HPB Lucker Hall: Wooler - Gateway to the Cheviots

Wooler is a small town with some 1800 inhabitants. It offers an interesting array of small, independent shops, cafes, traditional pubs and hotels and it has a Tourist Information Centre.

The 18th-century Parish Church of St Mary, generally open to visitors, has fine modern windows in the Northumbrian style. 

Close to the church is Tower Hill, once the site of a 12th-century castle, now containing the remains of a 16th-century border-defence tower and the town’s war memorial. Known as the gateway to the Cheviot Hills, Wooler is popular with walkers. Not surprisingly, you can expect some sturdy climbs as well as descents on this walk! However, there is plenty of varied terrain. You pass through a nature reserve, stroll along riverside paths, cross meadowland and walk through woods. You join St Cuthbert’s Way, a well-used 60-mile trail from Melrose to Holy Island, for a short section. 

With both sheep and cattle grazing in different areas, dog owners in particular need to be observant.


1. From Market Place, follow the sign “Wooler Common”, on the right of The Terrace Café, to climb steeply along the right-hand side pavement up Ramsey’s Lane. After about 800m, the road becomes known as Wooler Common and you get a short respite from climbing. Ignore a path on the left to St Cuthbert’s Way (and Waud House) and resume the ascent. Further relief comes as you enter the Woodland Park. You pass a poignant memorial bench after which look out,on the right, for a track off to Low Common. The track descends towards a property before which you bear left onto a green path.

2. Follow the path and at a fork bear left to join a metalled path which winds to a pond and an information panel “A Watery World”. Continue along the path passing numerous panels detailing the various trees along the way. You cross a footbridge where you join the St Cuthbert’s Way. A final information display refers to access land, the countryside code and the nearby Cheviot Hills.

3. Proceed ahead through the parking area. Cross the access road to follow the public bridleway sign on the left, “St Cuthbert’s Way”. Continue along the path, bearing right after about 100m and then crossing a waymarked stile in a further 100m. The path now ascends very steeply for some 350m to a waymark post at a junction of paths.

4. At this point you leave the St Cuthbert’s Way which turns sharp left and descends towards the woods. (This well-waymarked route would take you back to Wooler via Waud House in about 2¼ miles) However, to continue, proceed uphill with a fence/wall on your left to reach a gate and a fingerpost, “Carey Burn”. Continue straight ahead along the access track which descends to a sharp bend in the road. Bear right to climb ahead. You pass some property at Earlhillhead. 

5. Turn left at a waymark at the entrance to the farm and walk ahead with the fence on your left. Go through the gate to leave the enclosure and turn right to follow the perimeter fence on your right. Continue straight ahead on the faint path that leads through a gate after which you continue ahead, before contouring towards the right-hand edge of the woods. Cross the stile next to a gate on the right to begin the long and at times very steep descent to the Carey Burn with the woods and then a wall on your left.

6. Turn left and follow the path to the Carey Burn Bridge. Bear left and walk along the road for about 150m to cross a stile next to a gate on the right, signposted, “Coldgate Mill 1¾”. Your direction of travel is clearbut the path is not always distinct. You now need to navigate your way ahead along a mixture of faint green paths and vehicular tracks. Although the river (Coldgate Water) is over to the right it is not visible for a while and you need to ignore a path off to a ford as you approach the gorse bushes. The track becomes stony beyond the bushes as you pass through a gateway to a grazing area where the land may be churned up and muddy.   
As the river becomes closer, you need to clamber up a rather rough hillside. From the top of the rise you have a choice of paths: you can carry on along a raised vehicular track before descending right towards the woods or you can bear right immediately and follow a faint path close to the river.  

Eventually both routes converge as the gap narrows between the river and the woods. After crossing the second of two stiles next to gates, the track leads into the woods of Happy Valley. As you climb you are afforded good views of the river below. After a gradual descent, you exit the woods through a gate to arrive at a road and a ford.


7. Turn left and follow the quiet road (Cycleway 68) for just over a mile. Initially the road rises very sharply. It then undulates, before leaving at a fingerpost on the right, “Earle Mill ¼ Wooler 1”.

8. The access road bears left to the entrance to the property at Earle Mill where you turn right to join a path signposted, “Wooler ¾ ”. Continue along the narrow path with the river (now called Wooler Water) on your right. Be watchful of stones, tree roots and nettles. The path takes you across a footbridge and behind a large caravan park. You arrive at the road leading into Wooler.

9. Cross to the other side of the road with due care and proceed up the hill into Market Place and the end of the walk. 

A note about car parking: As you enter the town from the A697 by-pass, you will see a sign for Wooler Common at Ramsey’s Lane where the walk starts. It also indicates a car park but this is too small to accommodate visitors. The bus station car park lies a short way ahead, on the right.

However, parking here is limited to 2 hours and no use to walkers. There is a free public car park, further along off the High Street in Padgepool Place, close to the Tourist Information Centre. If this is full you will need to have recourse to street parking, for example, in Church Street, below St Mary’s Church.