Isaac's Tea Trail Route

Introduction

Isaac's Tea Trail has been described as England's last great undiscovered wilderness trek. The trail runs over 37 miles and is mainly in Northumberland within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Following in Isaac's footsteps is a great way to discover the comparatively unexplored far North of England, (actually, it is near enough the middle of Britain). Check the map for Allendale and Alston, where the trail reaches Cumbria down the Nent Valley. Other walkers are few and far between, unlike the busier parts of the Lake District and on Hadrian's Wall.   

The higher moorland sections offer a challenge, with easier going along the tree fringed river valleys. The trail can be completed over two to three days or longer by doing shorter distances in a more leisurely style.               

Isaac's Tea Trail is named after Isaac Holden, an itinerant tea seller and local philanthropist. Isaac was a lead miner, who was forced to find another livelihood, when he faced the twin blows of illness and the loss of work with the closure of the Mohope mine after a slump in the lead trade. His salvation came in a novel way as a door to door tea seller in the Allendale area. At the same time he also experienced a spiritual re-birth, and in common with other folk in the dales became a convert to Methodism, which by the 1800s had become "the religion of the dale".   

Fuelled by his religious conviction, he combined tea selling with fund raising for the poor and needy in the East and West Allen valleys. At the same time he was also associated with an impressive number of other ventures of wider community benefit. His legacy can still be seen around Allendale at Isaac's Well, in the chapels, where one is now a public library and the other, at Trinity Chapel which is still open for worship. On the corner of the Market Place in Allendale is the old Savings Bank that is a Gift Shop. A short distance further on in the grave yard of St. Cuthbert's church, the largest memorial commemorates Isaac Holden. 

Five miles away at Ninebanks in the West Allen valley, is the hearse house built specially for the celebrated "Holden hearse" near where he worked in his earlier years in the lead mines. All are reminders of Holden's past amidst surroundings, which have changed little since Victorian times.  

The trail includes the remote farmsteads and fell side mining hamlets, where Isaac made his deliveries on foot. During his perambulations, he also sold self penned poems and copies of "of his likeness", an early photographic impression also to raise money. Nenthead, Alston, Kirkhaugh and Ninebanks, are also places with character that made important contributions in the life of Isaac Holden.         

In the ups and downs in Victorian family fortunes his cousin (another Isaac), invented looms and manufacured textiles for the Yorkshire woollen industry. The firm of Isaac Holden and Sons generated enormous profits, though none of this wealth trickled down to the poorer Holdens of the North Pennines. The woollen mills in Bradford, The Alston Works, (named after the birth place of Holden's father) and also in Keighley, processed the wool from 8 million sheep in a single year with other factories at St. Denis in Paris and Roubaix in Northern France.       

The heritage of the North Pennines is well represented on Isaac's Tea Trail with examples from over 2000 years of history with the magnificent Roman fort of Whitley Castle, the defensive bastle house of Rowantree Stob, and extensive evidence of industrial archaeology and the mining and smelting of lead and silver.  A world apart from what has now become one of the most tranquil and unspoilt parts of the country.             

The trail starts in Allendale at Isaac's Well in the Market Place and goes over to Nenthead and Alston and returns by Ninebanks (YHA Ninebanks). The route is fully way marked and includes distinctive Isaac signs. The higher sections may be remote, but nowhere is more than 20 minutes from a road. Walking boots and clothing appropriate to the conditions are essential and an awareness that there can be sudden changes in the weather. 

Check the weather forecast beforehand. http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather  

The trail is printed on the Ordnance Survey Maps Landranger 87  1:50,000 and the Outdoor Leisure Series 31 and 43 1:25,000 series. The best option is to order your own dedicated map. Go to www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk "Select Explorer", centre at NY 772 514, chose folded and you can order the trail on a single sheet, as well as a personal souvenir. The map(s) still need to be used with the guide book Isaac’s Tea Trail, only £2.00, include A5 size + SAE from Tourist Information Centres at:-

• Hexham TIC
  Wentworth Car Park
  Hexham
  Northumberland
  NE46 1QE

        t: 01434 652220

        e:hexham.tic@northumberland.gov.uk

•  Alston Local Links
   The Town Hall
   Front Street
   Alston
   Cumbria
   CA9 3RF
  

         t: 01434 382244

         e:alston.tic@eden.gov.uk

      Also available from TICs in Sunderland, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gateshead and South Shields.

Sections

The trail is divided into 4 main sections.  These can be modified to fit your own timetable,fitness and according to the terrain, weather and the time of the year.  Allow between 2-4 days or whatever feels comfortable.

Allendale to Nenthead (11 miles) (1575 ft ascent) – Follows the East Allen valley upstream crossing denes and through lightly wooded riverside. Then joins the Black Way to Coalcleugh over high heather moors to the County boundary and down a rough moorland track to the road into Nenthead.

