Bringing the whispering hills of Northumbria to life through guided walks and tales of illicit whisky distilling

To celebrate May’s National Walking Month, Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery in Northumberland launches its 2026 walking programme

Ad Gefrin sits at the heart of the Northumbrian town of Wooler: the gateway to the Cheviots, on the boundary of Northumberland National Park. This award-winning cultural destination and whisky distillery is the perfect stepping stone into the beautiful and storied Northumberland landscape, best enjoyed on foot. And fittingly, May also marks National Parks Day (24^th May), which has particular resonance in the North East, as Northumberland National Park celebrates its 70th year.

The recent buzz around the BBC’s Pilgrimage series - set in Northumberland - and the opening of the King Charles III England Coast Path both speak to a surge in walking tourism. As a nation, walking accounts for 29% of all trips in England* and - with overseas travel looking uncertain and expensive this summer – many Brits are looking to stay closer to home, as demand for British staycations rises exponentially.

As Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 2026 (North East Tourism Awards) Ad Gefrin celebrates and showcases the unique heritage, ancient hospitality and contemporary craft and produce of the region. The new walking programme is rooted in the region’s fascinating Anglo-Saxon history, centuries-old Northumbrian storytelling and the county’s long tradition of whisky making, which continues today with Ad Gefrin’s launch of the first Northumbrian English Single Malt Whisky, as England’s most northerly distillery.

The Ad Gefrin 2026 walking programme comprises:

Illicit still whisky and walking experiences

Dive into the little-known history of secret illicit 18^th century whisky making in Northumberland, and the suggestion that English whisky’s earliest origins may lead back to the hidden hills and valleys of the Cheviots. Expect stories of how daring local communities worked in secret across a tapestry of hidden whisky stills and moved quietly along old drovers’ roads, shaped by ingenuity, necessity, and defiance.

Wholehope Still walk

A beautiful four-mile walk up the Coquetdale Valley, guided by Birch’s Dave Harris-Jones.

• The walk retraces the old drover’s roads through an area of illicit whisky production that dates back to 18^th Century
• The route takes in Wholehole Still, where 1950s excavations first unveiled the stone-built foundations, kiln-like structures (likely used for malting grain) and cobbled flooring seen today
• Taking place on Sunday 31^st May; £18pp. Book here

For those keen to dive deeper, book the accompanying Illicit Stills Whisky Tour: Ad Gefrin’s on-site immersive guided tour that tells the story of Northumberland’s Illicit whisky-making: bringing together landscape, legend, and modern craft. Includes:

• Three whisky moments that trace the journey of the spirit. A tasting of new make spirit (a raw insight into whisky at its earliest stage, directly from the still), Tácnbora (the standard bearer for the first chapter in Northumberland’s modern whisky journey), and a final dram drawn from Ad Gefrin’s special edition whiskies, with the option to be served in a ram’s horn – purported to have been used by the whisky smugglers
• Tour ends with a Drovers Dish in Bēodern: an onion-based dish inspired by the food carried along these historic routes, providing sustenance for long journeys
• Takes place monthly, begins Friday 29^th May; £40pp. Book here

Foraging walk at Wooler Common

Discover the hidden treasures of the natural world on an immersive three-mile foraging walk guided by Rachel, from Among the Woods and Waters:

• Follow part of St Cuthbert’s Way, through some of the most beautiful scenery in Northumberland
• Learn how plants and trees were once used by local communities, develop skills in identifying local species and enjoy a taste of Ad Gefrin’s Thirlings Dry Gin in the great outdoors
• Return to Ad Gefrin’s Bēodern for an optional Sunday Lunch
• Taking place on Sunday 14th June; 9.30am – 12.30pm; £30 pp. Book here

Sunrise walk up Yeavering Bell

Celebrate the Feast of St John the Baptist – the Midsummer high point of the Anglo-Saxon calendar – on a guided dawn walk with Birch’s Dave Harris-Jones:

• Climb to the summit of Yeavering Bell in the early morning light to greet the sunrise, rising in the east over Holy Island
• Mark the moment with a Tácnbora toast, in celebration of the season and the sacred landscape that surrounds Yeavering, the 7th Century summer residence of its Anglo-Saxon Kings and Queens of Northumbria
• Return to Ad Gefrin for breakfast along St Cuthbert’s Way
• Taking place on Wednesday 24^th June; 2:30 – 8:30am. Book here

Holy Island Causeway walk

Walk in the footsteps of St Cuthbert, the patron saint of Northumberland on a guided walk with Birch’s Dave Harris-Jones:

• Follow the ancient route of St Cuthbert across the dramatic tidal sands to Holy Island
• Explore Northumberland’s beautiful, isolated beaches and visit Lindisfarne Priory and Castle: the jewel in the crown of Northumberland
• Soak up the unique tranquillity and spirituality of Holy Island over an afternoon picnic
• Taking place on Sunday 16^th August; timings TBC. Book here

Chris Ferguson, Director of Museum & Experience, comments: “Northumberland has a rich and often overlooked place in the story of whisky, with traditions of illicit distilling woven into its hills and valleys long before whisky became a formalised industry.

This walking programme brings these ancient landscapes to life, shaped by communities since Anglo-Saxon times, revealing layers of history from early settlement to the hidden stories of distillers working in secret. Experiences such as our foraging walks and sunrise climbs offer different perspectives on the same land that sustained these communities, deepening the connection between landscape, heritage and craft, and connecting the spirit of Ad Gefrin with the places that inspired it.”