7  SEPT TOUR OF BRITAIN COMES TO NORTHUMBERLAND

On Monday 9 September, cycling’s Tour of Britain will bring some of the world’s top cyclists to Northumberland.
This top cycling event is organised by British Cycling, the sport’s governing body in the UK, and is a multi-stage race held over eight days.
Internationally the Tour of Britain is one event in the UCI Europe Tour season in which professional teams from around the world compete. Teams for the Tour of Britain will be announced in the summer and each will pick their six rider line-up from a squad, which may number up to 30 riders.

Tour of Britain in Wooler

The stage passing nearest to Wooler is on day 3 of the Tour. The stage will see 120 of the world’s top cyclists racing from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to Newcastle, building on the success of the 2018 race when some of the World’s top cyclists including Chris Froome took part.

Stage three of the 2019 OVO Energy Tour of Britain will be the first to link all areas of the North of Tyne Combined Authority, with the route taking in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle Upon Tyne.

The stage will start from the centre of Berwick-upon-Tweed, crossing the Grade I listed Berwick Bridge as the race heads away along the Tweed Valley and onto Ford and Wooler.  The route will race along the Northumberland Coast, including past Bamburgh and Warkworth castles, showcasing the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty through the worldwide television coverage.

After passing through Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields and Wallsend, the final kilometres will see the race heading alongside the banks of the River Tyne on the Quayside, before turning on to Grey Street for a spectacular uphill city centre finish.

Wooler Wheel
Of course, Wooler is no stranger to cycling events. The Tour will see the pros’ route include sections of the increasingly popular Wooler Wheel sportive routes.

If you are thinking of bringing your own bikes on holiday then Homildon Cottage has space to store them in our lockable games room with a floor 4 bike, dual-height cycle rack. There’s an outdoor tap for washing bicycles and outdoor clothing, and space for drying outdoor clothing and footwear. We also have maps of local bridleways as well as the nearby Sandstone Way. Alternatively why not hire a bike once you’re here?

 

pic: Eric The Fish from UK (Tour of Britain 2014) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Wooler’s public transport connections are centred on its bus station, while inter-city trains serve Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Wooler buses

Wooler bus station is located in the heart of town, off the High Street by the Black Bull Inn. Some buses stop elsewhere around and about Wooler: check timetables or ask the driver for details.

Wooler – Berwick-upon-Tweed bus (267 via Etal, Duddo: Monday-Saturday)
Wooler – Berwick-upon-Tweed bus (464 via Lowick: Monday-Saturday)
Wooler – Alnwick bus (418 via Belford) – timetable
Wooler – Alnwick bus (470 via Chillingham)
Wooler – Alnwick bus (473 via Whittingham)
Kelso – Wooler – Newcastle bus (710 via Morpeth: Wednesday & Saturday only)
Wooler – Kirknewton circular bus (266 via Flodden: Wednesday only)
Wooler – Alnwick bus (869 school days only) – timetable [PDF]

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Although timetables were correct at time of writing, we advise checking before travel using the Traveline online journey planner or direct with operators: Border Buses (267, 418, 464), PCL Travel (470, 473) or Glen Valley Tours (473, 869).
Border Buses now provide a live departures board.

Wooler trains

Sadly the train line to Wooler closed many decades ago. In fact Wooler station last accepted passengers back in 1930!

However Berwick-upon-Tweed is served by the East Coast mainline. These high-speed modern trains link to Edinburgh (45mins), London Kings Cross (3.5hr) and York (2hr). Cross country trains also run direct to Glasgow (2hr), Birmingham (4.25hr) and Bristol (6hr).

From Berwick you can travel to Wooler on one of the above buses, or get a local taxi (pre-book from the options below and expect to pay about £30 for the half hour trip). Car rental is another option, or you can cycle from Berwick to Wooler in about 1.5 hours. East Coast and Cross Country inter-city trains carry bikes for free but you should reserve a space in advance.

