Sycamore Gap and Crag Lough – Feb 2024

£15.00

Date:  Saturday 17 February 2024
Time: 10:00 am
Distance: 5-6 miles (less if you meet at Steel Rigg Car park)
Difficulty: Moderate (hills)

Event Expired

Description

Sycamore Gap and Crag Lough

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As everyone will be aware the Sycamore tree at Sycamore Gap was felled last year.  This will be our first time doing this walk since this time.  The walk starts at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre (at Once Brewed).  It takes a route to Sycamore Gap and gives an alternative view of the where the tree stood, with fewer people.

The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre is Northumberland National Park’s new visitor attraction and will excite and inspire people of all ages to explore the landscape, history, culture and heritage of Northumberland.  There is quite a steep incline to Steel Rigg (if you want to miss out this hill, you can meet us here).

The tree was one of most photographed in the country.  It stood in a dramatic dip in Hadrian’s Wall in the Northumberland National Park.  The 1991 film ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’, starring Kevin Costner, was filmed here.  The tree was known as The Robin Hood Tree ever since.

The start

Sycamore Gap is only a short distance East from The Sill, but we will walk past the Wall and along the road, until we get to a byway, north of Hadrian’s Wall.  We will follow this for a while.

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Hadrian’s Wall

We walk up the byway to Peatrigg, where the track ends and the path crosses fields.  All the way, we will get a distant view of the Wall on top of the whin sill.  It is a well trodden path but still far quieter than the Wall.

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Sycamore Gap

Soon we see the area where the Sycamore was from a different perspective.  You might even think that the view looks better here, rather than close up.

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Crag Lough

We also get a good look at Crag Lough, the lake under the crag.  It looks different down here.  We usually only see it from above, walking by the Wall, along the top of the crag.

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The path continues parallel to the Wall, before we turn south, towards the Wall.  We will cross the Wall through a gate and join the Military Way to return to the road, by Steel Rigg.

Return to the Sill

We return down the road to the Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre.

We will probably travel to Haydon Bridge to Oddfellows Coffee (a short drive).

This is a beautiful walk, not to be missed, with outstanding views and of course where the iconic Robin Hood Tree once stood.

We hope you can join us.

Julie and Martin x

 


Gallery – Sycamore Gap and Crag Lough


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Location

This shows the start location for this walk.
Nearest postcode: NE47 7AN
OS Grid Reference:  NY 75254 66844

Toilets:  The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre

Parking: Parking is at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre.
It is accessible from the B6318 Military Road, near the Twice Brewed Inn.
Parking Charges:  Up to 2 hours £2.00.  Then £1.00 per hour thereafter up to a maximum of £5.00.