Terrain: Roads, tracks and footpaths,stiles and footbridges. Steep descentdown from Yeavering Bell
Description: A lovely walk to HethpoolLinn waterfall, on the College Burn, thena climb up Yeavering Bell (Hill of theGoats) with a chance to spot some wildCheviot goats
Please keep dogs under control - livestock grazing and wild goats
Route:
Grade: Strenuous
Distance: 6 miles / 10 km
Time: 4 hours
Map: OS OL16 Explorer 1:25000 The Cheviot Hills
Start OS Grid Ref: NT 914 303
Nearest Sat Nav Postcode: NE71 6XF
Parking & Toilets: Kirknewton Village Hall - please park considerately
Hethpool Linn & Yeavering Bell WalkYeavering Bell - the Hill of the Goats
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Start from outside the Village Hall,turn left along the main road. Cross overthe road bridge, and take the footpathon the left, (signed ‘Hethpool’) crossingover the stile. Follow the path up thefield to the ladder stile on the left.
Cross the stile and turn right. Followthe track down to the haughland (flatgrassland beside a river). Turn right alongthe haughland, after approx 200m thepath bears right away from the river. Gothrough a gateway and follow the trackuphill, then through a gate at the top ofthe bank, and over to a ladder stile inthe wall ahead.
Go over the stile and follow the pathas it contours around the hill just abovethe trees on your left. Cross the stile intothe woodland, and walk down the wellworn path. At the bottom of the hill turnright and carry on, keeping the fence onthe left, to reach a stile.
Cross the stile, turn right and carryon up a gentle slope and over anotherstile. Continue on for a short distance,at the junction turn left taking the pathdown to the footbridge. Hethpool Linnwaterfall is well worth taking a look at.
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Cross the footbridge, and turn left.Go over the stile and turn right uphill.
At the junction turn left, (you are nowon St Cuthbert’s Way) follow the pathdown through the gorse, over the burn,up the other side and over the stile. Lookout for the wild Cheviot goats here, theyoffer no threat to walkers if left alone.Continue uphill along the grassy path tothe square stone stell (a roofless stoneshelter for sheep). Join the farm trackand follow it uphill to the wooded area.Carry on along this track through thetrees and past Torleehouse.
Continue along the track, just beforethe dry stone wall and cattle grid turnright up to the field gate. Once throughthe gate follow the track to the ladderstile. Cross the stile and turn right andcontinue up the well worn path.
At the junction turn left along thefootpath signed ‘Yeavering Bell.’ Followthe path down through the heather.Cross the burn and keep to the obviouspath as it winds its way to the summit ofYeavering Bell.
From Wooler: Follow the A697 northout of Wooler for approximately 2.5 miles. At Akeld turn left onto theB6351. Kirknewton is 3 miles down this road. Please park considerately at or near to the Village Hall, and do not block gates or the road.
Public Transport InformationT: 0871 2002233 www.traveline.org.uk
Local facilities:
Milfield, 8 miles north of Kirknewton is asmall village on the edge of the CheviotHills. A National Park Information Pointcan be found at Cafe Maelmin in the village. It is open all day serving coffeeand cakes, meals and snacks, beers and wines. NE71 6JD
www.cafemaelmin.co.uk
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Wooler, 8 miles east of Kirknewton, is a small town and the gateway to theCheviot Hills, making it an ideal base for walking and cycling.
Wooler Tourist Information Centre is inthe Cheviot Centre, has free WiFi and ispacked with information on what to do,where to go and places to stay. NE71 6BLwww.wooler.org.uk
Wildlife to look out forSee if you can spot the wild Cheviot goatsroaming the surrounding hills; they canusually be seen near to Yeavering Bell.Please keep dogs on a lead when in the vicinity of the goats and other livestock.These goats live a totally wild existence,they are shaggy coated and long hornedand are hardier than modern breeds!
You may also see hares lying low in thelong grass as you walk up the hillside. Kestrel are often hovering overhead,whilst buzzard circle high in the sky.Skylark, curlew and lapwing can all beheard and can be seen flying over thehills. Gorse covers the sunny slopes ofmany hills in this area for most of theyear. Its bright yellow flowers smell ofcoconut!
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WALK ROUTE CONTINUED
Explore within the tumbled ramparts ofYeavering Bell hillfort. Here are the remains ofthe largest Iron Age hillfort in Northumberland.At the bottom of the hillfort the Anglo-Saxonkings of Northumbria maintained a grandpalace (Gefrin). Much earlier, Neolithic people had a temple here. Yeavering Bell hillfort today consists of a tumbled stone rampart, originally up to 2.5 metres high,which encloses an area of 5.6 hectares, within which are the still visible outlines of about 125 timber-built roundhouses.
Walk to the opposite side of the hillfortand go through the large gap in the stoneramparts. Bear left to zig zag down the hillfollowing the well worn path (take care it isquite steep here). Cross the stile and follow the path alongside the wall down to the nextstile. Once over this stile continue on throughthe field turning left to join the farm trackwhich leads towards the hamlet of OldYeavering.
THE SILL
THE SILL: National Landscape Discovery Centre
Kirknewton
NORTHUMBERLANDNATIONAL PARK
HADRIAN’S WALL
Kirknewton
Reconstruction ofYeavering Bell hillfortin about 200BC.
Cross the ladder stile, and turn left up the road and away from OldYeavering.
After the second cattle grid leave theroad and turn right over the ladder stile.Continue up the field to the gateway inthe wall. Go through the gate and turnright onto the grassy track. Keep to thistrack and follow it downhill to the stile by the road. Cross the stile and turn leftalong the road back to Kirknewton.