Nenthead to Alston (5.5 miles) (525 ft ascent) – Alternates between the fell side and waterfalls as the river Nent cascades down to Alston. Plenty of stiles and passes close by some residences. 

Alston to Ninebanks (9.5 miles) (1214 ft ascent) – Follows the Pennine Way past the Roman fort at Whitley Castle before crossing the River S.Tyne near Kirkhaugh church. Loops back at Randalholm, up the valley of the Ayle Burn over the A686 and up a moorland track by the Pennine Pottery and the old road down into the West Allen at Mohope.

Ninebanks to Allendale (9.5 miles) (984 ft ascent) –From Ninebanks (Mohope)crosses the watershed of the West Allen back to the East Allen, through rough pasture, meadows and woodlands with a riverside walk into Allendale. Enjoy the variety and celebrate with a pot of tea in Allendale or even a local beer.

Beforehand check each section in the guide book with the maps. What can appear as straightforward may not be so clear on the ground.  Since the guide book was  printed note the following amendments.

Pg.2 the leaflet referred to at bottom of page is now out of print. Contact TICs for details of accommodation and transport etc.

Pg.11 the sign post at New Houses has been taken down and the path has been redirected about 20 metres further down Leadgate Bank through a new wicket gate. The cattle grid after Harlow Bower has been removed.

Pgs. 14-15 Carrs level not Carr. A number of stiles have now been replaced by wicket gates. The path has been diverted and now passes along the fence behind Knockburn Farm and avoids the need to enter the drive way.

Pg.17 The sketch map is accurate n.b. dog leg/zig zag before the ruins at Roughside. There has been a realignmnet of the path from the Northumberland/Cumbria boundary down towards Roughside. After a straight section of approx. 1.75k there is a need to be alert and to find the track before the ruins. A new 4 way sign post (2010) has removed uncertainty. Unless, you are doing the trail following bridleways on horse back or cycle, keep to the trail path; this is easier ground, if slightly longer route down to Nenthead.         

Pg. 19 there's a gate not a stile at the county boundary.

Pg. 21 the path through the "set aside" meadow is difficult to see, especially in high summer. The descent to the main road is steep and can be slippery and needs to be taken with care. Similarly, care is needed on the short section on the road, before the sharp bend and road junction at Nenthall Bridge.

Pg. 25 go over the stone railway bridge for the South Tyne Railway. Right not left of Clarghyll Hall.

Pg. 26 Clarghyll Colliery is mothballed. The final section of track down to Keirsleywell Row is rough with deep ruts, loose stones and needs to be taken with care.   

Elsewhere, there are minor changes such as where wicket gates have replaced stiles and there are now some additional marker posts. 

If fitness or time are considerations, then shorter sections can be completed  between Allendale and Allenheads, Alston and Nenthead using public transport.  You can also take the train on the South Tyne Railway between Alston and Kirkhaugh. Ninebanks and the West Allen is a green haven for shorter walks linked to the trail. In Allendale, twenty minutes, can be spent in a short "I spy" tour spotting places with Isaac Holden associations.    

Click on the map to view a detailed version of the Isaac's Tea Trail route

Potential trouble spots  -

(1) Crockton Burn (GR 812 571) returning to Allendale below Chapel House farm keep the burn on your right, (don't turn right at a junction and down over the burn towards Pia Troon) but head down to Maggie's Bridge and the East Allen River. In the height of summer the grass above the burn is overgrown and restricts visibility.

(2) Roughside(GR 783 452) is well named, head for the ruined farmstead of this name. The foot path over the County boundary into Cumbria has been re-aligned to follow the definitive way almost down to the track in front of Roughside, which then follows a contour round to the road into Nenthead.

OS maps include inaccuracies:-

(1) Kirkhaugh Station (GR 694 497) Cross the stone railway bridge at the station and down to the footbridge over the River South Tyne. (Do not ford the river!!)

(2) At Blagill (GR 740 472) Use the bridleway through the hamlet and avoid the longer hairpin and unecessary road walking. 

(The OS have been informed and future re-prints will include these amendments) 

Go to WWW.GEOGRAPH.ORG.UK check out Isaac's Tea Trail for views and features to see on the trail. (Thanks to Joe Rice). You can add your own images.  

PLEASE NOTE RECENT CHANGES/ISSUES RIVERSIDE EROSION RIVER NENT

(1) Nent Valley (W. Foreshield NY750467) River side erosion and the loss of a section of path about 150m upstream of Foreshield road bridge (B6294) and also between (Nenthall Bridge NY 758 457) and (Lovelady Shield NY 755 462). Though this still remains a Right of Way, great care is needed and the prevailing weather conditions and individual circumstances need to be taken into account. If in doubt a temporary alternative is available. 