Some trains serve Alnmouth instead which is another option, albeit further from Wooler. The closest station to Wooler, Chathill, is small and only served by a very limited commuter service from Newcastle. County town Morpeth is also served by a train service, but Berwick-upon-Tweed station will be the better option for most rail travellers to Wooler. Make sure you plan to “Berwick-upon-Tweed [BWK]” and not the similarly named Berwick in Sussex.

Wooler taxis

An excellent local taxi service is provided by Des Hood – 07585 462212. Ron’s Taxis are also a common sight in Wooler, and can be booked on 01668 281281 or 07778 543907. Another option is Border Village Taxi – 01668 216360 or 07765 791348. All will provide station pick-ups from Berwick-upon-Tweed if booked in advance, with multi-seaters available.

Air

Wooler is a fair distance from any air connections – with the closest two major airports being Newcastle (60 mins) and Edinburgh (90 mins)

“Gateway to the Cheviots”

Wooler sits close to the vast, empty expanse of the Northumberland National Park, and is justly known as the “Gateway to the Cheviots”. These hills have been tempting walkers and campers from far and wide to travel to Wooler for more than a hundred years. Wooler’s history is fascinating and for many it also remains “a refuge from the hurry and scurry of modern life”.

Don’t leave your furry friend at home!

 

We’re animal lovers and love being able to take our pet on holiday with us, and we want our guests to be able to enjoy Homildon and the Northumberland countryside with their loyal companion alongside. That’s why Homildon is a pet-friendly holiday cottage.

Homildon is the perfect place to have a staycation with your dog (or dogs!). The cottage is located at the end of a quiet lane just on the border of the National Park with many footpaths and bridleways leading into the moors. The number of passing dog-walkers heading into the Park will tell you how great the Cheviot Hills are to walk (or run) with your dogs – and so peaceful you may not see another soul all day.

Humbleton Hill provides a great leg stretching walk not far from the cottage. The beaches of Northumberland’s coast are also popular for dog walking – they are huge, open expanses with shallow surf to run and play!

But you won’t even need to strike out into the hills or drive to the coast to give your pet some fresh air and exercise. Our large garden provides a great place to supervise your dogs or play with one of the throwing toys provided.

We aim to please our four legged guests as much as our two legged ones. As a dog-friendly cottage, we provide a doggy welcome pack including a fleece blanket and microfibre towel per dog, treats, throwing toys, food/water bowls, and one large and one small plastic dog beds.

You can buy pet food supplies locally at the Co-op and garden centre. Our local butcher T R Johnson even sells his own blend of frozen dog mince, and no doubt would be able to rustle up a nice meaty bone!

Many of the local pubs allow dogs, including the Black Bull in Wooler, so after a hard day’s walking you can all retire to the pub for a restorative drink before heading back to your dinner slow-cooking in the AGA.

About Homildon Cottage

On the very border of the Northumberland National Park, Homildon Cottage is a traditional but fully modernised cottage dating back to the early 1800s. Sleeping up to eight, it offers seclusion and tranquility while being only 15-20 minutes walk from Wooler – the “Gateway to the Cheviots”.

If you haven’t visited before, why not read our reviews from previous guests, or you could whet your appetite with pictures of the house.

A well-equipped kitchen with cherry red AGA provides a perfect place to share a convivial meal or sample the local treats from the welcome basket while the comfy sitting room – with vaulted ceiling and vintage wood burning stove – offers a welcoming space to stretch out and relax. The house lies out of sight at the end of a short dead-end track – ensuring the only passing ‘traffic’ is the occasional walker or farmer. A large rear garden is a peaceful haven looking out onto historic Humbleton Hill and the Northumberland National Park is less than a minute’s walk away.

This video was taken at the end of our garden on New Year’s Day 2018:
 

 

We only ask that our four-legged guests are flea-treated, bring their own cushion/soft bed if required, and respect the local landowners by staying on the lead in livestock fields and around nesting birds.

