Changing Seasons: Out in the Cheviots
From the top of the Eildons, I can see the distant Cheviots, rolling away into a blue horizon, like something out of an adventure story. On late spring evenings, hot summer days, dusky autumn nights, or crisp winter mornings, it is the perfect view.
I spent four years down in the Scottish Borders before I really started to explore the Cheviot Hills; there was so much to do and see close by, but I would often stare out across the fields to the far-off bulk of Cheviot and think that I would like to be closer. This year, I have finally made the effort and gone on a few adventures.
The Cheviot Hills are a range of uplands that stretch for 30 miles along the border between England and Scotland, reaching across the southern part of the Scottish Borders and over a large swath of north Northumberland. The Cheviot, the highest peak in the hills, is an extinct volcano that reaches 2,674 feet high. On a clear day, you should be able to see all the way to the Lake District and Scafell Pike from its summit.
There is a huge array of wildlife all across the hills. Being an upland area, you can spot many nesting waders during the spring and summer, including lapwings, redshanks, and curlews. It's easy to tell when a curlew is nearby; once they start to call, such a haunting sound to hear over the moorland. There are also black and red grouse on the hills; you might hear the angry chuckle of the red grouse while you are out walking. More unusually, there are goats; they are a more primitive breed than modern ones, and live totally wild. You can spot them around the Hethpool area, including Yeavering Bell.
Spring
In March this year I set off on my first Cheviot adventure; it was a modest one, a straightforward climb up Yeavering Bell. I had been intrigued by the mention of wild goats and was keen to see them for myself. Yeavering Bell sits at the very edge of the Cheviots, around 4 miles from the border town of Wooler. At the summit are the remains of one of the largest hill forts in the area; according to the Northumberland Park website, the ramparts would have been two-and-a-half metres high and more than three metres thick.
I reached the summit by a winding path. Starting at the road, close to Old Yeavering, I followed a farm track along the base of the hill and joined St Cuthbert's Way about a mile along. St Cuthbert's Way is a pilgrimage route inspired by St Cuthbert; it starts in Melrose, crossing the Cheviots and running all the way to Lindsifarne Island on the east coast. My route took an uphill turn here, and I was soon stopping to catch my breath and admire the views across to West Hill and The Bell at the start of College Valley.
At the top of the hill I parted ways with St Cuthbert's Way and headed down into a valley before climbing up towards the summit of Yeavering Bell. I started to keep a sharp lookout for the goats I was hoping to see, but there seemed to mostly be sheep. Yeavering was first mentioned in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, where it was named ad gefrin. This word originated from the Old Brittonic, where gevr meant 'goats' and brïnn meant 'hill', so translating as Hill of the Goats.
I saw no goats on this walk; I'm sure they were around somewhere but not anywhere I was that day. I did see two buzzards circling overhead, before they swooped away down the valley, and the view at the summit was incrediable. I was sure I could just about catch the faint gleam of the wind turbines on the Soutra Hills to the north, and to the east I could see the sea. A steep trek down the north face of the hill took me back to my car, and I drove along to Wooler for an ice cream at Doddington Dairy.
Summer
It was a beautiful August day, and I had decided to venture down to the Cheviots once more and complete the Ring Chesters route. Ring Chesters hill fort is one of many hill forts that can be found in the College valley of the Cheviots; it was an important site for habitation around 2,000 years ago, and the remains are still there for us to see.
I parked at Hethpool, a good starting point for many walks on this side of the Cheviots, and set off into College Valley. There were some sheep dog trials going on in a field close to Hethpool village, and it was interesting to see them herding the sheep on the steep hillsides. The walk started to ascend steeply, skirting the edge of Great Hetha, with its own Iron Age settlement, before dropping down towards Elsdon Burn.
I could hear skylarks among the long grasses as I crossed a sheep field, and once again spotted buzzards circling overhead in the sky. It was a winding, steady climb up to Ring Chesters, but on reaching the top I was rewarded with a summit covered in harebells, and spectacular views in all directions.
I lunched at Ring Chesters, enjoying the summer sun and gentle breeze, before I headed down towards Haddon Hill. At the edge of a clump of woodland, there were clusters of rosebay willow herb growing, their pink heads swaying in the wind. The rest of the route was a beautiful walk across grassy fields filled with sheep, while views towards the east opened out before me.
Autumn
September has arrived, and I am counting this as autumn. I have driven down with two friends to Hethpool to walk the Three Forts Foray around Sinkside Hill, Great Hetha, and Little Hetha. It's quite a blustery day, and there will probably be some strong winds at the summit of Great Hetha, but we set off with the hope that it will get brighter.
The way takes you into the College Valley, which is looking beautiful in the approaching autumn, with the bracken just beginning to turn from green to gold. After a steep walk up through woodland, where we hear a robin and a chiffchaff singing from among the bushes, we reach the first fort. It's mostly lost among long tufted grass and old tree stumps, but there are still raised earthen banks and piles of stone in places. The views are already incredible, and we can look across to Great Hetha and beyond towards the coast.
On the way down to Trowupburn in the valley, we lose the path amongst the tall ferns and end up on a bit of a detour across the base of Loft Hill, before we can cut down to the valley floor. While most of the flowers are dying back for the year, there are still blue harebells and white yarrow growing amongst the yellowing grass. I also spot a plant I do not recognise, with small clusters of pale yellowish flowers. That evening I looked it up and discovered it was most likely wild liquorice.
Dark clouds are on the horizon as we reach Trowupburn, and on the first stage of the climb to Great Hetha we are overtaken by the rain. A perfect opportunity to stop for lunch, we all agree that picnics are the best type of lunches, even if we are hunkered down behind a wall trying to shelter from the wind and rain. After a few heavy showers sweep overhead, the skies finally clear and we make the ascent to Great Heath.
Great Hetha sits at 343m high and has one of the largest hill forts in the area; it is believed to have been created in three stages, with the first stage being an oval of about 1.1 hectares in size. The fort was built between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. The views from the top are spectacular, as are the 40mph winds we encounter; it does not encourage us to stay up there for long.
Descending towards Hethpool again, we take a detour to our final hill fort, Little Hetha, where you can see the earthworks that shape the fort in the grassy field, cropped short by sheep. Amazingly, evidence of these structures can still be seen so clearly considering how much time has passed since they were built.
We have a wonderful end to the day; on leaving the car park at Hethpool, we spot two hedgehogs making their way down the side of the road and into the grass banking. A sign that there is always so much nature and wildlife to be found in the Cheviots.
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