Old Fawdon Hill - Northumberland Walk
Friday 1st May 2026
We wanted to make the most of the good weather and having recovered from Wednesday's 12 mile walk we decided to head out to Ingram to do a shorter walk with a couple of hills in it. After parking in the wrong place, getting kitted up and then realising we weren't where we needed to be we jumped back into the car and managed to grab the last parking space in the car park at Ingram Bridge.
Start: Ingram Bridge (NU 0175 1632)
Route: Ingram Bridge - Ingram Mill - Chapel Knowe - Fawdon - Old Fawdon Hill (TP) - Wether Hill - Ingram Bridge
Distance: 5.75 miles Ascent: 329 metres Time Taken: 3 hrs 3 mins
Terrain: Clear tracks
Weather: Hot and sunny
Pub Visited: Newcastle House, Rothbury Ale Drunk: Tim Taylor's Landlord
We left the road close to Ingram Mill and headed along the track towards Long Plantation.
Climbing up towards Chapel Knowe we pause to look back and look across the valley towards a distant Heddon Hill.
Looking back down the track we followed to Chapel Knowe and across towards Wether Hill.
Once on the other side of Chapel Knowe we could look across towards Beanley Moor and the radio station on Cloudy Crags.
Heading down towards Fawdon and I look back across the lower slopes of East Hill to a distant Bewick Moor.
At Fawdon we turned and followed the track towards West Hill with Old Fawdon Hill also in view.
We were soon looking back to Fawdon and the slopes of Chapel Knowe.
Crossing the fields below Castle Knowe we start to make a gradual ascent to the foot of Old Fawdon Hill.
After a steep climb we reached the summit of Old Fawdon Hill, here looking towards the Cheviots.
We sat just below the summit and had our lunch looking across Gibbs Hill to the distant Simonside Hills.
Lunch over we made the steep descent down Old Fawdon Hill and rejoined the footpath below it.
When we reached Bowl Holes we left the footpath to pick our way down to the gate and then started to ascend to Cochrane Pike
Whilst making the short ascent to the track above Bowl Holes it was quite obvious my achilles wasn't happy so rather than risk making it worse with more ascent we changed our planned route.
Instead of continuing uphill we took the track back across the slopes of Wether Hill.
Heading down the track we had views across to Bewick Moor.
It was easy going heading down the track and whilst on here we saw a couple of people heading uphill, the only people, except a farmer, we would see on the walk.
Nearly at the end of the track and we can look across the valley to Turf Knowe, which had been one of the options for a descent route if we had continued the walk.
Looking towards what I think is Heddon Hill. Next time we are in Northumberland maybe we will have to walk it to see if I'm correct.
All pictures copyright © Peak Walker 2006-2026