If your furry friend isn’t a dog, get in touch. We will try to accommodate other pets if possible, so please enquire.

Perhaps a lesser-known event in the runner or long distance walker’s calendar, the Chevy Chase fell race organised by Wooler Running Club deserves to be up there with the most popular UK endurance trail races.

A 20-mile trail route , the Chevy Chase is an unsigned navigation challenge as well as the chance to take in some of the most breath-taking (perhaps in more ways than one!) scenery of the Northumberland National Park.

 

Starting from the Youth Hostel in Wooler, there is only a short section on tarmac with an otherwise unrestrained freedom of the hills. So long as chasers pass each of the checkpoints in the correct order, they may choose their own route along the footpaths, sheep paths and rough fell of the surrounding countryside. Entrants will ascend both the Cheviot and Hedgehope Hill over the course of the race, via the landmarks of Broadstruther and Langlee crags. In fact, the event involves a climb of some 1,200 metres over the course [PDF].

Interviewed in 2008,Claire Bagness from Wooler Running Club said:

“You just cover this huge area of land because it takes in Cheviot and Hedgehope. There are people who have done it for 25 years who keep coming back. It’s just that exhilaration of having overcome the challenge. There are steep uphills and then the exhilaration of coming down and the battle to finish at the end.”

The race is open to both walkers and runners so all can take part. But be aware – though the race is run in July, the weather in the Cheviots can turn in a moment, so go prepared!

2015’s Chevy Chase is taking place this Saturday, 4 July. It’s too late to enter for this year, but spare some encouragement for any entrants you see passing. There’s no doubt they will be earning their cake and sandwiches at the finishing line! Or why not get a group together and put the training in for 2016? Teamwork to find your way, hours spent in beautiful scenery and the satisfaction of a tough challenge completed can surely not be beaten.

As this “fly over” from Google Earth reveals, it’s a truly stunning course:

Follow St Cuthbert’s Way to Wooler on a walk that mixes a little bit of everything: hills, fields and woods.

• Start: Homildon Cottage
• Finish: Wooler
• Time: 1 hour
• Distance: 2.75 miles

If you fancy a more leisurely stroll than the direct route to Wooler – perhaps before stopping for lunch at one of the local hostelries – there is a pleasant, varied walk taking around 1 hour.

Turn right out of the drive. Heading up the lane from the house, you first ascend gently past farmland before reaching the overturned van. Just beyond this, turn left joining St Cuthbert’s Way. This leads you across grassy fields before entering a wood. Keep following the Way to emerge at Wooler Common. Bear right to walk through the small car park here, turning right on to the single track road at its exit.

 

There is just a short stretch of tarmac before you follow St Cuthbert’s Way to the left away from the road, first upward and then onto an open expanse. Soon you must make a sharp turn left back toward Wooler. Aim for the corner of the another woods.

The path rises a short way through this wood before emerging with some well defined mounds of a fort to the right. It then descends, turning left to come out onto a track by a house. Follow this to arrive on one of the streets above Wooler, turning right for the centre. A short stroll past well manicured gardens and Ramsay’s Lane deposits you conveniently at Market Place.

 

To view the route on an interactive map, visit OS Maps:

STEP 1: Search our postcode, NE71 6SU	STEP 2: Select “Routes” at the top, then “Discover routes” on the left
If you do not have one already, you will need to set up an account at this stage.
STEP 3: Click the green circle with a number	STEP 4: Click the green circle with a number over Homildon Cottage’s location
STEP 5: In the dialog you can scroll between the routes

If you prefer a paper map, the best choice is the The Cheviot Hills, Jedburgh & Wooler (OS Explorer OL16). Alternatively if you prefer the Landranger maps, the sheet needed is Berwick-upon-Tweed (OS Landranger Map 75)

The most direct walk to Wooler is mostly along a quiet road – aside from a short but pleasant stretch of footpath cutting a corner across a field.

