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Hiking trails & Routes

North East England

Butterfield Woods Entrance – Bluebell Wood loop from Morpeth

Hiking trails & Routes

North East England

Butterfield Woods Entrance – Bluebell Wood loop from Morpeth

Easy

3.0

(1)

15

hikers

Butterfield Woods Entrance – Bluebell Wood loop from Morpeth

01:07

4.18km

50m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 12, 2026

Waypoints

A

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1

181 m

Flowering Tree in Community Garden

Highlight • Natural

It’s nice in spring with the fruit trees and flowers

Tip by

2

293 m

Butterfield Woods Entrance

Highlight • Historical Site

These woods and the steep sided Howburn valley once held coal mines, from as recent as the 1920s right back to Roman times. You can see some traces of the industry from the old bricks that are occasionally used to line the path. You might also see some acient 'bell mines' in the woods, pits that were dug and expanded out underground to dig out the coal seams. The large meadow on the left as you come back from the walk is called 'Pestilence Close' and supposedly the Morpeth inhabitants who died in the plague of 1665 are buried here. The Romano-British smetled iron in the valley, and traces of their works also exist. Hard to believe so much industry existed in what is now a green nature reserve.

While not on the walk itself, the Victorian 'County Lunatic Asylum' existed where the new housing estate is now at the edge of the woods. A little further up, you might see what is left of the Morpeth racecourse, where horses were raced in the 1730s. The grandstand is long gone, but you can see traces of the oval track in the fields

Tip by

3

569 m

Bluebell Wood

Highlight • Forest

4

1.01 km

Plague Pits Entrance, Bluebell Woods

Highlight • Forest

Follow the path down hill and cross the road to get to the plague pits

Tip by

5

1.10 km

Plague Burial Site

Highlight • Natural

Nice place sit half way along the rive walk between Bothal and Morpeth

Tip by

6

1.91 km

Bluebell Wood St George's Entrance

Highlight • Forest

The path continues along the road to the right.

Tip by

7

3.70 km

St James' Church

Highlight • Historical Site

B

4.18 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

2.35 km

1.45 km

269 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

1.17 km

970 m

915 m

548 m

509 m

< 100 m

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Elevation

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

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Weather

Powered by Foreca

Saturday 22 August

19°C

6°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

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