An easy walk around riverbanks and an old railway line.
The Falstone Circular Walk is a lovely little ramble around dramatic riverbanks and an old railway line.
The old railway line you follow on the walk was once part of the Border Counties Railway which was in use between 1862 and 1958. Imagine steam trains bound north for Riccarton over the Scottish border – an easier journey than by car today.
Falstone folk are very proud of the Stell, their very own sculpture inspired by the area’s rich natural and cultural history and a record of place names now submerged beneath Kielder Water. Artist Colin Wilbourn worked with local people to produce this artwork in 2006.
Falstone Old School Tearooms are housed in the village’s old Victorian schoolhouse. Pupils once rode into school from the outlying farms and left their horses at the stables – now the kitchen! Northumberland National Park Authority worked with the local community to renovate the building in 2004.
The dam which dominates the skyline for much of the walk holds back the Kielder Water reservoir which opened in 1982. It is surrounded by Kielder Forest – forestry has been and still is a significant industry and employer in the area.
Download the PDF guide to Falstone Circular Walk
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