• Start: Homildon Cottage
• Finish: Wooler
• Time: 15-20 minutes
• Distance: 1.25 miles

 

Walking at a reasonable pace, this can be done in quarter of an hour – or take your time at a leisurely stroll.

Start by turning left out of Homildon Cottage’s drive, and then right at crossroads in High Humbleton.

Leaving the hamlet behind you, you will come to a bench on the right, with a footpath sign (A). Take this path to cut the corner, walking through two fields. At the bottom of the hill, do not follow the track round into the camp site but exit onto the road, turning right. If you do not wish to cross these fields, you can instead continue on the road from the bench at point (A), turning right when you reach the crossroads.

Follow the road past the entrance to the Highburn House camp site into Wooler itself.

 

To view the route on an interactive map, visit OS Maps:

STEP 1: Search our postcode, NE71 6SU	STEP 2: Select “Routes” at the top, then “Discover routes” on the left
If you do not have one already, you will need to set up an account at this stage.
STEP 3: Click the green circle with a number	STEP 4: Click the green circle with a number over Homildon Cottage’s location
STEP 5: In the dialog you can scroll between the routes

 

If you prefer a paper map, the best choice is the The Cheviot Hills, Jedburgh & Wooler (OS Explorer OL16). Alternatively if you prefer the Landranger maps, the sheet needed is Berwick-upon-Tweed (OS Landranger Map 75).

 

Wooler is a pleasant little country town of some local importance, nestling at the foot of the Cheviot Hills… It consists of one straggling street, with some minor offshoots, and serves as a market centre for the district … But still Wooler, now as formerly, is a refuge from the hurry and scurry of modern life

A History of Northumberland, KH Victors, 1922

What was true in 1922 remains largely true today: Wooler feels a refuge from the hurry and scurry of modern life. This market town serves the wider area of Glendale – some 250 square miles of Northumberland countryside with a mere 6,000 inhabitants.

Passing traffic is carried on the A697, bypassing the heart of the town., but the High Street is very much alive though with its range of traditional shops. Aside from the Co-op supermarket, there is an absence of chain shops with the street remaining occupied by the likes of Glendale Pharmacy, TR Johnson butchers, Glendale Paints and Trotters bakery. The newsagents retains its sign reading “Brand” after William Brand who opened the shop in 1842 at the start of a 133 year family connection to the shop.

The market place with bus station to one side has long been a focus of the town. One mark of this is the clustering of some of the town’s traditional pubs and hotels around this point. Historically, Wooler’s inns were bolstered by its role as a coaching post on the route between England and Scotland as well as Wooler’s capacity as a market town. In 1855, Whellan’s Directory of Northumberland lists no fewer than 13 inns in Wooler. Although several of these were destroyed in the disastrous fire of February 1863, many remain such as the Black Bull, the Angel and the former coaching inn The Tankerville Arms.

The Cheviot Hills have been a draw for walkers and campers for more than a hundred years. In 1887 Wooler gained a rail connection that allowed easier access, earning it the title of “Gateway to the Cheviots”. This North Eastern Railway branch line from Alnwick to Cornhill encouraged day trippers as well as those lingering a little longer, and charabanc tours added to numbers further. Passenger traffic was stopped in the 1930s and after the track was badly flooded in 1948 the route declined further – divided into two and parts were closed. The Wooler to Cornhill section remained open until sadly the remainder of the railway line was axed in 1965, like so many others that are sorely missed today.

Wooler origins

There is much evidence of settlements in the area dating back to the Bronze Age, and one of these may well have existed on the current site. Stones etched with the mysterious cup and ring marks are found in the local hills – perhaps a form of prehistoric art?

Certainly an interesting archaeological find lies just up the road, near Yeavering Bell. Here is the site of Ad Gefrin, the palace of the Anglo-Saxon kings in Northumbria, as recorded by 6th century scholar the Venerable Bede. The palace was formed of large timber halls with their foundations in turn cutting through the remains of religious monuments and the cemetery of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age people living here some 3000 years earlier, and may have drawn on this as a traditional place of local assembly.

