- Not to be confused with Cheviot Hills, a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles.
Cheviot Hills form the border between England and Scotland, with most sites of visitor interest in Northumberland in England. See Kirk Yetholm for their portion within Scotland.
Large tracts of these hills are now within a national park, bisected by A68, and this page describes areas on or east of that highway, with Otterburn and Rothbury the largest villages.
Northumberland National Park describes the area west of A68, focussed on Bellingham and Kielder Forest.
Understand
[edit]- The Percy out of Northumberland, An avow to God made he
- That he would hunt in the mountains, of Cheviot within days three
- - Ballad of Chevy Chase
About 480 million years ago the Japetus Ocean closed up, and the continents of Laurentia and Avalonia collided. This led to volcanic upheavals that built mountains across Scandinavia, Scotland and beyond, with the Cheviots appearing along with the Scottish Southern Uplands. They've weathered into rounded hills of around 1500 ft / 500 m altitude, with the Cheviot itself at 815 metres. They draw the clouds and rain and have impermeable granite bedrock so they're poorly drained, a soggy open heathland suitable for sheep grazing and grouse-shooting. Several battles were fought hereabouts in medieval times between the English and Scots, and there was armed banditry ("reiving"), so the area is dotted with defensive towers. Ringforts on many hills point to prehistoric conflicts.
Since 1911 a large tract above Otterburn has been a military training area. Here the army practise with heavy artillery, tanks and multiple-launch rocket systems, which are quieter than you might suppose, as the incoming swooosh arrives some seconds after it's blown you up. Otterburn is the largest land-based range in Britain, while a larger range in the sea west of Benbecula in the Hebrides tests anti-ship and anti-aircraft weaponry.
The army range remains open heathland, but from the 1920s much else was planted with conifers for timber, and further west a large reservoir was created within Kielder Forest. Northumberland National Park was created in 1956 in this area excluding the army range and villages such as Otterburn. Subsequently this was extended west over Kielder Forest, and south almost to Hadrian's Wall.
Get in
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You need your own vehicle for this scattered area. A68 is the western boundary of the area, running north from Scotch Corner and Corbridge to Jedburgh and Edinburgh. A696 runs from Newcastle city and airport to meet A68 just beyond Otterburn. A697 is a lowland route from Morpeth via Wooler to Coldstream and eventually joining A68: use this for Rothbury and the east flank of the hills.
Get around
[edit]You need wheels, a bicycle would do.
See
[edit]- 1 Gefrin is an active archaeological site by the village of Yeavering. It looks to have been an Anglo-Saxon summer palace circa 600 AD. Not much to see here, but findings from the site are displayed in Wooler, within a distillery; the Anglo-Saxons wish they'd thought of that.
- 2 College Valley is a scenic valley reached by a side lane off B6351 west of Yeavering. Hikers and cyclists are always welcome but vehicle access up the lane is restricted. Motorists need a day permit from the valley estate, with limited numbers available.
- 3 Cragside: see Alnwick for this Victorian mansion in Tudorbethan style near Rothbury, and for Brinkburn Priory 5 miles further down the valley.
- 4 Wallington, Cambo NE61 4AR, ☏ +44 1670 773606. Daily 10AM-5PM. Mansion house built in Palladian style from 1735, and extensive gardens. Adult £22, child £11, NT free.
- 5 Rothley Castle is a folly, built in 1755 to look like a ruined castle.
- 6 Elsdon is a little village 3 miles east of Otterburn, where the main sight is the castle, a motte-and-bailey earthwork constructed in 1076. It was abandoned some time after 1200. Elsdon Tower in the village is a pele tower from about 1400, used as a rectory / vicarage for 600 years but now private dwellings.
- Winter's Gibbet is a macabre landmark along the lane 2 miles southeast of Elsdon. On this site in 1791 was displayed the body of William Winter, already hanged at Newcastle for the murder and robbery of an old woman living in the pele tower. He was linked to the crime because a local shepherd boy gave a precise description of the pattern of hobnails in his boots, and this feat of observation much impressed Baden-Powell when he set up the Boy Scout movement.
- Harbottle Castle is a ruin 200 yards north of Harbottle village, free to access 24 hours. It was built in 1160 over an ancient Britons' stronghold, but marauding Scots kept wrecking it so it was continually rebuilt. It fell into ruin after the Union of the Crowns brought peace in 1603, since if the Scots couldn't be bothered wrecking it then what was the point of repairs? Use the free car park a little further west and avoid congesting the narrow lane.
- Percy's Cross is a monument by A696 a mile northwest of Otterburn, commemorating the Battle of Chevy Chase in August 1388. This was one of a series of battles between England and Scotland in an era where they were a military match. The Scots launched coordinated attacks on Carlisle and on Northumberland, and the English response here was led by "Harry Hotspur", Sir Henry Percy (1364 – 1403). His nickname was for his speed and sometimes rashness in attack, and this was another example, where his haste got his superior force trounced by the Scots.
