Walk: Warden Hill – a Hexham charmer

📌 Hexham, Northumberland
★★

Warden Hill may only be a small hill, but its summit (with iron age hillfort) sits above the confluence of the North and South Tyne rivers, allowing big views up both valleys. Two bridleways cross its southern flanks permitting a low-key but pleasant circular walk from The Boatside Inn at Bridge End, which serves food. Our route starts in the charming town of Hexham and follows the River Tyne for the first few miles; the pub is passed on both the outward and return legs, and there are further refreshment options in Hexham itself. There’s a minor downside: the Tyne Gap is a busy transport corridor, so the hum of road and rail traffic is never far away.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at Wentworth car park, Chisholm Place, 5-min walk east of Hexham town centre

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NY 939641

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.971215,-2.097096

🚆🚌 Train / bus to Hexham

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

▶ 14 km / 9 mi | ▲ 220 m | ⌛ 4-4.5 hr

Features: 💧 River Tyne; △ Warden Hill (179 m) & hillfort; ⛪ St Michael & All Angels, Warden; 🏠 Hexham ★★★; ⛪ Hexham Abbey ★★★★; ⛓️ Hexham Old Gaol ★★★

⬤ Moderate | Riverside / countryside paths & tracks with some muddy patches, faint in places on Warden Hill.

➡️ Figure-of-8 circuit (anticlockwise then clockwise): start – Hexham Bridge – Bridge End by south riverbank paths – Private-walk Wood – Warden Hill – High Warden – St Michael & All Angels, Warden – Bridge End – A69 underpass via Cycle Route 72 – The Spittal – Hexham, Abbey & Gaol – start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Sheep, horses, grey squirrels, rabbits, mallard ducks. Ripe blackberries & elderberries.

Weather: A little sunshine, temperature in mid teens with a light breeze.

August 2023