📌 Town in Northumberland
★★
Welcome to Wooler, where the foothills of the Cheviots give way to flat flood plains and miniature moors. For centuries this attractive, small town has served as a hub for the surrounding rural areas, and still has a livestock auction market. The High Street is worth exploring for its independent shops and cafes, and there’s a major new tourist attraction called Ad Gefrin nearby: mostly a distillery but with a small museum incorporated. First time visitors should also call at the tourist information centre hidden away on Padgepool Place. The Northumberland National Park boundary is only a mile away, making this a good base for exploring nearby hill forts – though transport might be required for more distant, popular objectives such as The Cheviot.
It’s tempting to link Wooler’s name to the sale of sheep, but in fact it probably derives from the Old English wella, or spring. Past Anglo-Scottish feuds have ended with the current border about ten miles distant, and local place names are an interesting mix of Scottish and English. None more so than the broad flood plain stretching north from here: the Glendale Valley.
🌍 Location
📌 Northumberland
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 992280
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.545872,-2.014807
🚶 There’s good access by foot into the Cheviot Hills from here, and Ad Gefrin is within easy walking distance too. It’s probably possible to reach Chillingham Castle by infrequent bus.
🚌 There are a few bus routes, including from Berwick-upon-Tweed and Alnwick.
Explore nearby
<1 mi away
>> Ad Gefrin ★★★★