Corbridge Historic Fortifications Trail

On a day of unbroken sunshine, warm but with a cool breeze, we drove a few miles north to Corbridge, on the River Tyne, to hike its Historic Fortifications Trail which I’ll refer to hereafter as the “HFT”. The 9.5-mile route is a hilly, multi-surface circuit between Corbridge and the “military road” (B6318) visiting a number of ancient, fortified structures, one of which is the Roman wall or, more accurately, its “vallum” which runs alongside to the south. Although highlighted as the HFT on Plotaroute (which was what caught my attention) it’s promoted as one of three Corbridge heritage trails. These trails are way-marked with a metal cross inscribed “CHT” (Corbridge Heritage Trails), a fact that was lost on me when we did our walk. More information on the Corbridge Heritage Trails is available here.

Think of the HFT as a triangle: clockwise, the outward leg is almost entirely uphill; it then slopes gently downhill, alongside the military road, before turning more steeply downhill, back to Corbridge. Despite a long, initial climb, we didn’t find it too taxing and can wholeheartedly recommend it. Note that if you’re not wearing reasonably waterproof footwear, unless there’s been a lengthy dry spell you’re likely to get wet feet when crossing Stagshawbank Burn (more about this in the description).

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Stats at a Glance

Distance 15 km/9.5 miles | Elevation Gain  296 m/971 ft | Maximum Elevation 247 m/810 ft (farm at Portgate) | Going Generally firm with at least one potentially very wet/boggy section; road, trail, farmland and woodland | Exposure Very exposed around the highest point (Farm at Portgate) | Navigation Limited ‘CHT’ way-marking plus Hadrian’s Wall Path along the vallum (OS Explorer OL43; Landranger 87)| Hospitality & Supplies Corbridge (All); Port Gate (Ca) | Start & Finish Corbridge (car park S of the River Tyne) NY 987640 (what3words: dancer.penned.self) | Grade Moderate | GPS File

Click the button below to download a FREE PDF copy of the tour notes (no images). Use it with the FREE GPS file linked above.

Photographs of the Corbridge Historic Fortifications Trail are available in our Google Gallery

Route Description

Corbridge to the Military Road (B6318)

6.2 km/4 miles

From the car-park on the south side of the River Tyne head north, across the c17th bridge (one of the few on the North-East’s major rivers to have withstood the ‘Great Flood’ of 1771). EITHER walk directly up the hill to the junction with Middle St (by the Angel Inn) OR bear left after the bridge and walk – even more steeply – up St Mary’s Chare onto Front Street. Whatever your chosen route, when you get to the junction, turn left and continue into the marketplace.

The usually bustling marketplace is dominated by St Andrew’s Church, the tower of which dates to the Anglo-Saxon period. Within the wall of the churchyard, encroaching onto the marketplace, is a well preserved vicar’s pele tower. It’s impossible to miss, being stoutly built for the mortal protection of the clergy during troubled medieval times – when English and Scottish armies, and raiders known popularly as ‘Border Reivers’, could bring death and destruction to the population on both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border.

Leave the marketplace, heading north on Watling St – past the ‘King’s Oven’ (again in the churchyard wall, by the church tower) – to the junction with St Helen’s St. Continue through the alley of the Wheatsheaf Hotel, turning left, then right, onto Stagshaw Rd (continuation of Watling St). Continue to the junction with St Helen’s Lane and turn right, then first left onto Hippingstones Lane. At the end of the cul-de-sac, bear right onto a footpath which ascends gently uphill for 400 m past new housing developments encroaching onto a medieval common known as ‘Hippingstones Field’ (complete with handy information plaque).

The footpath turns right at a steep embankment on top of which is the busy A69 trunk road. Continue for 300 m to a quiet, minor road (Leazes Lane). Turn left and continue for 2 km – under the A69 – on the soon-to-be very hilly Leazes Lane. After 250 m you cross – for the first time – the Cor Burn where there’s both a footbridge and a ford. Then you’re straight onto the steepest uphill part of the route, the dominant feature of this first leg.

Eventually the route leaves the road, left, onto a stony, potentially muddy, track – still heading upwards for another kilometre – to a row of cottages at Low Houses. Continue on the access road at Low Houses to the A68 at Stagshaw Bank. There’s no footpath on this busy road – which has to be crossed – but it’s only a short distance before the route bears left to a stile alongside another access road off the A68. For hundreds of years – possibly dating to Anglo-Saxon times – Stagshaw Bank Common was the site of “two of the greatest fairs in England”. Given that the A68 generally follows the course of the Roman supply road of Dere Street (which continued in importance long after the Romans had gone) I suppose it’s no surprise.