Wooler is not mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086, no doubt because the Normans took some time to consolidate their hold on northern England after the Conquest.

In spite of the apparent ovine connection, the name Wooler derives in fact most likely from “wella ofa”, Old English for “stream bank”, in reference to Wooler Water. As so often with Old English, a number of spellings are recorded including Wulloure in 1187 and Welloure in 1196.

Norman attention eventually turned to Northumberland which was carved up into 21 feudal baronies. In 1107, the first baron of Wooler was appointed by Henry I, a Robert de Muschamp. He is thought to be responsible for creating a defensive castle mound, on the east side of Church Street overlooking Wooler Water. Green Castle, just to the west of Wooler, is another mound topped with a defensive ringwork. According to the excellent “Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey Project: Wooler” report, “the chronological and political relationship between these two sites is not known”.

A licence for a market to be held every Thursday was granted in 1199. This laid the basis for a market for the next several hundred years that made Wooler a key commercial hub to the surrounding agricultural hinterland.

Border wars and Reiver raids

From the thirteen to sixteenth century, Scotland and England were frequently at war, seeing the devastation of the livelihood of local people by the contending armies.

The battles at Homildon Hill (now Humbleton Hill) in 1402 and Flodden in 1513 were historically significant. The derelict Surrey House (on the A697) gained its name from the stay of the Earl of Surrey on the night before the Battle of Flodden. It is supposedly from here that he wrote to James IV reproaching him for not yet giving battle. Perhaps even more important locally were the Scottish raids of 1340 and 1409 as these caused great destruction.

The mound that may have held a 12th century defence for Baron Muschamp was certainly the site for building defences in the 16th century. Wooler Tower was built sometime in the early 1500s in response to the threat of Scottish raids.

Lord Dacre described Wooler as a place of particular danger and as “the outermost town of the realm”.

Keep a watch for raids day and night…

At this time, Wooler was considered of greater strategic importance than the castle at Chillingham and the men of the town were expected to assist in the defence of the township. In 1534, 10 men had to keep a watch day and night, while a survey of the Borders in 1541 described the Wooler Tower as a “mervelous convenyent place for the defence of the country thereabout” and as still “standing strongly”.

Uncertainty and tension meant that some communities sought security through their own strength and cunning rather than through loyalty to the law of a distant monarch. Because of its position in The Borders, Wooler and the surrounding area saw raids by the Reivers from the late 13th century, continuing for some 400 years. These raiders could be from Scottish or English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims’ nationality. Notable features in this region, such as peel towers, originated as a result of border “reiving” as inhabitants of the Borders had to live in a state of constant alert and built fortified houses for self-protection. A unique set of “Border Laws” grew up to manage this restive area. The Union of the Crowns in 1603 saw the beginning of the end for the Reivers, as James I (James VI of Scotland) cracked down on their activities.

Prosperous Wooler

Agriculture saw Wooler prosper as a market town, with the population reaching nearly two thousand by 1851 – much the same size as today. An annual fair and market took place around the first week of May, with farm-workers and their families looking to be hired by farmers and estate managers for the coming year. As part of the deal, a farm labourer (or hind) were expected to provide a woman (bondager) to work on the farm too. Until the mid 19th century this bondager was paid by the hind though later they were hired directly by the farmer on a day labour basis.

This event, “The Hirings”, was centred on the now demolished fountain in Wooler market square. It was followed a week later by “The Flitting” when farm-workers’ families moved their household possessions to their new farm. In his 1909 book, “A Corner in the North”, HA Neville described this Flitting: “to see our roads from morning to evening thronged with carts piled with the bedding of a large portion of our population, is a strange sight even if you have seen it year after year for a long time. This practice continued into the twentieth century, until the Second World War.

