Head north east for undisturbed walking across unspoiled tussocks with our latest route.
Walking Route - Cheviot, Northumberland
|
Langleeford > The
Cheviot > Hedgehope Hill > Langleeford
|
|
Distance: 9.1 miles
(14.6km)
|
Height Gain: 2849 ft
(868m)
|
|
Far from the honeypots of the western hills of Snowdonia
and the Lake District, North East England offers walking in
almost total seclusion.
|
Maps: OS LR 80, Explorer OL
16
Online: Streetmap
|
|
Strenuousness: 2
Technicality: 1
Photo Grade: 3
|
Start Point: NT
951 222
|
Overview With the clocks back to GMT it's time to start
looking again at walks that are managable in the reduced hours of
winter daylight.
Far from the honeypots of the western hills of Snowdonia and the
Lake District, North East England offers walking in almost total
seclusion. Isolated near the border of England and Scotland, The
Cheviot normally only receives attention as the final obstacle of the
Pennine Way, but if you have the transport to get there the area
provides much more than a single top as an attraction.
On a clear November morning the views reach out as far as the
Farne Islands and across into Southern Scotland.
The Cheviot viewed from across the valley on Hedgehope HIll
By RichardSun
Section 1: Langleeford to The Cheviot
|
Distance: 3.1 miles (4.9km)
|
Height Gain: 1940ft (591m)
|
|
Average Time: 2 hour 15 mins
|
From the car
park on the minor road at Langleeford head west along
the last 100 yards of road to a signposted path on the right.
Labelled "The Cheviot via Scald Hill" this path heads uphill from the
start, keeping left of New Burn as it approaches the ridge of Scald
Hill.
Scald
Hill is little more than a bump on the steady climb towards
the Cheviot plateau, with a small cairn signifying its summit. The
fence from Scald Hill now provides a handrail in bad weather as it
heads up the remaining mile and a half of ridge to the peat-covered
plateau.
The summit plateau in winter clothing, flat and desolate
By McDuck
The summit
itself is on the opposite side of the fence, but instantly obvious by
the OS trig point mounted high on a concrete plinth. As well as
preventing the trig point from disappearing into the peat this
concrete base also provides just enough elevation to overcome the
obstacle of nearby hills and open up the view to the
coast.
Section 2: The Cheviot to Hedgehope Hill
|
Distance: 3.7 miles (5.9km)
|
Height Gain: 769ft (235m)
|
|
Average Time: 1 hour 45 mins
|
From the summit of The Cheviot the fence continues to provide a
handrail south west to
Cairn
Hill.
Like Scald Hill this is again just a minor bump on the edge of The
Cheviot plateau but boasts a cairn and windbreak of a much bigger
hill. From Cairn Hill the path drops steeply south east to the head
of Harthope Burn then disappears amongst the heather and peat as you
start to ascend the east side of Comb Fell.
A fence from nearby Coldlaw Cairn joins from the right as you make
the final few steps to the unmarked summit of Comb Fell.
The path now turns north east, dropping gently then rising again
alongside a fence. Another oversized cairn identifies the summit of
Hedgehope
Hill.
The OS trig point of the summit sits on a natural base, unlike the
concrete plinth of The Cheviot, and the views from the summit of
Hedgehope Hill are less restricted than those of its higher
neighbour.
Section 3: Hedgehope Hill to Langleeford
|
Distance: 2.3 miles (3.7km)
|
Height Gain:140ft (43m)
|
From Hedgehope Hill a well marked path heads north down the steep
flanks of the hill, then flattens out as you reach a broad col. The
path from Harthope Linn joins from the left and takes you north east
over easy ground to the outcrop at Long Crags.
Sunrise in the Cheviots - Peewiglet
Housey Crags follows before a final descent to cross Harthope
Burn. Cross the burn at the footbridge and emerge at the road by
Langleeford and your starting point.
