Tag: UK waterfalls

Travelling the Nc500: the final prep

In roughly 7 weeks we are taking on our biggest trip together ever!

It’ll be the longest trip we’ve taken together and it’ll include 12 hotels, 16 waterfalls, 7 beaches and over 1800 miles driving. There will be days where all we do is eat in the car as we drive from place to place and it’s completely different from all of our other big holidays. 

We. Are. So. Excited.

Last week I set out to research just how many wild swimming spots we could include on our itinerary. There are a lot of rivers, beaches and lochs on the trip but I wanted to work out which ones are safe in the access sense and also safe once in the water. It has opened my eyes majorly to just how particular the precautions are. Keep out of the sea due to the meetings of three currents. Watch out for the depth of the lochs. How cold certain places are. Slippery rocks. Where and when you can’t. The list goes on. And something that kept coming up was COLD WATER. And even though I’m going into this trip with such a big leap of enthusiasm, cold water is a big deciding factor for me. If it is the pool in our garden, I quickly jump in and then into the warm house/sun/shower. It will be an entirely different story in Scotland. The water will be glacial and we’ll need to strip down in the air, dry as much as possible and then jump back into the car for the journey ahead. So raring to go for it, Mr W and I had a chat about wetsuits. Making sure we definitely wanted to try the swimming I searched online for some that would fit our bigger bodies and was surprised to find a site that was selling them for a bargain at 60% off! 

Today, they came and without hesitation Mr W grabbed the bag and headed upstairs to try his one on. After a while I heard him coming back and wondered if the wetsuit had fit or if he needed help. As he reached the final steps, I heard the noise of the neoprene brushing against itself. It’s a peculiar sound. And there he was. Smiling but needing help with the zipper. Ziiiiiip. Up it went. And then the laughter began. The noise is hilarious. Him squatting and twisting was hilarious. All he said was how hot he felt. It is currently 27° in Essex. I wonder why he was hot. Then it was my time. 

I had forgotten how difficult these things are to put on. The last one I wore was 9 years ago in Australia and it was a lot thinner in its material. It was less to do with keeping warm than protecting your skin from jellyfish. This one is thick and less stretchy so wrestling it on, I hoped it would fit and keep me warm in the Scottish waters. After wrangling it onto my legs and body, Mr W zipped it up and it dawned on me just how difficult it’s going to be to do this out in the open. I couldn’t stop laughing. The legs are slightly too long, that’ll be down to me being 5’5”, but it fits which means we are ready to go! No stopping us now. 

Now something that is very daunting is packing. As we are taking our two weeks worth of food you can imagine that it’ll take up quite an amount of space in the car. So when it comes to clothing and other essentials we have to be strict. Currently there are boxes of food in our guest room that have been organised and it all looks very structured. Turning round there is a pile of other bits and pieces that need sorting and I get deflated every time I see it. But it’s there waiting and if Essex ever gets a rainy day, it’s a job I can tackle with some loud music in the background! It is really silly stuff like toiletries, water shoes, zip lock bags for dirty clothing and now, the wetsuits. It needs doing, but it’s just so boring!

The itinerary itself is maybe a day away from being finished. Which is… unreal. 

Something Mr W and I need to do, almost our biggest priority, is to get some real hours of drone flying under our belts. Our initial flight went really well and I surprised myself by really enjoying it, but to be completely confident we need more time. So that will be scheduled in the next few busy weeks. 

Can you believe it? How is that for being prepared? 

Now it’s the time to let the excitement, and a few nerves, to build!

Northumberland in 4 days

So, as you may have seen, we’ve been in Northumberland on a little holiday recently and I thought I’d share my initial itinerary with you. So that’s below, in its most basic forms…

After the first itinerary I’m going to tell you all about the changes I would make and then create a brand new itinerary for you to follow should you ever want to visit one of the Uk’s most magical areas!

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.

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Edits:

DAY ONE.

