Sharperton lies on the River Coquet and within the Coquet Valley landscape character area. The village’s cultural history includes the medieval village and Sharperton Bastle. Route planning can also be described in concrete terms: a minor road runs through Sharperton, and the Breamish & Coquet cycle route reaches the village. History, landscape and routes offer different ways to understand Sharperton as a travel destination.
Sharperton Bastle: Construction and Inscription
The older section of Sharperton Bastle measures 10.2 m Ă— 6.5 m. Its walls are made of clay-bonded rubble masonry and are 1 to 1.4 m thick. The structure appears to be a fortified house dating from the late 16th or early 17th century; the remains are in poor condition. Its tentative dating and state of preservation are as much a part of the picture of the bastle as its dimensions.
Another specific clue is a broken lintel in the collapsed masonry. It bears the inscription “G P E P 1615. Roger Potz”. The dimensions, masonry and inscription raise different questions about the building’s history: the first details describe the structure, while the inscription records a name and a year. Those interested in historic building forms can consider these structural and written details as separate aspects, rather than combining them into a single claim.
The Medieval Village in Sharperton
A document written in 1632 describes the medieval village in Sharperton as two short rows. This provides a description of the settlement’s layout in addition to the specific details about the bastle. The village and the fortified house are different historical reference points: the document describes the village, while the dimensions, wall thickness and lintel relate to the individual building.
The dates also serve different purposes. 1632 is the year the document was written; the bastle’s presumed construction date, by contrast, is tentatively placed in the late 16th or early 17th century.
River Location, Landscape and Access
The location on the River Coquet and the inclusion within the Coquet Valley landscape character area describe two distinct spatial references. The river identifies Sharperton’s geographical location; the character area places the village in its landscape context. This keeps the village’s location specific while also identifying the wider landscape setting.
For road directions, a minor road branches off the B6341 west of Rothbury and runs through Sharperton and Harbottle to Alwinton. The turn-off is about 4 miles from Rothbury. The road through the village and the cycle route that reaches Sharperton are two separate route references.
Routes with Different Planning Details
The Breamish & Coquet cycle route reaches Sharperton, follows roads throughout, is 38 miles long and has 834 m of ascent. The distance and elevation gain provide specific figures for planning this route.
The Copper Snout Ride is rated as challenging. It is 11 miles (17.7 km) long, with a stated duration of 4 to 4.5 hours. Check current access conditions before setting out. For planning your day, this ride therefore provides both a time estimate and a difficulty rating; for Breamish & Coquet, the focus is on distance and ascent.
When choosing between the two routes, you can first consider which details matter most for your plans: distance and elevation gain for Breamish & Coquet, or duration and difficulty for Copper Snout.
Discover more destinations: Alnwick, Blanchland, Belford, Edlingham, Rothbury, Wooler, Bothal, Ilderton.
For the broader travel overview: Northumberland.
