Hiking in the peaceful woods with breath-taking views over Northumberland

I’ve always enjoyed walking through the woods; it makes me feel calm and at ease with life, giving me a chance to get away from the noisy world and to connect with nature at its best.

The Hike

Thrunton woods is located West of Alnwick Northumberland.  Our hike began at the free of charge main car park, but if it is busy ,like it was for us , it can seem quite difficult to find a parking spot, especially if it is a bank holiday. After stealing the last spot available we put on our hiking boots, strapped on our packs and began the long hike, deep into the mysterious woods.  Surrounded by huge towering trees , we followed the wide paths that were sign-posted by markers of red or green, due to it being quite popular for cyclists. I assume this is the technicality of the route.  We veered off to the right on to a dark path through a narrow opening of trees, where we found ourselves being taken deeper into the forest, unexpected of what to find around the next corner. All we could hear was the snapping of twigs beneath us and the light breeze of the trees as they swayed side to side. It felt like something out of  Narnia!

Emerging from the dark windy path, we ended up onto the edge of the woods with views of Northumberland nestled in between the trees to the right of us. Turning left, following the wide opening path we were greeted by rays of golden sunshine hitting the ground as scattered light filters.

The gradient slowly became steeper until it quickly became more of scramble than a walk. Pushing up through the dense mossy wood, we could not see what waited ahead of us at the top. It was well worth the heavy breathing as we were rewarded with the top of Thurnton Crag viewpoint which was mind-blowing with views over Northumberland, with the North Sea surrounding the area and the Cheviot Hills to the right. Our jaws dropped in awe!

Onwards from here, it was pleasantly easy terrain on Thurnton Crag as we walked down into the valley below. I could see a cluster of rocks high up on the hills in front us and pointed them out, purely illustrating how amazing they looked as they stood proudly over the surrounded area. Unknown to both us , as we descended to the bottom of the valley, we were heading for those cluster of rocks which are called ‘Coe Crag’! I should have done my research more before we headed on this hike; however it was part of the adventure and surprise of not knowing what lies ahead of us.

Another steep scramble hit us thick and fast. This was the last one of the day before we arrived at the summit of Coe Crag for a spot of lunch. Our bodies were craving calories and carbohydrates as we pushed up through the Jurassic like landscape. The brow of the hill opened up onto the stunning moorland that had a graceful, gentle rhythm, as if dancing with the land, as the colours of the heather changed with the passing off clouds; another view that had yet again taken our breaths away and left us in complete disbelief.

Fuelled and feeling a bit more energized, we gradually descended down last part of the hike through the heather moors and woodland that lead back on the main road towards the car park. The long stretch of road back was tiresome but luckily there was a small café just off the road , being a tearoom and a B&B. Time to sit and relax for a quick coffee in the sunshine, reflecting on the walk and our favourite parts before heading back to the car.

This is a great hike with outstanding views of Northumberland but it isn’t to be underestimated on the gradient of the terrain, as this can become challenging in parts.

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