Haltwhistle Burn is a large stream, or small river, which runs from the high moorland of The Hadrian’s Wall Roman Military Zone down to the valley of the South Tyne. The waters, which at times can be torrential, have cut a deep gorge through the Carboniferous rocks exposing a dramatic sequence of limestone, sandstone, coal and shale. It is this mineral wealth, combined with the power of the water which has made The Burn so important to the small market town of Haltwhistle.

For  the last seven hundred years the waters of the Burn have been used to power corn and woollen mills whilst stone, coal and clay,  mined along its banks, have given rise to a succession of industries which brought employment and prosperity to the town. Since the closure of the last pit in 1931 the traces of The Burn’s industrial past have been slowly eroded so that today the Burn Gorge is lush wooded valley with only a few enigmatic ruins to betray its history.

Over the last two years a massive project as been undertaken to upgrade the footpath beside the Burn, replacing the  bridges and gates, reinforcing The Burn banks and  resurfacing  the one and a half miles of the footpath itself. It now provides a well surfaced and easy walk for locals and visitors alike, linking the Military Road to Haltwhistle.  The path is wheelchair and pushchair accessible for two thirds of its length.

The footpath from Cawfields Quarry to Haltwhistle along the Haltwhistle Burn is a two mile route which brings walkers through a delightful and interesting valley in to a town which can provide  full services .

 

 

 

Footpath South End  54°58'30.42"N   2°27'26.97"W

Footpath North End  54°59'13.54"N   2°27'7.85"W

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Footpath South End : NY 708 645 GB Grid

Footpath North End :  NY 711 659  GB Grid

OS Explorer Map OL43     1:25000 scale      Hadrian’s Wall Haltwhistle & Hexham

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