From the late 19th century, this “Gateway to the Cheviots” drew walkers, hikers and day trippers. Many also visited for the supposed health benefits of the clean air and pure waters. Visitors included:

• local hero Grace Darling – an English lighthouse keeper’s daughter famed for participating in the rescue of shipwrecked survivors
• writer Daniel Defoe who climbed the Cheviot in 1726, declaring “The Day happen’d to be very clear, and to our great Satisfaction very Calm”
• Author Sir Walter Scott who stayed nearby in 1791 occupying a farmhouse in the Cheviot Hills

The railway stopped carrying passengers in 1930, apart from a brief respite during World War Two to serve RAF Milfield. However the waiting room was put to good use, serving as a Youth Hostel from 1936 – with separate accommodation for men and women on opposite sides of the tracks.

Wooler today

The town today maintains many of its historic strengths with a variety of shops along the High Street and elsewhere. Read more about Wooler’s shops and restaurants.

There is an tourist information centre and shop at the Cheviot Centre which also hosts the local library. The annual Glendale Show draws thousands of visitors with its races, fair and many stalls of food and crafts. The Chevy Chase is annual 20 mile race which takes place early in July while the Wooler Wheel hold a series of cycling events through North Northumberland.

Nearby Wooler

Being a cottage near Wooler puts all this on our doorstep. The most direct walk to Wooler from Homildon Cottage takes around 15 minutes. An alternative, more circular route along part of St Cuthbert’s Way can be walked in an hour.

Find out more about places of interest in and around Wooler.

More

This is the briefest of outlines as an introduction to Wooler’s rich history. Being comparatively new to the area, there’s no doubt lots to learn: let us know what we’ve left out. Or read more in some of the excellent books that cover this topic in much more depth. Brands on Wooler High Street has a good selection of local histories and more. Some good starting points are:

Excellent photos and recollections in Views of Wooler & Glendale District, 1850–1950, Derek Fairnington & Roger Miket

The Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey Project was carried out between 1995 and 2008 by Northumberland County Council with the support of English Heritage. An online PDF of the fascinating report on Wooler is available to download: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey Project: Wooler [PDF]

A short introduction to a turbulent history of raiding: Tales of the Border Reivers, by Beryl Homes

Out of print but still available second-hand is the short but interesting Wooler, Ford, Chillingham & The Cheviots, by Frank Graham (1976)

Read more about Ad Gefrin and the archaeology of the northern Cheviots and the Northumberland National Park area online at www.gefrin.com

A short drive (or modest walk) from our holiday cottage Wooler provides a wide range of shops with two bakers, two butchers, a Co-op and deli as well as pubs and restaurants.

 

Wooler is a pleasant 20 minute walk from Homildon Cottage, or the drive takes a few minutes and there is plenty of free parking spaces along the high street or in the bus station.

Food shops in Wooler

You will be able to find almost everything you need in Wooler. For day to day essentials, the Co-op (open 7am until 11pm every day) is the obvious choice. For fresh ingredients and local produce, you will want to visit some of the many independent shops.

There are two butchers in Wooler: T R Johnson (61 High Street, opposite the Post Office) does a great selection of home-made sausages, scotch eggs and delicious ready-to-heat steak pies, as well as the usual wide range of fresh meat and cooked ham. Farm to Freeze, again selling a wide range of fresh meat and pies, is on the A697 (South Road) just at the bottom of the hill from the main town.

For fresh vegetables, the convenience store attached to Farm to Freeze on the A697 has a good selection of fruit and veg. The convenience store also sells locally produced Hetton Law beer, Chainbridge Honey, Doddington Ice Cream and bread from Ford’s as well as Bread & Roses.

The best place to buy eggs is also Farm to Freeze. Look out for the local Ord eggs, also available from The Good Life Shop.

For fresh bread you have four options. Farm to Freeze usually has freshly baked local bread in its “Local Produce” area Trotters Family Bakers on Market Place sells fresh bread, a wide range of cakes, filled hot and cold rolls to take away, pies and pasties (both hot and cold) and more. Cheviot Farm Bakery sells the usual fresh bread and rolls and does a range of  sandwiches and cakes. You can also occasionally find fresh bread at the Good Life Shop deli.

