Killhope to Allenheads

Friday 10  May 2019
A fairly strenuous walk by our current standards, with wonderful wide views. We were accompanied by the sound of curlews and lapwings, and we  saw a group of oyster catchers on a field.

Walked from Hill Top cottage, at a height of close to 1800 feet, down to the road (a mere 1500) and turned left towards Killhope Mine.

Looking at the cottage from the road below.

Just opposite the lead mining museum, which we visited yesterday, is a gate and a public footpath.

The plastic tags were quite useful in showing us the path.

The path leads steeply uphill, fairly sharply to the left then swinging round to the right. On the OS map the path climbs Carriers' Hill, High Linn and Great HillUnderfoot there were some boggy patches, and the odd pool which we had to avoid. the path was clear and well marked and led up to close to 2000 feet high, and the border between County Durham and Northumberland. We  could see Cross Fell in  the distance to the west and Killhope Law fairly close to our left.  Shortly after the  highest point the path joined  a wide grassy bridleway, where we turned right and  began a fairly gentle descent. The area is marked as Allendale Common. Great views into Northumberland.

We could see the small Dodd Reservoir below us. We walked to the right of this, but it disappeared from view behind a small ridge.

At this point there are two choices - follow the bridleway to the minor road, then turn right for Allenheads, or, as we did, take a footpath to the right and follow this to join the road closer to the village.

A muddy path and a stream to cross

Allenheads (about 1400 ft high) is the site of a lead mine, a major local industry until the nineteenth century.

But we were even more delighted to find the Heritage Centre with an excellent cafe for lunch.

We had a look round the small museum before retracing our route. Almost ten miles in all.  We climbed around 1600 feet altogether.

Route from Hill Top Cottage via Killhope to Allenheads

Elevation profile looks impressive...