Your Views
We know that many of you have a special place in your hearts for the wonderful serenity and picturesque beauty of Northumberland National Park, but we want you to shout about it!
Send us your views, opinions and special memories and we will post them here for all to see ...
Horse heaven - Cathryn Marcus, UK ANPA Co-ordinator (March 2008)
Ben's ears - Walking through snowI’m always on the lookout for that horsey crock of gold – a heavenly place where the gates open and shut, the bridle path hasn’t been destroyed by trail bikers, there is clear waymarking and a complete absence of horse ‘terrifiers’. Well, happy hackers, I’m delighted to tell you that horse heaven is a place on earth – Northumberland National Park.
My dream of a day started (as all my dreams do, actually) with the miraculous appearance of a good horse. This one appears out of the back of a trailer at Clennell Farm near Coquet- a fit looking, friendly hunter by the name of Ben, who looks very pleased to be there. Well, he’s a local and he already knows what treats lie in store.
As the clouds part and the sun comes out over the Coquet Valley, we set off, guided by Northumberland National Park’s mounted ranger, Tracy Hall. We ride on, over bridges, through fords and gates that are easy to open and close when mounted. Ben’s having a great time – this is his hunting country and he’s joyfully sailing over ditches and blasting up slopes. But this isn’t a route purely for the speed merchants. There are places to canter and gallop if you’re in the mood, but with staggering scenery like this, you won’t want to rush. These are big, big skies and on a clear day like today, you can see all the way to Scotland.
There’s still enough snow to necessitate a dismount as we walk down through the twinkling hush of the Kidland Forest, hooves scrunching through untouched snow and the sun breaking through the trees. It’s simply magical.
Eventually we start our descent and the horses get a well deserved drink in one of the many crystal clear streams. Then, with many a backward glance, we make our way back along the track to Clennell Farm, watched carefully by a particularly handsome group of Cheviot sheep. A rainbow stretches out across the Alwin Valley, one last waymarker to what is truly an equestrian crock of gold.
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An uplifting walk - Adrian Hinchcliffe (September 2007)
Upper CoquetdaleOn a crisp, clear September day my brother-in-law and I took a wonderful walk in upper Coquetdale.
After a brisk morning’s walk and a stop for lunch, we climbed the final steep slope to Windy Gyle and headed to the huge mound of stones known as Russell’s Cairn. At this point we were 619 metres above sea level and didn’t it show. We had the feeling of being perched on top of the world. What an amazing view. All round we had 360 degree views and apart from the patch of cloud approximately ten miles to the south it was crystal clear.
I stood in amazement just looking at the views, examining every direction and every landmark trying to name it, but this view was so extensive that it was impossible to name everything that we could see.
After about 20 minutes we reluctantly moved off, taking the Pennine Way in the direction of the Cheviot. We walked for about four hours and it had been a wonderful uplifting experience. But perhaps the most remarkable thing was that from arriving at the car park, throughout the walk and the return, we had not come face to face with any other human beings. The nearest we had come to human contact was seeing two walkers on the Pennine Way at about one mile distant. It had been an amazing walk which had confirmed this part of Northumberland National Park as an extremely tranquil, uplifting place.
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