My Birthday Walk to Norham Bridge and Milne Garden

Todays walk was my Birthday walk so we headed for the Norham Bridge near Berwick on Tweed where it separates Scotland and England. The Edinburgh contingent arrived just before the Langholm contingent and we set off at 10.30am in glorious sunshine. This bridge was built in 1895 and looking upstream from here you will see 3 Islands on the River Tweed. We have walked many miles on the Tweed over the years but this stretch of about 3 miles completed today upriver is one of the nicest we have been on. 

Norham Bridge with one of the Islands on the right.

Much of the walk beside the river bordered an estate and this wall on the right stretched for many miles. Even when we left the river and walked back on quiet country roads the estate had excellent walls marking its boundary. Martin as usual had a map to keep us on the right track but todays walk was very easy to follow and there was not a single argument with Tom about which way to go.  

When we left the river and walked along the country roads most of the fields contained Oil Seed Rape and the scent from it was almost overpowering. 

We came upon this Milestone Inspector looking very well fed.

The Estate is called Mile Graden estate and each entrance to it has superb gates. This is the West Lodge with gates bigger than the house and no road leading to the main house 

This is the North Lodge gate

And this is the Lion Lodge gate

And finally the largest and most spectacular Lion Gate

Near the end of the walk we pass the Jubilee Fountain which was erected by Lady Marjoribanks of Ladykirk to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Sadly no water now comes out of the fountain.

After the walk we headed over the bridge into England and the village of Norham. This is a lovely village well worth a visit and the Masons Arms provided us with a lovely meal.

After the meal Tom expressed a wish to visit Norham Castle so we spent half an hour in this lovely old ruin which is over 900 years old and was built for the Bishop of Durham to protect the property of the bishopric in North Northumberland from incursions by the Scots. Nothing has changed there then. It was a superb day and the weather is hopefully now a bit more like summer so lets hope it continues for a few weeks.