Detour #188: Break for the Border, Northumberland, UK
Between Scotland and England there’s a road so special it will make you hit the brakes and pause for thought.
If you’re lucky there’s a moment on your road trip that makes you stop dead in your tracks. A point where a breathlessness that’s come out of a combination of driving thrills and an awe of nature means you simply have to pull over and take stock. To switch off both engine and mind and wonder at what lies ahead.
I knew it would come the moment I turned south on to the B6357 at Ferniehirst Castle, but I didn’t know exactly what form it would take. Leaving Berwick Upon Tweed and the Jim Clark Trail behind, I’d traced this route to take me into England through the vast Kielder Forest, determined to avoid the traffic of the A68, fully expecting that the Borders would deliver exhilarating driving and scenery that would have me reaching for my camera.
And yet, as I reached Wauchope Forest, the road bisecting the hillside, a shallow valley beneath, with a copse of dense woodland on the hill opposite, and a pullout perched precariously overlooking it all, it was somehow still a surprise.
I parked as close to the edge as I dared, and stepped out into the silence. For miles I had the road to myself, only the circling birds of prey for company. It was smooth and sufficiently curvy to keep me busy behind the wheel, whilst still giving time to survey the scenery. But carrying on without pause was simply not an option. The road builders must have realised it, placing this parking spot with perfection.
Yes, I took pictures, but for most of the time I simply stood and stared until the chill of autumn drove me back into the car.
The English border lies just a few miles to the south east at Deadwater and with it England’s largest forest: Kielder. What nobody would guess is that this stunning woodland and the Kielder Water reservoir that it surrounds is entirely man-made. The first plantings of its spruces and pines took place in the 1920s and it’s an understatement to say they have flourished. Almost half a million cubic metres of timber are harvested each year in this carefully maintained ecosystem. Ospreys have been successfully reintroduced and there’s even talk of bringing lynxes back.
The main road past Kielder Water is a lengthy, winding tree tunnel providing occasional glimpses of the shimmering reservoir and the many sporty activities that take place there. At night the area is designated a Dark Skies site, free from light pollution and ideal for star gazing.
For me Kielder’s biggest claim to fame was its starring role in the Lombard RAC Rally, when the legends of Group B would fly through the forests with an anoraked Tony Mason giving commentary. Those wanting to follow in the wheeltracks of rally heroes can take the 12-mile Kielder Forest Drive on gravel roads from Kielder Castle to Blakehopeburnhaugh. Even with the 15mph speed limit it’s well worth the £3 toll if you have a 4x4 or perhaps a Toyota GR Yaris like Detour’s Dan Trent.
My Lotus is too fragile for such antics, but the tarmac road out through Bellingham and on to Hexham is still a joy, even as it leaves behind the great forest to part acre after acre of farmland.
It will, however, be that singular spot just before the border between Scotland and England that will remain with me. Until the next time, at least.
ROADBOOK
CLASS: BORDERLANDS
NAME: break for the border
ROUTE: berwick upon tweed to Hexham
COUNTRY: SCOTLAND, england
DISTANCE: 91 miles
Time travelling in a futuristic MG Cyberster, John Mahoney returns to a road full of memories.