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Ford & Etal
Etal has a 14th Century Etal Castle and within walking distance, is the Heatherslaw
light railway which takes you from Etal into
Heatherslaw - a great day out for young and old alike. You might explore the 19th century
water powered corn mill. Here, traditional methods and original machinery are used to
grind locally grown wheat into flour.
After which, you’ll no doubt feel tempted to buy some of the bakery’s cake or
bread from the Heatherslaw Mill gift shop. There is a tea room too, which offers
traditional home baking. Cycles can also be hired at Heatherslaw,
this is a good area for walking .
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In the picturesque Etal
Village, there is a post office with shop
and tea room, a nursery selling alpines, heathers and shrubs etc., and the
BLACK BULL,
Northumberland’s only thatched roof pub offering real ale.
Northumbria Nurseries with over 1600 different types of shrubs etc. and for the
artists, Lady Waterford Hall with large murals depicting the children of
the village and their families. Phone: 01890
820 338 |
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Heatherslaw
Corn Mill
Between Berwick & Wooler Ford & Etal is chance to relax while viewing
19th century water driven corn mill, showing the machinery powered by the River
and still used to grind locally wheat into wholemeal flour. After viewing the
water wheel, mill stones and gearing tea and cakes baked from freshly milled
flour are on sale in the gift shop and mill. Phone:
01890
820 338
Ford Castle &
Etal Village - 1904
Prior to 1842, Ford village located 15 km south west of
Berwick was described as a "somewhat squalid and miserable place, with a badly
paved street and poor drainage", but today according to Local Historian C.W.
Steel it is one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages in
Northumberland.
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The present village was completely remodelled by
Louisa, Lady Waterford who died in 1891 when the estate passed to John the
fifth Marquess of Waterford, then to his son Henry in 1895, who subsequently
sold the estate to the first Lord Joicey in 1907 with whom it has remained
ever since.
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The memorial fountain in the village which
is now a flower bed was erected by Lady Waterford in memory of her husband, the
third Marquess, who died as a result of a hunting accident in 1859. Ford School
just beyond the cottages was built in 1860 and remaining as such till 1957,
known as Lady Waterford Hall it has a collection of biblical murals on the walls
she painted using many of the state workers and their children as models. The
hall is often open to the public during the summer months.
At the eastern end of the main street stands a stone
building constructed in 1863, and known as Horseshoe Forge which has a
massive "horseshoe" doorway designed by Lady Waterford with four nails
carved into each side, belonging to a riding horse rather than a carthorse
(because of the lack of heels).
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The grassed area through the gate to the south of the
forge was used for making cartwheels, the wooden wheel framework was laid out
ready for the hot steel rim fashioned in the forge to be carried out, cooled
and then hammered into place.
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Located two miles north west
of Ford Castle is Etal an equally picturesque village with it’s ruined
castle tower presently maintained by English Heritage has changed little
over the past century and retains much of its charm and character with the
Black Bull Inn being the only thatched public house in Northumberland.
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Local Info on Ford
& Etal - 01890
820 338
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