(Please refer to Walk Highlights under the News for the latest position). 

(2) West Allen (Leadgate bank NY789543) A footpath diversion has taken place on Leadgate Bank about 20 metres further down the road, where there is now a gated entrance and an "Isaac's Tea Trail" sign post to Harlow Bower and Gate House. 

(3) East Allen (Park Farm NY NY835533) There's a sign for a bull in the field immediately before Park Farm in the East Allen. This sign is to advise and is not intended to deter you from the public right of way. "Bull in the field", rather than the old "Beware of the bull" signs are meant to inform the public of this hazard. Better to be forewarned, than to discover that the well proportioned cow or bullock is in fact, a bull. Because much of the trail is occupied by livestock - cattle, sheep and alpacas as well as ground nesting birds, dogs should be on leads or even better left at home.  NFU advice is "Your dog can scare or harm farm animals keep it on a lead around livestock, but let go if chased by cattle."          

A farmer is entitled to keep bulls of up to 10 months old in a field with a public footpath.  Bulls more than 10 months old of a recognised dairy breed - Ayrshire, British Friesan, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry are barred from fields crossed by public paths under all circumstances. All other bulls over 10 months are banned unless accompanied by cows and heifers.       

Services (accommodation, transport, parking, toilets and libraries)

Accommodation

Allendale area www.visitnorthumberland.com/site/accommodation/isaacs-tea-trail

(Request - Holiday and Short Breaks Guide 2011 for "Northumberland an Independent Spirit")

Alston area www.cybermoor.org/ local directory -local businesses

Also Allen Valleys Community website www.allenvalleys.co.uk

Camping, bunkhouses and YHA accommodation - contact TIC details for Hexham and Alston.

See Holiday and Short Breaks Guide 2011 for "Northumberland an Independent Spirit" and www.visitnorthumberland.com  

Further accommodation options can be found at the TICs. 

Public transport details are on www.traveline.org.uk or t:0871 2002233. Unfortunately, there are no Sunday bus services. 

Taxis for trail and baggage support are available from Allendale, Alston, Langley and Hexham.   

For car users, there is free parking in Allendale Market Place, at Nenthead at the North Pennines Heritage Trust, in Alston at Fairhill Recreation Ground on A689 on road to Nenthead. The Pennine Pottery's car park at Clargillhead between Alston and Ninebanks.  

There are public toilets at Alston, Allendale, Allenheads and Nenthead.   

A community shop in the centre of Nenthead is the only shop between Allendale and Alston, where you can have a cup of tea. At the same time pick up a copy of the Alston Moor newsletter, published four times a year, at 25p. There is a first class library in the old Town Hall in Alston known as Local Links combined with the TIC. Allendale also has the library partly funded byIsaac Holden (Dawson Place), where you can browse, under the watchful eye of Methodist luminaries of yesteryear.                  

Footpath difficulties on the trail

If you experience difficulties, (hopefully you won't) in the Northumberland sections please contact:

• The Area Countryside Officer
  Countryside Service
  Environment Directorate
  County Hall
  Morpeth
  Northumberland
  NE61 2EF
  Telephone: 01670 533000

For Cumbria (Nenthead and Alston) :

• Countryside Access Development Officer, Economy, Culture and Environment,Transport and Spatial Planning, Lonsdale Building, The Courts, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 8NA

        Telephone : 01228 601022

What next?

If you have enjoyed walking the trail, you may wish to walk other Long Distance Paths(LDP).  For further details visit the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) website at www.ldwa.org.uk/ Consult The UK Trailwalker's Handbook (Eighth Edition) ISBN: 978 1 85284 579 7 published in 2009. 

Links

The sites below provide additional information for walkers, who enjoy wonderful countryside and want to keep it that way.  

www.northpennines.org.uk The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NPAONB) covers the landscape, wildlife and heritage. The trail is entirely within the NPAONB.    

www.allenmillregeneration.co.uk/ is a visitor centre on the trail and is home to The Allendale Bakery and Allendale Brewery.      

www.weardalemuseum.co.uk/ depicts Weardale life and John Wesley and Methodism.

www.alston-hub.org.uk motor transport and memorabilia around Alston  

http://www.visit-haydon-bridge.co.uk/walks/walks.htm  John Martin Heritage Trail is adjacent to Isaac's Tea Trail. John Martin was a famous painter known for his apocalyptic scenes inspired by the Old Testament.  It is possible to detect influences of Tynedale geography from his childhood. See (The Bard - Laing Art Gallery, the Allen Banks gorge and Staward Peel). Holden and Martin were distantly related through Isaac's grand mother Ann Martin.

 http://www.ninebanks.org.uk/ YHA Ninebanks offers a welcome to walkers on the trail