passed on the left. I passed the ruins of a shortly after '11' and climbed steeply over a good track to a gate in the wall where Pikeston Fell opens out. I avoided the short cut along the road to the right. I startled some noisy unknown large birds on the edge of the fell after '12'. After approximately 400 yards the footpath turned down to the road but the walk map suggested continuing to the corner of the trees at '13' before descending to the track. It was easy walking on the good track from '13' to '14' where I passed a couple of horse riders trotting along the track. Instead of taking the short cut down to the tarmac road, I continued straight ahead on the path to the toll entrance.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk
Hamsterley Forest

It is advisable to visit the Information Centre to obtain a map of the latest paths as new paths and cycle ways are constantly being constructed.