Head across a field below the car park to the river. Follow a path downstream, shortly swinging left towards the village. Passing a garage, go left again to St Cuthbert's Well. Continue up steps, bearing right to intercept another stepped path. Climb left to emerge on the main street beside the town hall. The church stands a short distance to the left, but the onward route lies right to a junction by the bank.

Go right, crossing a bridge, then turn left. After 100yds (91m), bear off along a track beside Hareshaw Burn. Keep ahead around a small caravan site and continue up to a gate above a dam that supplied water to power Bellingham's ironworks. Carry on, shortly reaching a picnic area above a small waterfall.

Continue up the valley, passing through a gate into woodland. The  path undulates through the trees, eventually falling to a bridge and rising beyond to a viewpoint before another waterfall. The path winds on, repeatedly crossing the stream, eventually reaching a sinuous bridge above a third cascade. Now back on the east bank, the path climbs on, passing beneath overhanging cliffs before dropping to the foot of the final waterfall, Hareshaw Linn itself.

With no alternative way out, reverse your outward route back to the village. Reaching the junction by the bank, you can either short-cut back to the car park or continue the walk across the slopes of Sheel Law. In which case, go right towards Otterburn, following the lane past the former Union Poor House (on the left) and over a bridge spanning the former railway. Leave at the edge of the village along a metalled track on the left that leads to Reenes Farm. Keep ahead through the yard, passing left of the last barn to the track's end at West Reenes. 

Cross the stile ahead and walk on to a second stile. Over that, turn left down a bracken-clad hillside to find a stile at the bottom, just left of farm buildings. Turn right through the yard and then swing left along a narrow lane. Reaching the main lane, follow it right for almost 0.5 miles (800m).

Approaching a bend, carefully cross to a stile, from which a footpath is signed back to Bellingham above the river. Reaching a stile, don't cross but continue beside a wetland wood. Return to the riverbank beyond, then continue downstream, later passing into trees. Beyond a footbridge, the path carries on by the river, passing through a couple of kissing gates and below the village cricket green. Finally passing beneath a stone bridge, turn upfield back to the car park.