Arriving into Alnwick as early as possible would be great for the sake of seeing the gardens to their full extent. The poison garden is absolutely awesome and even though I’m not a tour type of person, it is a must as there are government regulations concerning the Class A, B and C drug plants they have on site. The central fountain and serpentine interactive fountains are just so much fun. The ornamental garden at the top of the site is just absolutely stunning, I recommend taking a book and a sandwich so after you wander you can find a bench and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the streams of water bubbling over their pebbly paths. There are some huge shaded tunnels which are perfect to hide away from the midday sun and yet enjoy the views over the gardens. If you choose to go to the gardens I think you should give a good four to five hours to immerse yourself completely. When buying a ticket for the gardens you can use the Pavilion restaurant which has a beautiful outdoor seating area. The food and drink on offer is tasty enough but light, so as we planned to have dinner here, I now know this is not possible. Also, if you choose to visit Alnwick Castle and not the gardens you cannot go into the Pavilion restaurant, however The Bakery located just outside the entrance to the Alnwick Gardens serves the same food. So don’t despair too much! Should you choose to go into the Castle I believe you only need two or so hours. Which means you can start your day later or spend more time in the town!

After leaving your entrance of choice, I recommend a visit to Barter books, if you choose to use the car park I mention, it’s not too far a walk. The car park closes for new cars at 4/5pm, but they leave the exit open so you can park all day without a worry. It is £3 for the whole day which I think is really reasonable.

Barter books is a used book shop housed in an old train station and it is phenomenal! Nothing about the actual building has changed and everything feels so traditional and unchanged, mainly because it is!

There is a tearoom in the old waiting room, and even on our second visit to this place we have missed its opening hours. So, another itinerary edit is to make sure you get there before it’s 6pm closing time! After this you have an hour to look around the building and make sure to look UP in the second room as you enter. It is an absolutely stunning building and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back when in the area! 

DAY TWO

Honestly, when I say have a big breakfast I mean it. The weather changes rapidly in Northumberland and if it’s raining your body is going to need the pep up to keep you moving. IF it’s sunny, you are going to sweat! So good food and slot of fluids! We take our metal drinks bottles or a 2L reusable bottle on our trips and refill them regularly from a 5 litre bottle we keep in the car. Keep hydrated!

We stay in Bellingham when we are in the National Park, it works nicely with visiting Kielder, accessing the petrol station in the village and is only 25 minutes from the A1. There are lots of areas to stay in the National Park and each have their own merits. Most will be self catering so check out the locations for shops for supplies. On this trip we had a lodge in Bellingham and took all of our own food as the hotel shop nearby is a Co-op and they can be pricey at the best of times.

To get the best out of the Hareshaw Linn walk, start early to avoid the majority of all the visitors. Take a long pause at the end of the trail before making your return. There is a cave to sit in, stop and just listen to the waterfall. We allowed 4 hours for this walk, but I’d say it’s easy enough to finish with lots of breaks in 3 hours. These breaks are for the amazing scenes on each of the 6 bridges and the carefully selected locations for the benches. Make sure to keep an eye out for the elusive red squirrel. On both of our visits to this spot we have spotted squirrels and this time even saw a full size deer! Take your time and enjoy!

After your walk, take a short drive down to the amazing Tea on the Train experience to enjoy the home-made sandwiches, cakes and treas on offer. You will not regret it!

Now here is where things got extremely tight on time. The Kielder reservoir is enormous! and the Lakeside way walk is 26 miles long. With multiple art installations it is hard to just pick one. This was our second attempt to walk to the Silvalis Capitalis site and we were thwarted again. In order to do most of the walks in Kielder you need to buy a £5 car park ticket. The walks are long, rewarding but long! So bare this in mind. Buying a £5 all day parking ticket means you can use any of the Kielder car parks so moving around is easier for you should you want to have little wanders rather than do huge hikes.

Here I have changed the afternoon to include a smaller walk along the bottom of the Kielder reservoir. This will take in the Mirage deck installation, the minigolf at the Waterside Visitor Centre and a short 20 minute walk to Freya’s Hut. Give your 4 hours. It is a beautiful area. Keep a look out for wildlife. We saw chaffinches, sparrows and rabbits!

