MORPETH MEANDER FOR PONTELAND U3A WALKERS
Morpeth is a town with a long and distinguished history some of which we fitted into a three and a
half mile walk one fine sunny morning.
We entered Morpeth Common from the road down to Mitford and learnt of the Polish Camp which
housed over 300 people, mainly Poles but some Brits, after the Second World War. The camp
existed from 1947 into the 1960s and was one of many in the country to help displaced persons find
a new life. Nothing now remains of it. The path across the Common brought us to St Mary’s church
yard and to Emily Davison Wilding’s grave. It is the centenary on June 4th of the Derby day when
Emily, a leading suffragette, ran onto the racecourse, fell under the King’s horse and entered the
history books. In 1913 Emily was 40 years old and a committed activist which led to many spells in
prison and she was forced fed 49 times because she refused to take food. This was a form of
mediaeval torture! She died four days later and her body was returned to the North. When it came
to Morpeth the photos show incredible crowd scenes around the coffin’s progress from the station
to the church!
There is a watch tower in the graveyard where a person spent nights making sure that no body
snatching went on. This was built when Burke and Hare were making the headlines in Edinburgh
digging up newly buried corpses for the surgeons to practice dissection.
Our wanderings took us next past the Sun Inn and up the bank to the War Memorial. Opposite is a
beautiful green park with trees and flower beds and some of the older members in the group
remembered when this site was the Council refuse tip! From the War Memorial, through gate pillars
and up to the castle, but all that remains is the Gateway. Next, onto the green mound; this is Ha Ha
hill, and presumed to be the site of the first motte and bailey castle built by the Normans. What
views! About ten Shetland sheep have recently been introduced onto the Hill to keep the grass
under control. They are a ‘sustainable management tool’ according to the notice!
Carlisle Park is below and with woods, river, bowls, tennis, skate park and play area and even a
paddling pool in summer, all set off with brilliant flower displays, It is worth spending time to
explore. The Turner garden is a must. We went through the wood with a pungent smell of garlic
from plants covering the ground and came out at Oldgate Bridge. There are construction works
going on to help flood control since this area is badly affected when the river floods. The stepping
stones were well clear of the water and it stretches the imagination to think of the river overflowing
to the houses fringing the Green. There are informative notices along the river where some of the
history is pointed out. The river was followed along Lady’s Walk and then to where Newminster
Abbey was situated. This was an important Cistercian Abbey with land holdings in many parts of
Northumberland, dissolved by Henry VIII and fell into ruins. Very little is left and it is no longer
visible from the footpath. After passing some houses built with abbey stones we followed the
footpath through a field and returned to the cars.