- 7 Bremenium in Rochester was a Roman fort along Dere Street, their military road from northeast England. It was built in 80 AD as part of Agricola's campaign to subdue the Picts, along with other strongholds into the Highlands. The Romans later fell back and built Hadrian's Wall in 122 AD, making few forays north of it, but clung on to the outpost of Bremenium until the 270s.
- 8 Three Kings Stone Circle is near Byrness, a detour off Pennine Way by easy trails. Three stones stand a metre tall and a fourth lies flat. The structure might be Bronze Age circa 2500 BC.
- 9 Carter Bar on A68 is the border with Scotand. There's a large layby, and in summer ice-cream and burger vans and busking bagpipers greet the coach tours. The view north is a quiltwork of forests and fields, and triple-peaked Eildon hills. East you look over the long spine of border hills to The Cheviot.
- 10 The Cheviot is the highest point in Northumberland at 815 m / 2674 ft, a "Marilyn". It's usually ascended via the Pennine Way, either from Kirk Yetholm to the north or Byrness to the west or from College Valley to the northeast. It's a volcanic pluton, which means an impervious poorly-drained bedrock, and the top is a bleak soggy plateau often socked in by cloud and drizzle. The Pennine Way comes to within a mile, making a sharp turn as it follows the border, and a flagstone spur trail takes you across the plateau to the summit.
Do
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- Pay attention to red flags! When these are flying, the army ranges above Otterburn have live firing. No flag means it's safe to walk there, but don't touch any military-looking object you might find, it could be a Glaswegian soldier.
- Maps: best for hiking and cycling are the OS Landranger maps at 1:50,000 scale.
- OS 80 "Cheviot Hills" covers the Cheviot ridge and west across A68 to Kielder Water.
- OS 74 "Kelso" covers Cheviot summit, College Valley and north end of the Pennine Way to Kirk Yetholm.
- OS 81 "Alnwick & Rothbury" covers the lower hills and villages to the east.
- Pennine Way here is a brute, because of the length of its final stages. (None of it is on army ranges, so you can't use that excuse to wimp out.) It approaches from the south through Northumberland National Park and Bellingham mostly on easy forestry trails to Byrness and A68. But then it clambers onto the switchback Cheviot ridge, following the border with Scotland east. At the highest point you can take the one mile spur to Cheviot summit then retrace your steps. The route then descends north via The Schil to end at Kirk Yetholm village.
- Golf: Rothbury GC is south across the river from that village. White tees 6175 yards, par 71.
- Redefest is held in Rochester over the first weekend in August.
Buy
[edit]Self-caterers and campers should stock up before arriving, for example at Metro Centre west edge of Newcastle.
In Otterburn, Border Reiver is open daily 6AM-10PM. Rothbury also has small stores. See Wooler#Buy for shops there.
Eat
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Rothbury has La Mensa, Little Italy, Bewick's and Turk's Head (below).
Otterburn hotels serve non-residents.
Drink
[edit]As above.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Otterburn has Otterburn Castle Hotel, Butterchurn Guesthouse, William de Percy and Dolphins Guesthouse.
- 2 Rothbury has Newcastle House, Turk's Head, Orchard House and The Haven.
- Thropton a mile west of Rothbury has Three Wheat Heads Inn, Thropton Demesne Farmhouse and Westfield House Farm.
- 3 Star Inn, Harbottle NE65 7DG, ☏ +44 1669 650221. Cosy pub with rooms. B&B double £130.
- 4 Clennell Hall, Clennell, Harbottle NE65 7BG, ☏ +44 7434 867939. Great reviews for comfort and dining at this secluded country house hotel. B&B double £100.
- 5 Redesdale Arms, Rochester NE19 1TA, ☏ +44 1830 520668. Comfy small hotel and restaurant, parts of it are 600 years old. B&B double £120.
- 6 Forest View Walkers Inn, 7 Otterburn Green, Byrness NE19 1TS, ☏ +44 7928 376677. The last refuge before A68 ascends the moors to Carter Bar. It's open mid April to Oct and in Nov 2025 will change owners. Camping available if you pre-book dinner with them. There's a lock-out 10AM to 4PM. They also run a shuttle, enabling you to split the Cheviot Pennine Way into two manageable chunks. B&B double £125.
- 7 Mounthooley Bunkhouse, College Valley NE71 6TU, ☏ +44 1668 216358. Often booked up by hiking groups but may have individual availability. Bunk £20 ppn.
Connect
[edit]As of July 2025, the main villages and roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G from EE, but a poor signal from Three. You might get a signal up in the hills as relay masts are sited there, but don't rely on it.
Go next
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- Wooler is another possible base for these hills. Its main sight is Chillingham Castle.
- Ford and Etal has two small castles near the site of the Battle of Flodden.
- Lindisfarne or Holy Island is linked to the mainland by a tidal causeway.
- Alnwick has a plush castle with gardens.
- Jedburgh is the first town reached on A68 in Scotland, with a large ruined abbey.