Author Topic: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots  (Read 4351 times)

kay8613

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« on: 16:07:55, 24/03/21 »
I was wondering if someone could offer the best route via the Hen Hole to the Cheviot please? Places to park and the such like.


And also, is wild camping accepted/tolerated?


Thank you  :)

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12715
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #1 on: 16:43:01, 24/03/21 »
Welcome to the forum  :)


Cheviot still on my 'to do' list, so I can't give advice based upon personal experience, but climbing up via Hen Hole looks most interesting.


Don't think that you will have much bother if you are wild camping up high, indeed wild camping is legal in Scotland, just a short distance from the summit.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Skip

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1421
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #2 on: 16:46:29, 24/03/21 »
. . .  the best route via the Hen Hole to the Cheviot please? Places to park and the such like.
Have you a preferred start point? What length of walk-in do you have in mind?

And also, is wild camping accepted/tolerated?

AFAIK the tops round the Cheviot are kept for grouse shooting so are keepered. Other areas are grazed and therefore shepherded. You'd need to camp late and leave early.

One place you could pitch would be close to the Auchope Mountain Refuge hut (or you could sleep in the hut itself). It's on the Pennine Way directly above Hen Hole.

Or, as Richard says, simply climb over the Border Fence into Scotland and you are no longer under English jurisdiction.
Skip

kay8613

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #3 on: 16:53:06, 24/03/21 »
Thank you for your welcome and replies!


The length of the walk doesn't really bother me, I usually clock up a decent amount of miles per day walking or running. I'm planning it for when we are allowed out again and would love to take the tent and spend a night in nature; I'm just excited to be able to be outside again  :) 
I live 45 minute drive from the Cheviots and I am yet to reach the summit. I've tried twice... with a ten year old and the wind and weather became a bit of a problem so we turned back and once again the weather was against us; it became very misty and we weren't too confident in our surroundings.


Skip

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1421
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #4 on: 17:22:09, 24/03/21 »
I've been up The Cheviot about half a dozen times, usually starting from Wooler then following the Harthope Valley to Langleeford and up over Scald Hill.

I've also started at Kirk Yetholme (Scotland) and walked south along the Pennine Way then diverted to The Cheviot.  You could easily adapt that  route to take in Hen Hole. It's roughly ten miles one way with a fair bit of ascent/descent - took me about 5 hours.
Skip

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #5 on: 17:28:46, 24/03/21 »
I love the way up by Langleeford. I was up there so many times with my dad as a kid.
Too little, too late, too bad......

vghikers

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2605
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #6 on: 17:39:38, 24/03/21 »
Most of the Cheviot hills are much like other wild high areas, loads of good pitching areas for a camp.

We have a couple of backpack routes and reports here in the Northumberland/North East section that might be of interest to give a flavour of the area, starting from Wooler and Alwinton.

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12715
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #7 on: 17:40:22, 24/03/21 »
AFAIK the tops round the Cheviot are kept for grouse shooting so are keepered.


Yes, the tell tale patchwork of heather burning is obvious on the lower slopes - indeed there are some fires burning on the Bing Maps satellite imagery!


Quote
One place you could pitch would be close to the Auchope Mountain Refuge hut (or you could sleep in the hut itself). It's on the Pennine Way directly above Hen Hole.

Or, as Richard says, simply climb over the Border Fence into Scotland and you are no longer under English jurisdiction.


Strangely, the fence does not follow the border, according to Ordnance Survey 1:25000 mapping, and the shelter is actually in Scotland.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #8 on: 18:10:46, 24/03/21 »
The border at the Auchope shelter us indeed marked by the fence.

The huts were erected in the Northumberland National Park after very, very careful consideration was given as to their siting, due to the complexity of boundaries in that area.

The huts were coptered in by the RAF from RAF Boulmer.This much is true.

However, 🤔

It is my personal and clearly prejudiced opinion that some Scots working on your version of the OS may have been pushing the border further south as they have done for a few hundred years. At one stage they even convinced Tory HQ in London that the Roman Wall formed the border. Else why did that Party call for all good English to join hands along the Roman Wall Border to show unity and solidarity with the Scots during their referendum?

My family holds a grudge against the Scots who nicked my great x10 grandfather's sheep. Mind you he seemingly came by 25 Kylie cattle around that period so he obviously won that lottery.😂🤣😁
Too little, too late, too bad......

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12715
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #9 on: 19:15:33, 24/03/21 »
The border at the Auchope shelter us indeed marked by the fence.


Unusual for OS to get it wrong, if that is the case.
https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=0d6516a8-7c8b-4b72-94a7-4c58c40e5885&cp=55.475926~-2.196119&lvl=16&style=s&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12715
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #10 on: 19:19:18, 24/03/21 »
It is my personal and clearly prejudiced opinion that some Scots working on your version of the OS may have been pushing the border further south as they have done for a few hundred years. At one stage they even convinced Tory HQ in London that the Roman Wall formed the border. Else why did that Party call for all good English to join hands along the Roman Wall Border to show unity and solidarity with the Scots during their referendum?


Ah, I remember that - Rory Stewart let that particular stunt.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #11 on: 19:25:50, 24/03/21 »

Unusual for OS to get it wrong, if that is the case.
https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=0d6516a8-7c8b-4b72-94a7-4c58c40e5885&cp=55.475926~-2.196119&lvl=16&style=s&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027
The hut is totally inside the Northumberland National Park and not one square inch of that is in Scotland.

Mind you the winds up there are so fierce at times it may have been pushed up north a bit, and it wouldn't take much. 😁
Too little, too late, too bad......

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12715
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #12 on: 19:49:52, 24/03/21 »
The hut is totally inside the Northumberland National Park and not one square inch of that is in Scotland.


So are you saying that Ordnance Survey have got it wrong, jimbob? ;)


I haven't yet found a detailed map that shows the hut inside either the national park or England.
« Last Edit: 20:02:45, 24/03/21 by richardh1905 »
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

snoopdawg

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 468
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #13 on: 20:36:16, 24/03/21 »
Hello Kay8613.


Blowing my own trumpet I know but here is a link to a Cheviot/ Hen Hole trip from 2015. Plenty of  wildcamping around the Schil, Auchope hut, Hen Hole itself and up at Auchope cairn.


 (Tr) The schil and Cheviot. (walkingforum.co.uk)  

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Walking and wild camping in the Cheviots
« Reply #14 on: 21:08:52, 24/03/21 »

So are you saying that Ordnance Survey have got it wrong, jimbob? ;)


I haven't yet found a detailed map that shows the hut inside either the national park or England.
Richard,

Guess where I'm going as soon as I'm allowed out again.

I agree about the maps, but I'm totally confused. My mate for the last 7 decades was involved. And I think his brother in law was involved with the actual lift up to Auchope cairn.

So I'm going up there to get that sorted in my mind.

Hiw very dare they nick our hut. 🤔
Too little, too late, too bad......

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy