Unveiling Keela’s Merino Zip Top: Field Trial & Expert Review
August 16, 2023St Oswald’s Way – Stage 5 – Rothbury to Kirkwhelpington.
September 12, 2023St Oswald’s Way – Stage 4 – Warkworth to Rothbury.
This is the third stage of the 97-mile St Oswald’s Way. We now head inland from the coast to the Simonside Hills, a varied 13.5-mile days walk.
Unveil the well-kept secrets of Northumberland in our latest blog post, “Hidden Gems of Northumberland: Walking Stage 4 of St Oswald’s Way Warkworth to Rothbury Hike.” Lace up your hiking boots as we delve into the captivating Stage 4 of this remarkable trail, taking you from the charming village of Warkworth to the picturesque town of Rothbury. Join us on an immersive journey through lush woodlands, tranquil riversides, and historic landmarks that often escape the tourist radar. This stage is a treasure trove of natural beauty and cultural significance, providing an authentic and off-the-beaten-path experience of Northumberland’s stunning landscapes.
Other resources:
Don’t forget to access/download the full route and mapping on OS Maps by clicking the walk map below.
Need to get the right equipment for your walk – explore our reviews.
Turn by Turn Directions
Stage 4 of the walk starts at Warkworth, where we concluded Stage 3 of the walk. It is worth spending some time at Warkworth to explore the medieval bridge and gate, as well as having a walk along the River Coquet and Warkworth Castle which dates back to the 1200s. (Video complication from 3:50)
We leave Warkworth, passing the cricket club with the castle as its backdrop. We are soon on a path through the open fields, with views of the Northumberland Coastline (Video 6:00). Our path now heads west as we leave the coastline. This is a very tranquil section of the route where there are many birds along the trail (Video 6:35). As we pass under the main east coast rail line (Video 8:10). As we continue on our way we pick up the River Coquet again (Video 10:20) as we have a very pleasant walk along the river banks as we reach Felton (Video 11:20), where we walk over the old bridge, dating back to the 15th Century and the route of the original Great North Road from London to Edinburgh.
As we leave Felton, we pass the war memorial (Video 12:10) and St Michael and All Angels Church (Video 12:30), which dates back to the 12th and 14th Centuries. We now following a very picturesque wooded area along the bank of the Coquet (Video 16:00). Our next point of interest is Weldon Bridge (Video 17:40). This is a good place to stop for some lunch. We cross the bridge (Video 17:50). The next stage is very picturesque (Video 18:40). As we continue west passing Brinkheugh on our way to Brinkburn Priory, which is on the north side of the Coquet. You can take a small detour and get a nice view of the Priory (Video 20:30).
Although the route is relatively flat, we do have a bit of elevation from this point onwards, where you have some good views up the Coquet Valley. We meet up with the River Coquet again at Pauperhaugh Bridge (Video 21:50), dating back to the 19th Century. Continuing to follow the route of the Coquet, we pass West Raw farm and have some great views up the Coquet Valley as we approach the ruined Craghead structure (Video 25:00). Our route now takes along the dismantled Northumberland Central Railway (Video 26:10), as single-gauge line built in the 19th Century between Rothbury and Scots Gap, it stopped running in 1963.
As we leave the dismantled railway (Video 27:10) we take the path and head towards Rothbury, and the conclusion of this stage of St Oswald’s Way.
The next stage takes us from Rothbury up into the Simonside Hills as we start to head south towards Kirkwhelpington.
Outdoor Catch-Up:
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Resources used whilst bringing you this walk…
Mapping and Directions:
OS Map App – Ordnance Survey Maps and routing
Maps – Ordnance Survey Maps
Compass – Must have
Equipment used:
Jacket – Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket – Equipment Review
Jacket – Montane Gravity Gore-Tex Jacket
Footwear – Merrell Accentor Sport GTX
Boots – Scarpa Rush Trek GTX – Equipment Review
Trousers – Montane BMC Terra Pants
Waterproof Trousers – Mountain Hardwear Epic Pant
Socks – 1000 mile wool fusion double layer
Head Torch – Lifesystems Intensity 220 Head Torch – Equipment Review
Backpack – Hi Gear Active22
Bladder – Camelbak 2.5L Hydration Reservoir
Camera Kit
GoPro 5 – Go anywhere action camera
hohem iSteady Pro 4-Gimbal stabiliser – Making your video professional
Lavalier Microphone – Capture professional audio
Insta360 ONE X2-360 Degree Camera – bringing video to a new dimension
Insta360 3M (10ft) Invisible Selfie Stick – make it look like a drone
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Other Walks & How to equipment guides you may be interested in:
Other Walks:
St Oswald’s Way – Stage 3 – Craster to Warkworth
St Oswald’s Way – Stage 2 – Bamburgh to Craster
St Oswald’s Way – Stage 1 – Holy Island to Bamburgh
Ingram Valley – Linhope – Ravenhill
Hen Hole, Three Sisters, Dunsdale & The Cheviot – What Great Walking.
Historic Market Town of Morpeth, Surrounding Countryside & River Walking.
Simonside Hills Circular in the Northumberland National Park.
Expert Review links:
Plan Watch Walk – Expert Reviews.
How to buy – The best Waterproof Jacket.
How to but – The best Walking Trousers.
St Oswald’s Way – Stage 4 – Warkworth to Rothbury.This is the third stage of the 97-mile St Oswald’s Way. We now head inland from the coast to the Simonside Hills, a varied 13.5-mile days walk. |
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13.5 miles |
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OS Explorer 332-440 |
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5:40 |
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