The Good Life Shop delicatessen sells a good range of more speciality produce. Their cheese counter has an excellent selection, including local cheeses from Doddington Dairy just up the road. They usually stock meat and vegetarian fresh pâtés, puddings from Proof of the Pudding in Alnwick, Doddington Dairy ice creams, salamis, and other fresh and dry deli goods. You can buy dry goods by weight including a wide range of herbs and spices, and also freshly ground coffee.

Other shops in Wooler

There is a pharmacy (Glendale Pharmacy) on the high street, which as well as providing the usual range of goods and prescription services, has a fantastic original set of wooden apothecary drawers behind its glass topped counter.

There are now two antiques shops in Wooler: Hamish Dunn and Glendale Antiques Centre, both near the Market Place end of the High Street. Florins, near Hamish Dunn, sells some antique items as well as an interesting range of gifts and trinkets. The Hedgeley Antiques Centre, not far from Wooler in Powburn (about 15 minutes’ drive), has a number of traders under one roof, and a traditional tea shop next door.

Clothes shops are a little limited, but there are two charity shops. Better for clothes is Berwick, on the outskirts of which is a discount outlet outdoor clothes and equipment store, Marshalls and many more high street stores in the centre of town.

For a traditional sweet shop, its shelves lined with rows of large jars, try The Chocolate Box near Market Place. This place makes even the most serious “grown up” feel like a kid in, well … a sweet shop!

The town has a newsagent, Brands, near the Post Office. This shop sells not only newspapers and touristy gifts, but also sellsa range of fascinating books about local history and, unexpectedly, speciality liquorice (including Belgian and Finnish varieties!)

For handmade crafts and gifts you can browse the High Street and keep an eye out for one-off sales and markets often in the Cheviot Centre.

Restaurants in Wooler

For a town of its size, Wooler has a wealth of decent local places to enjoy a meal out.

If you are after a casual meal or a lunchtime bite, the town centre has several good pubs serving food.

The Black Bull is usually reasonably busy and does pub grub all week with steak night on Friday evening and a generous roast lunch on Sunday. Highlights include giant yorkshire pudding filled with sausages and veg, and golden battered cod and chips. There are usually one or two ales on handpump, both changing regularly. You will often find beers from the local Hadrian and Border brewery.

The Angel Inn, right next door to the Black Bull, also does decent pub grub, which on sunny days you can enjoy in its small lawned beer garden or in the conservatory at the back. All day breakfast, sandwiches and toasties and larger meals such as lamb chops all feature on the wide menu. Usually one ale on handpump.

Just up the road is the Anchor Inn, another choice for pub grub, serving by all accounts a very generous and tasty Sunday lunch. The pub was taken over relatively recently (Jan 14) by a new landlord and is thriving. Has a weekly quiz night and two ales on handpump (though less interesting choice than the Black Bull nearby).

Slightly outside the centre of town on the A697 is the Tankerville Arms, dating from the 1700’s. It has a large beer garden for sunny days and a large bar and dining area inside. The food is again fairly standard pub fare, but the portions are generous and the food is good.

If you are looking for something other than pub food, there are a few restaurants and take-aways in Wooler.

Milan restaurant is round the back of the Black Bull (you will find it by heading down the alley to the left of the pub). The restaurant serves Italian style food – meat and fish mains, as well as pizza, pasta and risotto. Milan has a lunch menu and a kids’ menu too. A place to go if you want a nice evening meal with a bottle of wine.

Continuing the European theme is No 1 Hotel and Wine Lounge opposite the Black Bull, an ex-pub turned wine and tapas bar, also serving cocktails. Not the cheapest meal out – tapas average around £4-5 per plate – but tasteful decor and cosy atmosphere makes for a good evening.

