This walk starts
in the attractive stone-built Market Town of Wooler in Northumberland, perched
high above the Wooler Water in the foothills of the Cheviots, and is a natural
gateway to Glendale and Northumberland National
Park. The
walk takes us upto Wooler Common, then west following St Cuthberts Way to as far as Gains Law,
then back passing Humbleton Hill and the village of Humbleton
until reaching Wooler. Altogether the
walk is approximately 6.5 miles with a few hilly stretches.
The name Wooler may be from Old English
wella "well, spring" and ofer (ridge or hill). A record of the name
as Welnfver in 1186 seems to suggest this origin. The other origin may be
"Wulfa's hillside", from the Old English personal name Wulfa
"wolf" and őra "hillside, slope", although this word in
place-names usually means "river mouth, shore". In 1232 it is
recorded as Wulloir.
Up
to the beginning of 12th century Northumberland was ruled by a succession of
earls first, Anglo-Saxon, then Danish and eventually Norman. However there is
no reference to Wooler in the Domesday Book (1086) due to the area still not
being totally under William the Conqueror’s control.
On
the invasion route of English and Scottish armies and situated so close to the
border Wooler viewed many great events of history. The battles at Humbledon
Hill (Homeldown) in 1402 and Flodden in 1513
although great in historic terms had perhaps less effect than the Scottish
raids of 1340 & 1409 which caused great destruction. Wooler was garrisoned
at various times by both nations. The 'reivers' or border raider were a fact of
life in the border marches for several centuries as evidenced by the numbers of
Peel Towers and fortified farm houses through out the borders.
One of the reasons for the
success of Wooler is that it lies on an important route (turnpiked in the 18th century)
across the Borders (the present A697) between Morpeth to the south-east, and
Coldstream to the north-west – ultimately a route between London
and Edinburgh.
It meant that over the later 18th and early 19th centuries, the town provided
the important function of post or coaching stop.
As you start to leve Wooler town and head for the
common you can follow in the footsteps of Saint Cuthbert, who became one of the
more famous Northumbrians. Saint Cuthbert (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was
an Anglo Saxon monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria.
After his death he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, with a
cult centred at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert is regarded as the patron saint of
northern England.
Hart Heugh Hill
Kenterdale Hill and St Cuthberts Way
Wooler Common
St Cuthberts Way
The Last Post
How does a Parcel delivery van end up in the hills?
Yeavering Bell and Newton Tors from Gains Law
Fredden Hill and Newton Tors from Gains Law
The Battle
of Humbleton Hill (or Homildon
Hill) was a conflict between the English and Scottish armies on
September 14, 1402 in Northumberland,
England, The
battle was recounted in Shakespear’s Henry IV, part 1.
The approach to Humbleton Hill (on the right)
On 22 June
1402, a small government backed Scots force, returning from a raid, was beaten
by George Dunbar, the Earl of March’s son, at the battle of Nesbit Moor, for
which no quarter was given.
View from Gains Law to Humbleton Hill
Archibald
Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas arguably the most militarily powerful
man in Scotland, and a key
part of the Duke of Albany’s administration, used the pretext of Nisbet Muir to
lead a punitive expedition into England.
With Murcoch of Fife, Albany's son, Douglas's
army marched as far as Newcastle
to avenge the battle. At the head of 10,000 men he laid waste to the whole of
Northumberland.
March persuaded Henry Percy, 1st earl of
Northumberland, and his son Harry “Hotspur” to lie in wait for the returning
Scots at Wooler. Once Douglas's men had made
camp at Millfield, relatively low ground, the English army rushed to attack.
The Scots did however have keen sentries and the army was able to retreat to
the higher ground of Homildon hill, and organised into traditional Schiltron formations.
Douglas had not learnt the lessons that had
defeated his great uncle at the Battle of Hallidon Hill seventy years
previously. The Schiltrons presented a large target for the English Longbowmen,
and the formations started to break. A hundred men, under Sir John Swinton
chose to charge the enemy saying: "Better to die in the mellay than be
shot down like deer". All perished. It has been suggested that Douglas hesitated to signal the advance of his main
force, and when he did, it was too little too late. Douglas's
mauled army met the as yet unbloodied English men at arms, and were routed.
Many of Douglas's leading captains were
captured, including his kinsman George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus,
Thomas Dunbar, 5th Earl of Moray and Murdoch of Fife. Douglas
himself was captured having been wounded five times, including the loss of an
eye. This wounding was despite the fact that it is alleged Douglas'
armour had taken three years in its construction.
The Path back to Humbleton Village
Humbleton Village and the road back to Wooler
