Bothal

Bothal
240px Bothal village
Bothal  Bothal shown within Northumberland
OS grid reference	NZ240866
Unitary authority	Northumberland
Ceremonial county	Northumberland
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MORPETH
Postcode district	NE61
Dialling code	01670
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Northumberland
Ambulance	North East
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	Wansbeck
List of places UK England Northumberland

Bothal is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated between Morpeth and Ashington. There is a castle, a church, a vicarage opposite the church gates, some stepping stones over the River Wansbeck, and a few houses.

Bothal was the headquarters of the extensive Welbeck Estates in Northumberland. Half a mile upstream of the castle are the remains of a watermill that still had a working waterwheel up to about the First World War. It had a turbine for electricity production for the mill house from 1947 to 1980.

• Bothalvillage.jpg

  Image of Bothal Village

• Bothalvillage2.jpg

  Bothal village

• Bothalwoodpath.jpg

  Into Bothal woods

• Bothaltreescross.jpg

  Bothal village

• River Wansbeck at Bothal.jpg

  The River Wansbeck viewed from the stepping stones at Bothal.

Bothal was also a drift mine ('Bothal Barns Drift') though this is something of a misnomer. Bothal Drift was merely another entrance to the Ashington colliery. Now, Bothal Barns Drift is the site of a private house with the old entrance to the drift mine being long disused. The Bothal Drift is situated on the top of the bank on the Ashington side.

• Bothaldrift2.jpg

  It used to be the entrance to the 'drift'mine

• Bothaldrift.jpg

  Now long disused.

• Bothalbarns.jpg

  Nearby farmhouse 'Bothal Barns'

Further west ( a few hundred yards) from the church and castle, it is possible to walk along the river Wansbeck for some 30–45 minutes west towards Morpeth. The name Morpeth apparently means 'murder path' and was once the main thoroughfare along the river. Further along the footpath is the remains of an old chapel.

The footpath starts near the site of the old mill. You can park your car near the gate (at the bridge) and then walk westwards past the weir.

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  Bothal church in the summer

• Bothalchurch2.jpg

  Bothal church

• Bothalweir.jpg

  The old weir, just past the outbuilding/ old watermill. Looking west

• Bothalfootpath.jpg

  The footpath leading west along the river Wansbeck

External links

• GENUKI (Accessed: 15 November 2008)