For fish and chips the only option open all week is Fry Fry on Market Place. The take away is fish and chips, pies, kebabs and pizza – can be busy on a Friday night. You can also eat in – they have a small restaurant area with tables adjoining the take-away. On Friday lunch and early evening, you may also catch the Geoff Allen mobile fish and chip van (as featured in Antiques Roadshow!) open on South Road near the junction with The Peth.

For fast food you can also try Cindie & Millie’s, a small purple-fronted outlet on Market Place, selling burgers, pizzas and kebabs. They proudly proclaim their fresh pizza dough in the front window, and again delivery is offered.

For a Chinese take-away, Oriental Kitchen just off Market Place on Ramsey’s Lane offers quick service and reasonable prices in a classic setting. Excellent value for a dish with rice or chips, or try the larger selection on the main menu.

Cafes in Wooler

For a hot drink, cake, or even breakfast or lunch, there are a number of cafes to try in Wooler.

Wooler Milk Bar is just at the bottom of the hill from town, next to the A697. An excellent breakfast using local ingredients is available. Try their milkshakes, cakes or an ice-cream from the local and award-winning Doddington Dairy!

Ramblers coffee shop on the high street serves a range of hot food from breakfasts to lunches for a quick bite or a coffee.

Breeze on the high street also serves as a gift shop. Often busy, it serves a range of hot lunch food as well as real coffee and tempting cakes.

Terrace Cafe, overlooking Market Place, is a cosy caff serving good breakfast, lunches and cakes.

No 1 Hotel and Wine Lounge serves a full afternoon tea with cakes and finger sandwiches (G&T option available!)

Nearby Wooler

Being a cottage near Wooler means we are lucky enough to have all this almost on our doorstep. The most direct walk from Homildon Cottage to Wooler takes 15-20 minutes. An alternative, more circular route along part of St Cuthbert’s Way can be walked in an hour.

Find out more about Wooler history or places of interest in and around Wooler.

With a history stretching back over 200 years, Homildon Cottage has a lot of stories to tell.

Homildon Cottage today

A traditional cottage on the very border of Northumberland National Park, Homildon Cottage is available for self-catering breaks. Sleeping up to eight, it offers seclusion and tranquility – while being within walking distance of Wooler.

The cottage provides a blend of the old and the new from a cosy, well-equipped kitchen with AGA to a large sitting room with vaulted ceiling and vintage wood burning stove. The house lies out of sight at the end of a short dead-end track from High Humbleton with the garden nestling under Humbleton Hill.

Homildon Cottage’s history

What is now Homildon Cottage was originally three cottages lived in by farm labourers. Built in the early 1800s, at one point these were home to more than 20 people. These three cottages were supplemented by a barn, which now houses the master bedroom. A separate stable outbuilding is now our games’ room. These buildings formed part of the village of Humbleton which was recorded with a population of some 125 in the census of 1811. Humbleton has been occupied since the Bronze Age and once had a chapel and schoolhouse. At one point, it is said to have been a more prominent local settlement than near-by Wooler. However the village began to decline in the years around the First World War to become the smaller, peaceful hamlet seen today.

With the waning of Humbleton, the Homildon cottages themselves fell into disrepair during the second half of the twentieth century. It was uninhabited for many years, before being restored and converted into a single dwelling in the late 1980s. Since then it has provided several sets of inhabitants some sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of modern life. The current owners bought the house early in 2015, carrying out a thorough renovation and enhancement. They now use it as their own family retreat as well as sharing the cottage as a self-catering holiday let.

The Homildon name

The cottage is named after the historic name of the neighbouring hill, Homildon Hill. Although this is now known as Humbleton Hill, it was known as Homildon at time of the famous victory of the English over the Scots: the Battle of Homildon Hill. It is this which forms the grist to the opening scenes of Shakespeare’s King Henry IV. At various times, the hill has also been known as Hameldun, Holmedon or Homilheugh. Whatever its name, it has always formed an imposing neighbour to the cottage. Look carefully and a stone hut circle with cultivated terraces can be identified on the hill.