1. Raby Castle
Meeting Point: Raby Castle
We begin the Big Smile in the magnificent grounds of Raby Castle. We follow a broad path through the grassy landscape where Red and Fallow Deer herds live wild. We pass the impressively maintained medieval castle, built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, the 3rd Baron Neville de Raby.
We wander through Ladywood and then up towards Raby Home Farm and then Shotton enjoying the beautiful countryside home to some superb flora and fauna.
Eventually, we leave the Raby estate and find ourselves heading over Cockfield fell, common land pock marked with evidence of human habitation including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and back through the estate to finish back at Raby Castle in a wonderful start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20 km ( 12.47 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆
Sponsored By: The Ramside Hall Hotel
1. Raby Castle
Meeting Point: Raby Castle
We begin the Big Smile in the magnificent grounds of Raby Castle. We follow a broad path through the grassy landscape where Red and Fallow Deer herds live wild. We pass the impressively maintained medieval castle, built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, the 3rd Baron Neville de Raby.
We wander through Ladywood and then up towards Raby Home Farm and then Shotton enjoying the beautiful countryside home to some superb flora and fauna.
Eventually, we leave the Raby estate and find ourselves heading over Cockfield fell, common land pock marked with evidence of human habitation including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and back through the estate to finish back at Raby Castle in a wonderful start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20 km ( 12.47 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆
Sponsored By: The Ramside Hall Hotel
9. A Yeavering Yomp
Date: 01/07/2021
Meeting Point: Village Hall, Kirknewton, Wooler, NE71 6XF
This fantastic fell walk begins at Kirknewton where we pass the ancient church dedicated to St. Gregory. Heading up out of the village, we wind our way between St Gregory’s Hill and West Hill, before picking up St Cuthbert’s Way.
This takes us some distance, until we join the College Valley Walk past Whitehall, before turning and climbing up to Hare Law at 518 metres.
We continue past Wester Tor and Easter Tor to arrive at the top of Yeavering Bell, where the summit is still encircled by the wall of a late-prehistoric hillfort. Constructed from local andesite, these ancient buildings would have been bright pink when first built!
From here, we drop back down to our start point at Kirknewton, concluding a beautiful Cheviot stage.
Distance: 18.9 km (11.74 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