College Valley

Saturday 7-7-2012

When you make arrangements for the Summer well in advance you might expect to get a bit of rain , but the current situation with the weather we where wondering if we would even get to our destination which on this day was The College Valley  this is a few miles North west of Wooler  the road along near  the turn off was covered in mud and the nearby field was a lake it had obviously flooded and then receded, even the drive up and then down into the valley the road was like a stream . Driving on to Mounthooly (you need a permit to drive actually in the valley ,but there is a car park near Hethpool ) the road  had several small streams crossing it and judging by the amount of gravel etc: the flow had at one time been heavy , although the rain was only very light the mist was pretty thick as we walked past the Bunkhouse  ( YHA  Mounthooly Bunkhouse check it out for overnight stays and/or guided walks ) 2 Grey Wagtails on the path and I noted a total of 25 Wheatears  also a family group of Stonechats and Common Sandpiper on the stream . The mist stayed all the way up to Auchope shelter via Red Cribs path, foolishly I had not taken a compass with me I know the path so well but today could not see more than a few yards ahead and I missed the start of the path , well nothing to see at the top no looking onto Cheviot no looking over to the Hen Hole it was just a slog back down again.

 I had looked forward to exploring  the area to the east of Hethpool more , there is a small waterfall but this year I could get nowhere near  as the path over was washed out (like this Summer)  

 Mist descents on the valley looking towards Cheviot

 There is a nice range of hills over there somewhere

 Auchope shelter on the Pennine way

 its basic but must be a welcome when youve been out in the rain

 Sometimes the river looks Ok after heavy rain but as it runs off the land it can quickly rise