DAY THREE

This is a big choice of options. Option A will be a huge undertaking. 20 miles is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. You will need plenty of water, food, layers of clothing and perseverance. You’ll see slot of the Kielder installations and you will be tired! We will be undertaking this on our next visit and I will link my story back to this blog when we do!

Option B is going to be a lot easier and so much less daunting. The Minotaur maze is found at the Kielder Castle visitor centre. Something fun to get you alive and kicking for the day. There is a toilet block on site.

From here you can join the Forest Drive toll road. The toll is £3 and gives you permission to drive the 12 mile road that takes you through a dense working forest. Prepare to reach the 1500 metres at its highest point and make sure you stop at ‘The Nick’ to admire the views and the wind chill!

This is a simple day, but with so many pleasures. Visit Hindhope Linn, before exiting the toll road and make the very short 15 minute detour up to the Scottish border. To say you popped over to Scotland for an hour is something not many people can say. 15 minutes from the border is Jedburgh which gives you the perfect chance to stretch your legs before heading back to Northumberland. Use my tips for the most beautiful drive and scenic views. With a much smaller and intimate border crossing you’ll feel like you are sneaking back into England!

DAY FOUR

This really all depends on where you are driving home to. We live in Essex and found it to be a nice plan to break up the day. I’ve not changed any of this day as it worked out nicely. Dress up warm for Sycamore Gap as you will be battered by the elements! This walk is less about staircases and more about shingle slopes. It is strenuous but one of the more milder walks in the National Park. A fairly moderate stroll will have you complete the journey from the car park in 40-50 minutes.

Now check out the itinerary below for your final plan!

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Feel the fear

I GOT IN THE POOL!

It was cloudy and windy but I got in the pool! I managed 40 minutes before I got bored and got out. I am well chuffed! The sun came out for about 5 minutes but it felt so great to cool down. I even laid down. The pool is just big enough for me to lie down diagonally. My body cooled right down and I didn’t feel the heat of the day for several hours. So that has made my week! Tomorrow we are going to be hunting for the puncture, so let’s hope we find it.

Mr W and I have spent the last two nights catching up on some of our Youtube favourites. We literally watch one profile and are addicted. I’m popping the link below to their profile, but I’m also adding the link to their vlog of when they visited the Morocco Animal Aid shelter. It’s a difficult watch if you are an animal lover and yet lovely at the same time. By using their platform Craig and Amiee raised EUR8000 in a week for the shelter and I think that is just phenomenal! And Aimee is right, volunteering really makes a difference. It might not change the world, but you could change the world for another being on this planet and I think that is a win-win situation. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/kingingit365

Craig and Aimee travel the world and basically vlog about it so we at home can sit in quiet jealousy. They show the gritty, glamorous and funny sides of travel and watching them always puts a smile on my face. 

Something Aimee said on the vlog we watched tonight was, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’ Which made me realise that the less time I spend planning for the NC500 the more time fear has to creep into my mind. And the fear is getting bigger as the planning comes to a very close end. My anxiety over the big trip is definitely creeping in. There are a few challenges I have set myself, and Mr W, that I am cacking my pants over.

So, I thought I’d share them with you! It’s about time you get to hear about some of the trip. Not a lot, just a few bits and you get to read about it while we are on the road. Yes, that’s right, as well as all of our daily activities I’ll be writing everyday. I set myself a challenge to write every day for a year and as this is consecutive blog number 91 I dont think its going too badly. So if you want to check out how the NC500 treats us head on over to this blog’s main page and subscribe! It’s not long now.

I’ve even got the link for you here:

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/

I’m going to keep this bit pretty straight forward. 

Cold water and wild swimming – 

If I have learned anything in recent years, I cannot stand the heat. I used to do so well when going to places like the Caribbean, Egypt and Spain, but something about being in the UK and its heat waves with no way of cooling myself down has made me fall out of love with it big time. This is why I have tried to think outside the box to keep cool. I have stared at the fishing lake near our house and dreamed of how fresh it would feel on my skin. And yet the crowds and the fact it is not for swimming is a big deterrent. Other places are obviously more suitable. When we went to Northumberland for the first time in August 2021, I came face to face with an absolutely stunning waterfall, Crammel Linn, (blog link below) and instantly regretted not wearing my swimming costume. We were totally alone and I wanted to jump right in. 

