Herding Hill Challenge #The Tea Shop
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache will form the beginning of the Herding Hill Challenge to be completed later in 2012. This is a large click lock box containing log book and pen for now but plenty of space for swaps. Placed with permission of the landowner who own the tea room and camp site. Cache may require a google to release
The site is wheelchair friendly but you may need some help retrieving the cache.
A weather warning before we begin: This area is prone to very speedy weather changes so please ensure you are properly dressed and equipped. Enough said now for the fun:
This is part of a series of approx 26 caches, the first part along the wall takes in some smiley caches too, you will need tweezers and a pen/pencil. The walk goes from Herding Hill Farm in a circular route taking in part of Hadrians wall the heading north to the edge if Kielder Forest.
DISTANCE 11.5 miles approx 6 hours give or take
MAP Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 315
AD122 BUS Visits Cawfields Quarry during its regular summer service.
THE WALK
There is a PDF map available of the route which covers from #3 please contac t us for a copy. The route actually begins from here at Herding Hill Farm, there is a copy of the map laminated in the shop which is available to borrow for free. This is also an excellent place to stay. Parking for cachers is also available here for free but please let the people in the shop (when open) know you are caching (they love cachers)
Caches 1-3...1 is at the tea shop, then follow the road towards Cawfield where you will pick up number 2 and 3, there is then a deliberate gap between 3 and 4 with two options:
Option 1 - from 3 take the route back down towards Cawfield where you can follow the map (if you have it) or follow the wall if you dont and pick up approx 4 Smiley caches along the wall before you cross over.
Option 2 (slightly easier) from 3 cross over the wall and follow the footpath along the side of the Roman aqueduct towards Thorny Doors Gate where you can pick up the instructions below and be back on the map.
Map Directions from Cawfields: please note the numbers are numbered instructions and do not correspond to the location of the caches:
1 From the Cawfields Quarry car park follow the gravel path of the National Trail beside the deep quarry
pool, with the impressive sight of the quarried whinstone cliff to the right and its apron of heather. Via two
kissing-gates walk up to and through Hole Gap, sometimes called Pilgrim’s Gap.
2 Up to the right a section of Wall climbs to the quarry cliff-top, a fine spot to consider Milecastle 42 across
Hole Gap. But why was this milecastle not built in Hole Gap? Presumably there was a strategic logic. Yet
the steep dip slope and awkward north gate exit made it far less practical. The natural northern whinstone
buttress will inevitably have brought Roman traffic down to Hole Gap anyway! But probably more significant,
the position will have fitted the strict letter of measurement handed out to the legion given the construction
task. Follow the open path leading east alongside the Wall. This is a fine
opportunity to witness a classic stretch of reconstructed Roman Wall
running along the brink of a consistent cliff, Cawfields Crags. The upper
fringe of trees adds to the textural outlook. The cliff- and farm-name
might be old, but they are still representative of a daily reality: that of
the constant presence of raucous rooks, where ‘caw’ simply referred to
the sound in the air!
The path passes the Thorny Doors gate, tackling a notable jump in the
ridge, aided by a flight of stone steps. Keep close to the wall least you
find yourself on the wrong side of a curious comparatively modern,
crazy mosaic constructed wall. Pass the low evidence of turret 41A with
a fine view east to the roller-coaster ride of the Whin Sill ridge intent on
Winshields Crags. The path declines to cross the road in Caw Gap, via
facing kissing-gates. Hereon the Roman structure has been lost. Climb a
second flight of stone steps. Avoid the lure of the hollow-way right: this is
a cul-de-sac to a long abandoned whinstone quarry. Pass through Bogle
Hole, a secret amphitheatre evidently a place inhabited by goblins.
Ghost your way through, advancing to cross a ladder-stile after the lost
milecastle 41.
3 Bade farewell to the mighty Wall, now only a short distance from reaching its highest point on Winshields Crags. Your journey into the northlands begins by stepping over the adjacent wall-stile. The pasture path drifts northeast below the scarp, upon what was once Melkridge Common, keeping above Hexagon Plantation. Cross the line of a broken wall and head through the damp tussocks to a ladder-stile. Maintain course with yet more soft rush to weave through to successive stiles in the wall and fence, with a ditch plank in between. The footpath angles down to the road crossing a nice fence-stile
- with slip resistant steps,
close by Well House.
