Views of Wark and immediate vicinity
The perfect base for exploring rural Northumberland and beyond
Warksburn Old Church is located in Wark-on-Tyne, in the heart of rural Northumberland. Close to Hadrians Wall, Kielder Water, Northumberland National Park and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the property is also minutes away from the Pennine Way and a number of National Cycle Network routes. There are innumerable local byroads, off-road tracks and paths on the doorstep, whilst the beaches of the Northumberland Coast, the Lake District, and the Scottish Borders are all easily accessible by road within about 60 to 90 minutes, for those who wish to venture a little further during their stay.
A relaxing rural haven, but with historic towns and exciting cities close at hand
Whilst the immediate surroundings are deeply and relaxing, the buzz of Newcastle is only 40 minutes away, and the historic city of Durham is about an hour’s drive. Locally, the ancient market town of Hexham is only a few minutes drive, as is the charming village of Corbridge with its wide range of niche boutiques, old fashioned shops, an artisanal bakers and delicatessen. Only slightly further afield, Scotland’s major cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, are just over two hours away.
How to get here
Warksburn Old Church lies on the B6320 road, at the south end of the village of Wark, approximately five minute’s drive north of Hadrians Wall, and about 40 minutes south of the Scottish border. Journey time to Newcastle is about 40 minutes; Edinburgh and Glasgow are just over two hours away.
From anywhere in England: take the M6 to Junction 43 at Carlisle or the A1 to the A69 Junction in Newcastle. From either of these major junctions it’s then about a 40 minute drive along the A69 to the junction with the A6079 at Acomb near the town of Hexham.
Leave the A69 at the Acomb turn off, and follow the A6079 through the villages of Acomb and Wall. After Wall turn left for a short stretch on the B6318 across the historic bridge over the North Tyne to the roundabout at Chollerford. Finally, follow the B6320 from the Chollerford roundabout for seven miles to towards Wark, Bellingham and Kielder.
Warksburn Old Church is about 50 metres on the left after the 30mph sign on entry to the village of Wark. If you get to the Battlesteads Hotel you have gone too far.
From anywhere in Scotland. Either take the M74/M6 to Junction 44 at Carlisle (North), or the A1 to the A69 Junction in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. From either of these major junctions it’s then about a 40 minute drive along the A69 to the junction with the A6079 at Acomb near the town of Hexham.
Leave the A69 at the Acomb turn off, and follow the A6079 through the villages of Acomb and Wall. After Wall turn left for a short stretch on the B6318 across the historic bridge over the North Tyne to the roundabout at Chollerford. Finally, follow the B6320 from the Chollerford roundabout for seven miles to towards Wark, Bellingham and Kielder.
Warksburn Old Church is about 50 metres on the left after the 30mph sign on entry to the village of Wark. If you get to the Battlesteads Hotel you have gone too far.
Scenic alternative from Scotland. Take the A68 which runs south from Edinburgh, crossing the border at Carter Bar. Once you have descended into England though the edges of Kielder Forest and passed through the village of Rochester, turn right to remain on the A68 where the A696 goes straight ahead towards Newcastle. After a few minutes, turn right on the B6318 and proceed over the moors, through the village of Bellingham, and into Wark six miles further south. Drive all the way through Wark, taking care on the sharp Z bends in the heart of the village. Pass the Battlesteads Hotel on your right. Warksburn Old Church is about 100 metres further along the road on the right.
Scenic alternative when coming from either Scotland or England: a more historic route than the A69 all the way to Acomb, particularly if the weather is good, involves leaving the A69 at Greenhead (if coming from the Carlisle direction) or Heddon-on-the-Wall (if coming from Newcastle). From either of these two places, take the B6318, which exactly follows the line of Hadrians Wall, to the roundabout at Chollerford, then proceed to Wark as above.
By air: Newcastle International Airport is located precisely 32 minutes drive away from Warksburn Old Church. Taking the B6318 ‘Military Road’ alongs Hadrians Wall enables an extraordinarily easy journey to a major airport. One of the route options passes only 18 houses: hence the precisely predictable journey time. Most of the major car hire firms are at the airport, and taxis are available. The airport offers superb global connections, with flag carrier services to the major hubs of London Heathrow (BA), Dubai (Emirates), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), Amsterdam and Paris (Air France – KLM). Loganair, Eastern Airways, easyJet and Jet2Com operate to a variety of UK and EU destinations
By rail: the nearest station on the East Coast Main Line from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross is Newcastle, and the closest on the Glasgow to London Euston West Coast Main Line is Carlisle.
Typical journey times from London to Newcastle are about 3 hours, whereas it typically takes around 4 hours from London to Carlisle. There is also a direct service linking Carlisle directly with Manchester Airport, which takes around two and half hours.
Regular Northern Rail services operate on the Hadrians Wall Line linking Newcastle and Carlisle. All these services stop at Hexham, the nearest National Rail station to Wark. Taxis should be booked in advance if travelling via Hexham station. It is about a 15 minute journey from Hexham to Warksburn Old Church.
Public transport: Go NorthEast operate the 680 local bus between Hexham and Bellingham, stopping in Wark in both directions. The 680 stops at Hexham Rail Station transport interchange and thereby provides a link to the rail network. As of 01 January 2024, there are seven journeys each way Mondays to Saturdays. There is no Sunday service. Please check the current timetable at: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/680
By bike: Wark lies close to the intersection of National Cycle Routes 10 & 68 at Bellingham, Northumberland. There are direct routes from Wark to reach NCN10 at the neighbouring village of Birtley, and to NCN68 just south of the summit of Dunterley Fell. Alan, one of the hosts, is the author the North Tyne Bike Ride Guide. The eBook is available for download as a PDF or (for Apple devices only) at the Apple Books store here.