The Street

The Street Show path on map

Start location: Adjacent to Hownam old school ( NT 778 191 )

End location: Pennine Way - gate at Border fence. ( NT 836 154 )

Geographical area:

Path type: ,

Path distance: 7.8km

Accessibility info:

Route Description

From Hownam, go east uphill by the track called The Street. Turn southeast at NT791190 to follow it over Windy Law, Craik Moor and Green Knowe (415m) to the Pennine Way and the border with England at NT836154.

OS Landranger 80 (Cheviot Hills & Kielder Water)

Heritage Information

The Street is marked on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6" mapping (1843-1882) as a drove road. It is said to have been used to move cattle and sheep from Scotland into England. It links via the border ridge route to Clennell Street.

There are some clues that indicate The Street's origins are likely a great deal older than its droving history. An at least medieval date is suggested as it follows an old parish boundary, that on the eastern side of Hownam parish. It also goes through a number of linear earthworks known as cross dykes; the purpose of these is unknown but is thought to have been a method of controlling traffic. These and the Hownam Rings hill fort that the path passes open up the possibility that the path is pre-medieval. Certainly, its ridge-following nature and its braiding in places are characteristic of very old routes.

Occasionally walking guides make mention of The Street having been a Roman Road, but there is no evidence of this. Even the earliest use of the name located so far is the afore-mentioned OS 6" map (1843-1882). Interestingly, the name The Street is used in the Statistical Accounts for Hownam (1791 and 1836), but from the descriptions therein, it is clearly being applied to Dere Street which runs along Hownam's western parish boundary. Is it possible there was a mix-up and the The Street name was mis-applied either in the Statistical Accounts or the OS mapping?

Although it is sometimes said that The Street is marked on Roy's military map of 1755 as Clattering Path, this assertion may date to a transcription error between the first and second editions of Scottish Hill Tracks (1947 and 1975). Roy's Lowlands map of 1752-55 shows the Clattering Path actually refers to the right of way which heads down to Calroust, whilst The Street is not marked at all.

If anyone knows more information about either The Street or the Clattering Path, the Heritage Paths project will be very pleased to hear from them.

 

 

Gallery

NT781191: The Street looking west at Hownam (2009). This old drove road starts at Hownam and climbs to the border at Mozie Law before descending into Coquetdale. Nowadays it provides a good route into the Cheviot Hills for walkers. © Eileen Henderson, Geograph NT781191: The Street looking west at Hownam (2009). This old drove road starts at Hownam and climbs to the border at Mozie Law before descending into Coquetdale. Nowadays it provides a good route into the Cheviot Hills for walkers. © Eileen Henderson, Geograph
NT783190 looking NW along The Street (2009). This old drove road which crosses the Cheviots from Hownam in Roxburghshire to Northumberland's Coquet Valley was used for transportation of cattle and sheep from Scotland to England. © Andrew Curtis, Geograph NT783190 looking NW along The Street (2009). This old drove road which crosses the Cheviots from Hownam in Roxburghshire to Northumberland's Coquet Valley was used for transportation of cattle and sheep from Scotland to England. © Andrew Curtis, Geograph
NT788189: The Street, view west (2009). The standing stone can be seen on the knoll to the left with Horseshoe Wood on its right. View is across the valley at Hownam to Thowliestane Hill. © Andrew Curtis, Geograph NT788189: The Street, view west (2009). The standing stone can be seen on the knoll to the left with Horseshoe Wood on its right. View is across the valley at Hownam to Thowliestane Hill. © Andrew Curtis, Geograph
NT790190 looking west along The Street below Windy Law (2009). © Andrew Curtis, Geograph NT790190 looking west along The Street below Windy Law (2009). © Andrew Curtis, Geograph
NT792190: junction of bridleways near Hownam Rings (2009). The Street's track on the other side of the wall (as shown on the map) is at least initially not so clear on the ground. A left turn through the gate takes you NE to Belford in the Bowmont valley. © Andrew Curtis, Geograph NT792190: junction of bridleways near Hownam Rings (2009). The Street's track on the other side of the wall (as shown on the map) is at least initially not so clear on the ground. A left turn through the gate takes you NE to Belford in the Bowmont valley. © Andrew Curtis, Geograph

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