There were several waterfalls in Australia that I could have swam in and my anxiety stopped me. It is something I regret even now. 9 years of regret!

I didn’t jump into the waters of Crammel Linn, I honestly could not see a safe way into the water from the river bank and decided on that day that when the next opportunity arose I’d do it. Since then we have been to other waterfalls in Northumberland and it’s not happened. I kind of feel that I’m waiting for Scotland. It feels to me like more of an adventure holiday. 

The fear is definitely creeping in and I’m yet to sort out one which ones are safe out of the very many we are visiting but I think doing my research will definitely help me conquer the anxiety. Some of the waterfalls I think will be okay are the Fairy pools in the Isle of Skye and Plodda Falls near Inverness.

There’s also the absolutely freezing waters of the North sea and the Hebrides Sea Shelf to contend with. We’ll have so many chances to swim in the sea along the way. On the east coast there is Chanonry Point and the area surrounding the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse. And on the west there is Red Point beach, Talisker Bay beach and the very wild Sandwood Bay. Sandwood Bay is a 8 mile round trip hike that we are hoping to pull off in the first week of our trip. It is said to be completely untouched due to how off the beaten track it is. Although if anyone fancies building a temporary beach bar on the day we arrive, that would be fab! My anxiety here is just how cold it’ll be but I think that’s the novelty of it all, so there is definitely less anxiety about that part. 

Feeling the fear a bit on this one but absolutely planning to do it anyway. 

A hop, skip and a fracture.

BIG hikes – 

Mr W and I have definitely been doing more big walks in the last year. Owing to the fact we aren’t quite ready to travel abroad just yet, (thanks covid, price rises and chaos at airports) we are checking out the UK like never before. And a lot of things in the UK require walking. A lot of walking. It would be quite simple to head to the coast and walk along a promenade with an ice cream but crowds at the moment are a hard challenge for me. Covid has definitely presented my anxiety with some hurdles. Mr W just doesn’t like people. I joke. Sort of. Mostly. 

When we went to Northumberland, we tackled some pretty amazing hikes which pushed our lockdown frozen limbs to wake up. The fact that we started, finished and enjoyed this all new experience was simply amazing and it’s definitely a bug that we have caught and continued to profess our love for. With that in mind we are tackling some pretty hefty walks on this trip and even though I know we are determined and stubborn enough to do them, I’m quite unsure on just how much our bodies are going to take. We will be travelling every single day of the 15 day trip. From dawn till dusk we’ll be exploring, driving, walking and at some points scrambling. I’m starting to wonder just how many days in it’ll be that the fatigue finds us. We have one day where a train will take over the work of our feet and it’ll feel more like a vacation and quite frankly a day to repair. And then there are other days when it’s going to be hard. There are two walks in particular that stand out to me. I point blank refuse to delete them from the trip, but the anxiety is becoming real. 

The Sandwood Bay walk isn’t necessarily hard, it is just long! 4 miles out and 4 miles back. There are sandy areas which means my ankles will take a battering and the weather could potentially play havoc. If the weather in Scotland is anything similar to Northumberland, we could have wind, rain, blinding sunshine and muggy weather all in one day. It worries me that it could drain us of the little energy reserve we will have. The only thing getting me through this stage of anxiety is repeating to myself constantly: ‘you can’t control the weather’. I just have to prepare for it. Personally I believe I could change my middle name to organised and no one would question it. 

Another challenge is our very last walk of the trip. The Catbells walk in the Lake District. It is 3-4 hours of moderate hiking. So it is nowhere near as long as the other walk, but it is taking us to heights of 1481 feet and this is something I have never done. Nothing I’ve done comes close. Eep! I chose it because it interested me the most out of all the hikes in the area but still, this is a biggy. I’m trying to remind myself that if I try to live up to someone else’s pace I’ve already lost. I have to go at my speed, my ability and live for me. Who knows where we’ll be heading next year. This might be one of our last hikes for a while. Maybe, just maybe, that’ll make it that much more special. 

