Haltwhistle

Bardon Mill: Barcombe Hill Iron Age Fort, can be found just North of Bardon Mill. It overlooks one of the most important routes from the Tyne Valley to the uplands beyond. A stiff walk reaches it, but the views are rewarding. Because of its excellent location and long range visibility the Romans used the same site as a signal station as part of their communications network. The remains of lime kilns can be found scattered over much of the countryside. Lime was a universal remedy for sour or acidic soil in the 17th and 18th centuries. The stone built kilns were shaped like inverted cones and had fires at the bottom. Alternate layers of limestone and coal were fed from the top. After a day or two of smouldering, the powdered lime was raked out from the bottom and scattered over the land. One of the best preserved examples of a lime kiln is a communal one at Crindledykes near Bardon Mill but there are many others, such as the two near the top of the Halwhistle Burn, one at Walltown and three large ones at Fell End farm.