A glimpse into Wark Forest
4 Turn left and wend down the road to turn right with the lane to Longsyke and The Goose Barn, following the footpath sign ‘Herding Crags’. Descend to cross the neat stone bridge and, with a
duck pond right, come up towards the farm.
5 Short of the Goose Barn go through the hand-gate left, along the diverted footpath, passing on to a field-gate beyond the trees. Bear back right to a field-gate into the yard behind the Longsyke barns, then
angle half-left to a gate into the pasture. Aim north to cross a fence-stile. Invisible now, the Roman aqueduct for Great Chesters ran from right to left across the pasture, parallel with the fence, some 15m on. This amazing piece of civil engineering here lay just below the 220m contour. Advance up the pasture to a ladder-stile and continue passing to the right of the Wealside, where a two-way footpath sign rests against a telegraph pole.
6 In the left field corner, beyond the gate into the farmyard, cross the ladder-stile and embark on the rough ditched pasture. The tall wooden stand over to the left was set up for birds of prey. There is no path underfoot, but plenty of soft rush to slalom through until the open sheep pasture of Watch Hill eases progress. Coming over the swell of the ridge, find a ladder-stile in the far corner, defended by a mild mannered marshy moat.
This sits in the midst of Resting Gap, a secretive hollow where cattle rustled by Border Reivers paused during long journeys to far horizons. The antics of these notorious moss troopers are held in folk memory in such place-names. Follow with the wall north-west to reach the open road.
7 Turn right to walk free upon the open road - what joy! The first dip in the road actually contains a ‘dip’, as in an old sheep washfold to the right. Looking backward, Winshields Crags is now looking quite a distant
horizon from the early phase of the walk. Duly pass the signs announcing Kielder Forest Park and Wark Forest. Cross a cattle-grid, and pass the access roadway to Hopealone mast (does this name suggest that hope alone will not save you in the depths of this extraordinarily vast and confusing forest!). The tarmac road
comes to an end at a gate with a fabulous northward view to forest horizons, but short of this, a ladder-stile and open gateway welcome.
8 Strictly the footpath leads from the ladder-stile parallel to the open roadway, but, in practice, walkers will not be apprehended for sticking to the track down to the homestead. The footpath turns left between the
stables, before the courtyard, going through a gate and along a passage on the south side of the indoor swimming pool.
9 Coming by the main house, a field-gate with yellow waymark ushers you into a paddock and down the slope to a footbridge. You are now set on course due south. On crossing, clamber up the slope and keep
south to cross a fence-stile by tormented Leylandii shrubs. Traverse the rough pasture, with evidence of tree stumps to stumble upon, en route to a corresponding ladder-stile over a wall bounding the old woodland.
Head up the slope passing to the left of Wallshield Crags, a rare moment on the walk when rock may be handled. The pasture beyond is unfettered and you quickly join an open track which is followed faithfully
down by a stone shed. Currently being robbed of its roof and more! The young conifers over to the right shield the fragmentary remains of Wallshield Colliery and the gated then cattle-gridded track hereon must
have served to convey the coal by the horse-drawn cart-load. Follow the track passing Wallshield Farm to eventually meet a road beyond the cattle-grid at Benkshill.
10 Bear right almost at once and heed the guidance of the footpath sign directing up the damp pasture. Cross the Benks Hill ridge going through a damp valley and over the next swelling ridge to meet the open
road again at a two-way footpath sign.
11 Attention is once more drawn to the course of the Roman aqueduct,
which swung through the marshy hollow, passing, in effect, under the
road causeway. The road is your companion all the way back to Cawfields Quarry. Notice the low banks evident
by the open road at and after the open access road to Great Chesters Farm, this is the outline of a pre-Wall Roman marching camp.
Once back at Cawfields follow the footpath signs for Haltwhistle Burn to pick up the remaining cacheswhich we hope with brighten the end of your journey as you may by now be feeling a little weary. The caches follow the path down the Burn with the last two deliberately placed to bring you back over the fields to Shield Hill and back to your start point at Hering Hill for a well deserved rest!!
This cache will form the beginning of the Herding Hill challenge to allow free parking at this site. You can also easily reach Hadrians wall from here which has several caches in both directions with some very challenging walks. You can park at the wall but parking costs £3.
A Laminated copy of the map is available FOC in the tea shop if you have forgotten to print it off at home. Please return it afterwards.
Please note there is no access through the site to Haltwhistle Burn, you must follow the road and then the public footpath.
This series will be maintained with the help of the owners of Herding Hill Farm and Kiya1994 a local cacher
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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