There we have it. A small insight into our trip and a big insight into the anxieties travelling can present. I do know that just trying to do these walks and swims will give me a boost rather than regret at not. I know that the feeling at the end of these experiences will heavily outweigh the fear I feel at the beginning. Maybe fear is the untapped resource we should all tap into once in a while. 

Northumberland – a 4 day plan

So, as you may have seen, we’ve been in Northumberland on a little holiday recently and I thought I’d share my initial itinerary with you. So that’s below, in its most basic forms…

After the first itinerary I’m going to tell you all about the changes I would make and then create a brand new itinerary for you to follow should you ever want to visit one of the UK’s most magical areas.

Edits:

DAY ONE.

Arriving into Alnwick as early as possible would be great for the sake of seeing the gardens to their full extent. The poison garden is absolutely awesome and even though I’m not a tour type of person, it is a must as there are government regulations concerning the Class A, B and C drug plants they have on site. The central fountain and serpentine interactive fountains are just so much fun. The ornamental garden at the top of the site is just absolutely stunning, I recommend taking a book and a sandwich so after you wander you can find a bench and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the streams of water bubbling over their pebbly paths. There are some huge shaded tunnels which are perfect to hide away from the midday sun and yet enjoy the views over the gardens. If you choose to go to the gardens I think you should give a good four to five hours to immerse yourself completely. When buying a ticket for the gardens you can use the Pavilion restaurant which has a beautiful outdoor seating area. The food and drink on offer is tasty enough but light, so as we planned to have dinner here, I now know this is not possible. Also, if you choose to visit Alnwick Castle and not the gardens you cannot go into the Pavilion restaurant, however The Bakery located just outside the entrance to the Alnwick Gardens serves the same food. So don’t despair too much! Should you choose to go into the Castle I believe you only need two or so hours. Which means you can start your day later or spend more time in the town!

After leaving your entrance of choice, I recommend a visit to Barter books, if you choose to use the car park I mentioned, it’s not too far a walk. The car park closes for new cars at 4/5pm, but they leave the exit open so you can park all day without a worry. It is £3 for the whole day which I think is really reasonable.

Barter books is a used book shop housed in an old train station and it is phenomenal! Nothing about the actual building has changed and everything feels so traditional and unchanged, mainly because it is!

There is a tearoom in the old waiting room, and even on our second visit to this place we have missed its opening hours. So, another itinerary edit is to make sure you get there before it’s 6pm closing time! After this you have an hour to look around the building and make sure to look UP in the second room as you enter. It is an absolutely stunning building and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back when in the area! 

DAY TWO

Honestly, when I say have a big breakfast I mean it. The weather changes rapidly in Northumberland and if it’s raining your body is going to need the pep up to keep you moving. IF it’s sunny, you are going to sweat! So good food and slot of fluids! We take our metal drinks bottles or a 2L reusable bottle on our trips and refill them regularly from a 5 litre bottle we keep in the car. Keep hydrated!

We stay in Bellingham when we are in the National Park, it works nicely with visiting Kielder, accessing the petrol station in the village and is only 25 minutes from the A1. There are lots of areas to stay in the National Park and each have their own merits. Most will be self catering so check out the locations for shops for supplies. On this trip we had a lodge in Bellingham and took all of our own food as the hotel shop nearby is a Co-op and they can be pricey at the best of times.

To get the best out of the Hareshaw Linn walk, start early to avoid the majority of all the visitors. Take a long pause at the end of the trail before making your return. There is a cave to sit in, stop and just listen to the waterfall. We allowed 4 hours for this walk, but I’d say it’s easy enough to finish with lots of breaks in 3 hours. These breaks are for the amazing scenes on each of the 6 bridges and the carefully selected locations for the benches. Make sure to keep an eye out for the elusive red squirrel. On both of our visits to this spot we have spotted squirrels and this time even saw a full size deer! Take your time and enjoy!

After your walk, take a short drive down to the amazing Tea on the Train experience to enjoy the home-made sandwiches, cakes and treats on offer. You will not regret it!