It was at this point – by mindlessly following the access road – we lost contact with the trail but the GPS device I’d brought along together with the file you can download from this page soon had us back on track. This is probably the most likely point on the route where the relative lack (in my opinion) of specific way-marking might create issues. Walking in the direction indicated by the fingerpost at the stile, through a wide gap in the gorse, then heading across the common towards the farm on the hill at Portgate is actually quite straightforward. The common itself is exposed, tussocky and potentially boggy; if visibility is poor then the GPS file or a map and compass might prove very useful.

As you progress over the low ridge – heading towards the farm – you’ll eventually see a gate in the wall. This is your objective. I was somewhat surprised to find that the gate opened onto an extensive bog, fed by the Stagshawbank Burn. Although there are stone slabs to assist, my boots were submerged up to the laces though my feet remained dry. In persistently wet weather I guess that it could be considerably deeper, so bear that in mind. I’ve included some photographs in the gallery – linked above – that should help illustrate this section.

After passing through the farm, turn right and continue on an access road (the highest point on the trail) directly towards the military road (B6318) a short distance away. Just before you get there you’ll see a ladder-stile on the right, the first of several on this top section of the trail, all facilitating the copiously way-marked Hadrian’s Wall Path (HWP). Top Tip: Right next to the stile is an easy-to-open gate which I failed to notice until I was on the other side! The previously mentioned ‘vallum’ is the large ditch that you can see – to the right – when crossing the stile. It’s an important linear earthwork that runs almost the entire length of the wall, from coast to coast, though its purpose – apparently defensive – isn’t fully understood.

Military Road (B6318)

2.4 km/1.5 miles

From now on the route is almost constantly descending. The carpet-like, grassy trail quickly returns you to the A68, this time at the Port Gate roundabout. In Roman times, the ‘Port Gate’ provided Dere Street with access through the wall. Today you’ll no doubt be delighted to find the Errington Arms Coffee House on the site, ideally placed for refreshments. While it looks like it could get quite busy, it was quiet enough when we were there.

After leaving the cafe, bear left across the A68 towards a fingerpost indicating the HWP. After walking alongside the main road for a short distance, you return to the fields via a way-marked stile. A bit further on, you’ll come across some incongruous-looking but nevertheless imposing gates belonging to Halton Castle (out of sight, further down the hill). They stand on the site of Halton Chesters Roman fort. So much has been written about the fort and vicus (civilian settlement) of the Onnum/Halton Chesters/Port Gate complex that I’ll never be able to do it justice and I’d probably get it wrong anyway.

Beyond the gates, just before reaching the scattered lumps and bumps of the abandoned sandstone quarry at Downhill, the HFT parts company with the HWP, turning southwards across the field – following the wall on the right. Again, there’s no HFT way-marking, so be alert (generic way-marker posts stand in the field further downhill).

Military Road (B6318) to Corbridge

6.4 km/4 miles

After a kilometre of descending, back into the Tyne Valley, you come to Halton Castle. It’s actually a fortified manor house dating to the c14th, and stands next to an attractive c16th chapel dedicated, somewhat over-generously, to St Oswald, St Cuthbert and King Alfwald. While the castle is private, the chapel is very much open to visitors, being attached to St Andrew’s in Corbridge. Don’t miss (as I did) the topiary ‘Halton Pig’ next to the south door entrance.

A mile further down the metalled lane (it’s exactly a mile so I haven’t bothered with kilometres) is the last of the trail’s fortifications – another fortified manor house, Aydon Castle. Much bigger than Halton, it was built in the c13th and briefly surrendered to the Scots before their defeat at the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346. Administered by English Heritage it’s only opened for tours and special events, which seems a shame. We had a memorable visit a few years ago but I don’t remember having to apply.

The route passes directly in front of the gates before descending steeply into the wooded gorge where, once again, you encounter the Cor Burn. If you take time to look back at the castle, you’ll appreciate how difficult it would have been to attack it from that direction at least. After crossing the burn via a footbridge, there’s a short, steep, rugged and potentially slippery climb out of the gorge with the possibility (as it was for us) of having to negotiate large, wind-fallen trees lying across the path. The wood ends at a gate onto a well-trodden and sheep-cropped path descending through fields back to the increasingly intrusive A69.

A bridge over the A69 at this point would be very convenient, however it’s necessary to turn east for half a kilometre before coming back the other way (you could opt for a shorter alternative by heading downhill on the road, directly into town). The suggested route, on Deadridge Lane, is much nicer and quieter. When you eventually begin to descend towards town you might notice large, cone-shaped structures across the fields to your right. These were once functioning kilns belonging to the former Walker’s Yard (Corbridge) pottery works.

At the bottom of the lane, when you finally rejoin the road (Aydon Road), all you need to do is turn right and walk directly back to the town centre where a selection of welcoming hostelries await (we went for The Black Bull on Middle Street – highly recommended). And that, dear friends, concludes our description of the Corbridge Historic Fortifications Trail. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and look forward to your company on the next adventure!