When planning a trip to West Woodburn, two distinct interests come together: walks of varying lengths and local history, including a listed bridge, a carved figure and an inscription. When choosing a route, you can consider distance and stated difficulty separately; the architectural and historical features provide another focus for your planning.
Walks and Route Choices
A self-guided walking guide encourages you to explore the footpaths and bridleways around West Woodburn and Corsenside. “Walk 1: Cragg farm and Ridsdale Ironworks” starts at Corsenside Parish Hall in West Woodburn. The route is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) long and rated moderate. This gives you a precise starting point, as well as the distance and difficulty level for this walk.
“Walk 2: West Woodburn Village and Corsenside Church” is 5.2 miles (8.3 km) long. “Walk 3: Lisles Valley” covers 8 miles (12 km) and is rated challenging. The distances in kilometres and miles make it possible to compare them in both units.
By distance, Walk 2 is the shortest, Walk 1 is in between, and Walk 3 is the longest. Walk 1 is rated moderate and Walk 3 challenging; you can therefore consider length and stated difficulty as separate criteria when choosing a route. Route conditions may change, so check them before your walk.
Landscape and Heritage
High, open moorland and the common lands of Corsenside, East Woodburn and Chesterhope surround the settlements of East Woodburn and West Woodburn. The landscape setting thus encompasses both settlements and the named common lands. For travellers who want to understand the landscape as well as the route distances, this offers another perspective on the area.
West Woodburn Bridge is a Grade II listed building dating from the early 19th century. It is made of dressed stone and has two wide segmental arch openings. A segmental arch is flatter than a semicircular arch; here, the term describes the shape of the openings. Along with its date, the material and design provide further specific points of interest for those interested in historic architecture.
Near West Woodburn are Roman remains of a carved figure known locally as “Rob of Risingham”. The year 1797 is carved in stone above the door of the Bay Horse Inn in West Woodburn. The two historical traces are clearly distinct: a Roman figure and a dated inscription on a named building sit side by side here.
An Event in September
The Corsenside Parish Show takes place on the village green in West Woodburn on the third Saturday in September. If you want to time your trip to coincide with the event, check the arrangements for the relevant year in advance. This lets you take the September date into account when planning.
Discover more destinations: Kirkwhelpington, Ellington, Felton, Ashington, Chillingham, Warkworth, Bardon Mill, Cresswell.
For the wider travel overview: Northumberland.