Now here is where things got extremely tight on time. The Kielder reservoir is enormous! and the Lakeside way walk is 26 miles long. With multiple art installations it is hard to just pick one. This was our second attempt to walk to the Silvalis Capitalis site and we were thwarted again. In order to do most of the walks in Kielder you need to buy a £5 car park ticket. The walks are long, rewarding but long! So bare this in mind. Buying a £5 all day parking ticket means you can use any of the Kielder car parks so moving around is easier for you should you want to have little wanders rather than do huge hikes.

Here I have changed the afternoon to include a smaller walk along the bottom of the Kielder reservoir. This will take in the Mirage deck installation, the minigolf at the Waterside Visitor Centre and a short 20 minute walk to Freya’s Hut. Give your 4 hours. It is a beautiful area. Keep a look out for wildlife. We saw chaffinches, sparrows and rabbits!

DAY THREE

This is a big choice of options. Option A will be a huge undertaking. 20 miles is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. You will need plenty of water, food, layers of clothing and perseverance. You’ll see slot of the Kielder installations and you will be tired! We will be undertaking this on our next visit and I will link my story back to this blog when we do!

Option B is going to be a lot easier and so much less daunting. The Minotaur maze is found at the Kielder Castle visitor centre. Something fun to get you alive and kicking for the day. There is a toilet block on site.

From here you can join the Forest Drive toll road. The toll is £3 and gives you permission to drive the 12 mile road that takes you through a dense working forest. Prepare to reach the 1500 metres at its highest point and make sure you stop at ‘The Nick’ to admire the views and the wind chill!

This is a simple day, but with so many pleasures. Visit Hindhope Linn, before exiting the toll road and make the very short 15 minute detour up to the Scottish border. To say you popped over to Scotland for an hour is something not many people can say. 15 minutes from the border is Jedburgh which gives you the perfect chance to stretch your legs before heading back to Northumberland. Use my tips for the most beautiful drive and scenic views. With a much smaller and intimate border crossing you’ll feel like you are sneaking back into England!

DAY FOUR

This really all depends on where you are driving home to. We live in Essex and found it to be a nice plan to break up the day. I’ve not changed any of this day as it worked out nicely. Dress up warm for Sycamore Gap as you will be battered by the elements! This walk is less about staircases and more about shingle slopes. It is strenuous but one of the more milder walks in the National Park. A fairly moderate stroll will have you complete the journey from the car park in 40-50 minutes.

Now check out the itinerary below for your final plan!

Hindhope Linn

If for anything else, please go to Northumberland for the waterfalls. I’ve linked my previous encounters with Northumberland waterfalls below. 

I’ve been to four so far and each one holds its own personal charm. 

Today’s one felt particularly special.

Like this post will end up, the walk to Hindhope Linn is short. 

You start your journey in a vehicle of your choice, car, bus, tractor… at Kielder Castle visitor centre. As long as it can handle hills and a bumpy ride you’ll be sorted! It’s a great spot to start from as it has a bank of not too shabby toilets and a pub should you fancy a quick drink. From here you’ll find the 12 mile Forest Drive toll road. There is a cash only toll payment machine as you enter the road, it costs £3. From this road you’ll get an idea of how Forestry England works. It is their road. It is strewn with stones and a fantastic experience

for those wanting sweeping vistas of the pine forest and beyond. This is big sky country for sure. 

At the halfway point and the highest point of the drive you’ll be 1500 metres above sea level and find ‘The Nick’, a stunning marvel of wooden architecture. It invites you in much like a tunnel and leads you to the most stunning view of the landscape you’ve left behind on the ascent. It has a series of pentagons that sporadically twist away from each other with ingenious seating built into its very being. Do not take a picnic, just your best coat, camera and intentions to get beautiful memories and photographs before the wind blows you away. And yes, it is COLD!

