Calroust, the Castles and The Street

This superb long circular passes over archaeology, picks up a short section of the Pennine Way and returns to the start along The Street (historic cross-border route).

The Iron Age settlement at the top of your first climb is called The Castles. The Street was once a Roman Road that included 7km of the parish boundary between Hownam and Morebattle.

Note: This is a hill route. OS map and compass essential.

1. From the field just beyond Belford on Bowmont, follow the minor road up the valley beside the Bowmont Water for 1km.

2. Turn right onto a track leading to Mowhaugh School House and make your way round the back of the house and continue uphill with the dyke (wall) on your left.

3. Follow the line of the grass track uphill passing through four gates until you come to a thicket of gorse. Pass round this by turning right and then left and continue up the hill following a rough track to a gate. At the top you will see the remains of an Iron Age settlement referred to as “The Castles”.

4. Keeping the dyke on your left enclosing the Scots Pine plantation, continue following a rough grass path over two small rises (Crock Law and Pudding Law) and through a gate. At the end of the dyke a wire fence continues up the hill which you should continue to follow for 1.4km making for the Border ridge on the horizon. Note the ground gets wet underfoot as you ascend Windy Rig. At the brow of the hill you will come across a gate in the fence on your left. Go through the gate and continue to follow the fence (now on your right) until you meet a hunt gate in the English Border fence.

5. Go through the gate onto the grassy and sometimes muddy Pennine Way and turn right. After 1.3km you will come across a fingerpost for “The Street” pointing you sharp right along a hard track. Follow this back downhill, with the Border fence on your left, until you pass into a gully.

6. Go through the Border fence by a field gate and continue on down the hill following the track for 2km passing through three field gates. Carry on down the track as it sweeps downhill and round to the left until you reach two gates below the saddle.

7. Pass through these gates, and continue following the track, uphill, as it swings to the right, with the fence line now on your right. Look out for the remains of an Iron Age fort on your left, situated to the west on Blackbrough Hill. Continue for 1.5km with the fence on your right which turns to a stone dyke just before reaching another field gate. Pass through this gate, taking you to the opposite side of the dyke, and follow the dyke over the rise. This takes you to the Hownam to Belford track at a field gate clearly signed with a fingerpost.

8. Turn right onto the track heading for Belford, cross the Hownam Burn, proceed uphill through a gate and past the ruins of “See Few” Cottage on your left. Follow this well defined track for 2.4km over the hill and down, through a number of gates, to Belford on Bowmont Farm. Turn right at the junction with the tarmac road, back to where you started.