Black Pool and the Long Drop September 21, 2006

Today we hiked a trail about fifteen miles north of Hadrian’s Wall. The history of the countryside here is about more than just the Romans. The Border Country between England and Scotland was the site of much fighting. The people, called Reivers, who lived along the border conducted raids (called reiving) on other border country families the aim being to replenish their lauders. In these raids, which started in the 13th century, people were killed while livestock and other goods stolen. Henry VIII encouraged the animosity between the people as a way of keeping pressure on the Scots. When the Scots were defeated in 1513 Henry was not able to stop the raiding as men that had made a living raiding and stealing did not want to now walk behind a plow. The reiving continued until the 17th century when clans were imprisoned or moved to Ireland.

Our hike took us well into the country formally occupied by the Reivers. Fortunately for us, today was not only peaceful by a beautiful fall day; warm, clear and sunny with just enough wind to keep things cool. The trail led us through woods across Wark’s Burn (river) and through pastures and gardens of several farmers in the area thanks to the Public Footpaths. We were fortunate to see two Roe Deer as we hiked. They are beautiful animals that are a deep red color and are very shy of humans so we only able to view them for a few seconds before they melted into the brush. Not long into the hike we came upon a cottage ruin named "Holy Well" which refers to a nearby sulphur spring that legend said had curative powers. The cottage was set on the banks of Wark's Burn above what is called "Black Pool" which is said to be bottomless. Looking at the dark still waters it is easy to see how it got its name. The "Black Pool" was written about in the 50s and 60s by an author that called himself Vagabond and wrote stories about rural living and wild life. Toward the end of our walk we also investigated an interesting ruin of a Reiver’s cottage named Lower Rose Bower. One outbuilding or outhouse was the loo and was named” Long Drop” because it was forty feet to the rocks below. We started and finished the hike at the village of Stonehaugh’s picnic area set by Wark’s Burn. An interesting observation that we have made while hiking in this area is that the rivers and streams are as often as not very dark colored which we believe is from the water filtering through the peat. Wark’s Burn is stained this way but never the less the park setting that we rested in at the end of our hike seemed perfect to us.