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A breath-taking setting for family picnics and exhilarating walks

The Breamish Valley with its high, rolling hills and lovely river setting make it perfect for picnicking on the haugh land (pronounced ‘hoff’) alongside the River Breamish, or for walking up to one of the many prehistoric hillforts beyond.

For the more adventurous, discover the beautiful Linhope Spout waterfall, which you can reach following a short walk beyond Hartside. The valley road is also ideal to cycle along at a leisurely pace.

Download our Breamish Valley Map to help you discover more about this incredible place.

History of the Breamish Valley

The Breamish Valley contains an amazing concentration of prehistoric hillforts. These enclosures, made of earth and stone ramparts around a central area, were built by ancient Britons 2,300 years ago. They were built in a landscape already rich in the monuments of the people who had lived here before. Each hillfort seems to sit in its own territory, separated from its neighbour.

hillforts in winter

In many of the hillforts, including Brough Law, Middle Dean and Wether Hill, you can see faint circles on the ground that are the remains of their timber roundhouses. The surrounding hillsides are covered in cultivation terraces on which our ancestors grew crops, and also scattered over the hills are burial cairns that date to the Bronze Age (4,000 years ago). Surprisingly there had been very few archaeological excavations here before the 1990s when Northumberland National Park Authority set up the Breamish Valley Archaeological Project.

Why not download out Breamish Valley Hillfort Trail to help you explore the area.

Ingram Art Cafe

For home-made meals, snacks and drinks, visit the Ingram Art Café, a family-run business in the centre of Ingram, which is open 7 days a week.

Here you can also find local information about the National Park and visit the archaeology exhibition to learn more about the fascinating history of the Breamish Valley. There is also a lovely selection of locally-made gifts to browse.

Ingram Art Cafe is located next to Ingram Church, which you can access via the picturesque woodland path from Ingram Bridge Car Park. There is limited parking for visitors with disabilities outside the Cafe – Turn left after you pass Ingram Bridge Car Park and drive 100m to the small car park next to the Church.

Visit the Ingram Art Cafe website here.

Telephone: 01665 578100

a man ordering at a cafe
an elderly woman enjoying a cup of tea sat at a wooden table
cakes for sale in a cafe

Further Information

Find out more about the Breamish Valley.

Parking in the Valley

There are two car parks in the valley, the first is at Ingram Bridge, with easy footpath access to Ingram Church, Café and Exhibition. The second is at Bulby’s Wood with toilets, an information point, adjacent the haugh land for picnics and paddling.

Toilets at Bulby's Wood in the Breamish Valley

You can also park directly on the haugh land where signed. Please take care not to damage the grass.

For those wanting to explore the upper reaches of the valley and to walk to Linhope Spout waterfall, there is very limited verge parking available at Hartside (no more than 6 cars).

Dog Owners

Dogs are very welcome in the National Park; however as a general rule please keep all dogs on a lead.

Take particular care that your dog does not scare sheep and lambs or wander where it might disturb birds and other wildlife. At certain times, dogs are not allowed on Open Access land for certain land management reasons. Please clean up after your dog and get rid of the mess responsibly.

Barbecues and Fire Risk

The impact that fire has on the landscape can be devastating to habitats and wildlife. To minimise the chance of accidental fire taking hold, please don’t drop matches, cigarettes or glass and please don’t place barbecues directly onto the grass – use a flat stone under the barbecue to keep the grass in good condition.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

An AED device is located at Ingram Village Hall.

Automated External Defibrillator on the side of Ingram Village Hall

 

Getting to the Breamish Valley

The Breamish Valley is very easy to get to if you are travelling either from the south or from the Scottish Borders.

Travelling from Newcastle, follow the A1 north and turn off onto the A697 to Coldstream and Wooler. Stay on the A697 until you see the sign to Breamish Valley, just north of Powburn. Journey Time from Newcastle to Ingram in the Breamish Valley is approximately 1 hour.

Travelling from The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, either take the scenic route across to Rothbury to join the A697, or drive along the A69 to the A1.  Journey Time from The Sill to Ingram in the Breamish Valley is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

Travelling from Coldstream, follow the A697 south until you see the sign to Breamish Valley, just north of Powburn. Journey Time from Coldstream to Ingram in the Breamish Valley is approximately 40 minutes.

Journey Time from Edinburgh to Ingram in the Breamish Valley is approximately 1 hour 50 minutes.