Another 5 miles or so down the road and you’ll find a small right hand turn with a toilet block and enough parking for maybe 5 cars. From here follow the trail with the orange markers for approximately 15 minutes. It is a very short trail and at the time of this post, there was a large part of the trail closed due to recent storms and its tall woody victims. Fret not, the walk blesses you with lush paths and dappled shade. We were very fortunate after a morning of rain to feel the sun on our backs as the wet earth underneath gave our feet the cushioning they so desired.

There are a few steep sections on this trail, but as the guide says they are steep and if they caused me any tiredness I did not waver to notice. This place felt really wild and isolated. A bit of me for sure. 

On your right you can hear the rush of water and as you find sloping steps leading down you notice the babbling river beneath you. Turning right to follow another set of stairs you find yourself on the bank of the small stream. Drawing your gaze up to the left, past a small stone half circle acting as a threshold of sorts, you’ll be greeted with the most amazing scene. 

It is green. The plants. The fallen trees. The rocks. All green. As your eyes adjust to the sunshine that seems to envelop this space, like no other scene before, you’ll notice that there is indeed a very beautiful, 20 foot high waterfall. It is gentle in force, but striking in its movement. The water from this beauty has created a space unlike any other I have seen in the world. It is so lush that wherever you look there are carpets of moss. 

I sit for a while and stroke the moss covering a large boulder. It is thick. So thick, my hand disappears into its fluffy texture. There are crowns of ferns that have sprung up in pockets amongst the wood and rocks. They are waving in the breeze. When the sun disappears behind the cloud the whole spot becomes dark and mysterious. It vanishes like magic. And when the sun returns, it shines its light upon the rocks and the plants igniting them back into life. This place is really special. 

It holds a certain mystique. A magic. This gully could be a daydream I have yet to wake up from. As we turn to leave, hundreds upon hundreds of tiny specks are flying, fleeing and falling through this enchanted space. Catching the light they glitter and dance. I imagine them to be fairies and we have found their kingdom. For no place like this can exist for us mere mortals.       

A hop, skip and a fracture.

A hop, skip and a fracture.

It’s 10:40pm.

Outside, the only light on the street is from the moon reflecting its light off the clouds. The occasional car drives past. After six years of living here I’ve gotten used to them gliding across the tarmac. The birds are tweeting in the trees and I can’t get used to it. Yes that’s right, 10:42pm, and the birds aren’t asleep. And do you know why?

Because they are home! 

They have nests to maintain. Mouths to feed. Worms to forage. Water to source. Sunlight to chase. 

When they migrate you can imagine a more peaceful night. Food on tap. No responsibilities. Just away. No cares. 

And here I am doing just that. I’m home. It’s bedtime. Mr W is infuriatingly fast to fall asleep and I’m sitting up reading. Reading a book that has no real value, but gives me enough escapism to deaden my mind to sleep. Except it doesn’t work, I’m thinking about washing and work, food shopping and chores, gardening and social calendars. Cats. Birthdays. Trips. 

Trips. Trips. Trips. 

Where I find a plethora of other lists of things to do. 

Hiking. Wild swimming. Exploring. Seeking. Finding. Napping. Snacking. Living. 

I’ll put my hand up for the first time, hey let’s put both up, and shout… ahem…

I was wrong! I was so wrong in fact I’m going to make triple-y sure I was wrong. 

So, as bad as it sounds, my total number of trips in the UK for 32 years amounted to family trips to the Norfolk Broads and a long weekend in both Cornwall and Somerset. Ta-da! Ignore day trips to London, it’s 34 miles away, just doesn’t count in my book. 

Lockdown forced us to rethink flying, and other than our rebooked trip to Italy in Sept 2020, we stayed in the UK. We managed a long weekend in Edinburgh and Northumberland and then… we… returned to Northumberland for 3 days just one month later. 

Now these dots… you see… right there are put there for dramatic effect. For you see ladies and gentiles, I do not return to a place unless it has captured a piece of my whole actual being. 

