CAMRamble No.1 : Wylam to Newburn Circular Walk

Taken from Canny Bevvy Issue 261 • Autumn 2024
We met at the CAMRA award winning Boathouse pub which is opposite Wylam railway station. This has an elevated signal box, once a popular design on this line but is now almost unique with the only other surviving signal box of this design located at Hexham. The Boathouse boasts an impressive array of 15 handpulls. I opted for Tyneside Blonde (3.9% ABV) by Hadrian Border Brewery, a refreshing light ale, perfect on a warm summers day.

We set off from Wylam on a walk of just under eight miles downstream of the Tyne towards Clara Vale Nature reserve which was opened in 1986. It was formerly the site of Clara Vale pit where two shafts were opened in 1889 by the Stella Coal Company. Sadly it closed in 1966 and the site is now reverting back to nature where over 200 types of flowering plants; 16 different butterflies and over 100 different birds have been recorded.

Our group of 17 walkers and two four-legged friends arrived at Ye Olde Cross, an attractive Edwardian half-timbered local in Old Ryton Village. The original Cross Inn dates from the mid-19th Century and was partly rebuilt in 1909. The pub is situated by the village green and the cross that names the pub. This is the first community-owned pub in the Tyne Valley. It closed in early 2018 and was officially re-launched in July 2019 following 18 months of dedicated work by villagers who registered the pub as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). This bought them time to fund-raise through share offerings and buy the pub. The pub serves four changing ales plus one regular ale and I enjoyed a British Pale Ale (4.4% ABV) by Utopian Brewing of Devon, which was slightly malty and very tasty, before setting off on the next leg of our ramble.

After passing through the village we descended to the River Tyne and crossed Newburn Bridge which is a steel lattice-girder structure set on three wrought iron concrete-filled cylinders. It was built in 1893 by Head Wrightson of Thornaby-on-Tees. Turning left we continued our walk through Water Row at Newburn and reached Tyne Amateur Rowing Club. Set in a modern building with a balcony, accessible from the bar, and overlooking the River Tyne they were originally founded in 1852 and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in the country. The bar serves four changing real ales from north-east breweries and I chose Lovely Nelly (3.9% ABV) from Cullercoats Brewery which I enjoyed eating with a delicious tuna sandwich from the clubs menu of snack and light meals.

Replenished and satisfied it took a mere 15 minutes walk for us to reach our next port of call. Passing the monument marking the site of the Battle Of Newburn, where in 1640 a Scottish army of 20,000 defeated an English force of 5,000, we reached The Keelman. This is home and brewery tap to the Big Lamp Brewery, all housed in a tastefully converted grade II listed former pumping station built in 1855. The conservatory restaurant serves excellent food and quality accommodation is provided in the adjacent Keelman’s Lodge and Salmon Cottage. As you would expect the bar offered a choice of four real ales from the Big Lamp Brewery’s portfolio of quality beers. Prince Bishop (4.8% ABV) is a firm favourite of mine, a refreshing easy-drinking bitter, golden in colour. Full of fruit and hops and has strong bitterness with a spicy, dry finish. The outside drinking area was very busy but we managed to collect enough spare chairs and tables for our group to sit together.

We embarked on the final leg of our meander along the River Tyne continuing west back to Wylam. Most of this 2.5 mile walk was along the historic Wylam Waggonway built around 1748 for John Blackett, the owner of Wylam Colliery. It was used to transport coal to staithes (wharfs) on the River Tyne at Lemington where it was loaded on to keel boats. Originally a single loaded waggon was pulled by a single horse. In the 19th century steam locomotives Puffing Billy & Wylam Dilly were built for the Wylam Colliery. Each could haul about 50 tons (on 10 waggons) at a speed of 5mph. The engines ran until the early 1860s. Wylam Colliery closed in 1868 and the waggonway became disused. The tracks were removed in 1972 and part of the route of the waggonway was turned into a public bridleway.

As we approached Wylam we passed yet another historic monument, the birthplace of civil and mechanical engineer George Stephenson. A stone cottage built circa 1750 and a Grade II* listed building now owned by the National Trust. When George Stephenson was born, in 1781, there would have been four families living in this humble two storey cottage. He lived there until he was eight years old. Maybe the sight of horse￾drawn wagons outside his house inspired him to become the pioneer of the steam engines in his later career.

Our walk concluded on Main Road in Wylam with a visit to the Fox & Hounds, a real community pub in the heart of the village. There is an open plan public bar and on the other side of the bar is a comfortable, well-appointed lounge and a dining area featuring stone wall and wood beams. The pub serves one changing and three regular real ales with possible one or two guest ales in the summer months. We sat in the bar where I thoroughly enjoyed drinking Wainwright Golden (4.1% ABV) by Marston’s Brewery. An under-rated ale by some who think it a very ordinary beer, but the quality here was so good that I had to have another. This was pub five and last pub on our CAMRA ramble.

On reflection the day was a success with those attending having had an enjoyable day out walking in the Tyne Valley and sampling real ales in a selection of pubs. It is hoped that we can organise regular future CAMRAmbles in the branch area. Please keep a look out on the branch diary and I hope that you can join us on the next one.

Tara-a-bit!

@MorpethWolf

You can download the GPX pile for this walk by clicking on the Download arrow at the middle right of the map.