Description
Bardon Mill and Allen Banks
The Bardon Mill and Allen Banks walk is a lovely walk from the village of Bardon Mill and around the beautiful Allen Banks.
We will walk along the banks of the River Allen and in the woodland and farmland surrounding it. The area that we walk in is mostly managed by The National Trust.
Details
Hills: | Medium hills | |
Distance: | Medium distance | |
Grade: | Moderate with hills | |
Map: | ||
This walk is on OS maps Explorer OL43 Hadrian’s Wall. Click on map image to buy this map. | ||
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The start
We will start in the village of Bardon Mill just off the A69. There is plenty of street parking. From here we will head down to the railway station and follow the path to the crossing. We then take the lane to Millhouse Bridge and then via Beltingham and past Ripley Hall to Allen Banks.
Allen Banks
We cross the road bridge over the River Allen and then take the track upstream towards Moralee Wood.
Storm Desmond severely damaged the Allen Banks area back in 2015. Since then, the National Trust have rebuilt the paths around the river and woodland, that were washed away. The job that they have done is wonderful and really compliments the area.
Along the River Allen
Throughout the walk we will follow the River Allen. The River Allen is a confluence of the West and East Allen rivers, that have their source is the North Pennines. The source of the East Allen is at Allenheads, where we had a walk in June 2018. The source of the West Allen is near Ninebanks.
Morralee Wood
A little way up the river we reach Morralee Wood. This is an extensive woodland to the east of the river. Many paths weave their way through the woods and we will take one up to a small lake known as The Tarn. National Trust describe this as a Victorian boating lake.
From The Tarn, we head back towards the river and along the bank towards Plankey Mill.
Plankey Mill
After walking up river for a while, we reach Plankey Mill. There used to be a watermill here, hence the name. There is also a bridge here and this is where we cross the river.
From Plankey Mill we head down river on the west side. The route takes us high above the river for a while, giving amazing views of the tree tops. We also visit some lovely locations up in the woods, like the summerhouse, where we can sit a while and enjoy the experience.
There is also a lower route if you prefer.
We can walk the rest of the way, on the west side of the river, back to the car park. and then retracing our steps to Barden Mill.
Bardon Mill
We will end again in Bardon Mill and enjoy refreshments at Bardon Mill Village Store and Tea Room.
Hope to see you there,
Julie and Martin x
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