There are few places that have done so, not being funny, once I’ve decided I’m going somewhere I GO ALL OUT, I’m seeing everything it has to offer, who knows if I’ll be able to go back? Why would I want to take the risk? So when Mr W and I decided to return to Northumberland one month after our first visit I was shaken. (And we’re going back in June 2022. Oops) 

You know what this amazing place did? It shocked me. First it’s in the UK, yep, and there’s me never bothering with home travel because, well I need a plane to call it a holiday. Unless I’m going up in the air, I’m still home, I’m in England, I don’t wanna be where I was born and bred! I wanna be right over there! Across the water, over mountain passes, tray table up, no peanuts. 

Second, I don’t hike, I don’t scramble, I don’t wander. But you will have caught me scramble down a rocky waterfall on my arse, dirty, soaked through and smiling. Laughing. Happy.

Not a shop in sight. No selfie stick welding tourists. Not even a car park destination. Just a field and a slight path trodden into a boggy hill. 

And I tell you this, I’ve never felt more awake to the possibilities. 

Northumberland has wonders even the locals don’t know about. Take Crammel Linn for example. A colossal cascade of water over a dark deep pool of water. The noise is enormous and an assault of the ears. But let’s not start there. Let’s start with finding this place. There are no signs, our B&B lady had never heard of it and its starting point is on MOD (ministry of defence, I’m sure you knew that but I didn’t up until 3 years ago, eep) land. Great start!

We find ourselves driving through winding lanes and across a beautiful bridge and then onto seemingly nowhere. I find the sign for MOD land and know it’s somewhere close. The only hint that we are in the right place is an old wooden sign pointing down a sloping field. We don our hiking boots, I would live in these bad boys if they didn’t scream MUUUUUD, and we take the first steps into the boggy wetland that is the path. There’s the odd plank of wood submerged in the watery, mossy ground, and I pray we aren’t in the wrong place. It is windy, no, that’s the wrong word, an invisible wrestler is pushing me back to the car and for good measure he has a misting spray levelled at my face. It is blindingly ferocious weather and yet we trudge on. We will see this waterfall. We will endeavour. And then, my arse falls out. We’ve reached what can only be described as the rockiest steep drop off I’ve ever seen. It’s an open field, the fence is at the bottom of the slope ahead and it’s wet. The rocks jutting out are threatening to gouge my legs apart and the fence has barbed wire. Mr W goes first and he leads me down. After several hundred ‘I can’t do’ moments we reach the fence. It takes me another 10 minutes to climb over the stile, which, I shit you not shook like a defecating dog and being on a slope was vastly different heights on either side. I’m 5ft5 and yet standing on that stile looking down I was an uncomfortable 7ft5! Did I mention there was barbed wire running along the top too? Honestly you couldn’t make this up. So, off the stile, onto a single foot track running beside the fence and a steep slope leading into an abyss of bramble and bushes. Lovely. But what is that I hear? Through the wind, I hear a cataclysmic sound of falling water. Before we can see the waterfall it’s just a hop, skip and a fracture down an even dodgier zig zag of a slope mounted with loose soil, large slippery rocks and nothing to hold onto. My god, what a journey! 

And then there it was. One of nature’s gifts to the world. A crash of water against water. A huge monolith of stone at the mercy of the rushing river. Once my legs retained their blood flow, we sat down and raided the trusty backpack for supplies. I couldn’t tell you what we ate, but it was likely crisps, water and some kind of sugar sent from heaven to keep my body from crumpling. 

As we sat there, the weather changed and the glorious Northumberland sun shone for us. A robin danced in the shadows and I was swept away by the solitude of the moment. 

I wasn’t thinking of washing or work, food shopping or chores, gardening or social calendars. I wasn’t thinking of much, my mind for the first time since before the pandemic had found peace. It turns out to drown out the noise of your daily life, you just need to find a louder noise. The wind, the rain and the waterfall. My daily life never really stood a chance. We sat until our bodies warmed slightly in the sun and then said our goodbyes. It was a special moment; our first UK waterfall! 

I listen now to the birds in the trees, and realise we aren’t so different. When it’s time to switch our minds off, we just need a new environment, a crazy adventure and somewhere else to call home. Even if it’s just for an hour in the lap of a waterfall. 

Photo taken by me at Crammel Linn, Northumberland. 

Please find other photos on Instragam @frameworktravel