Cheviot Hills

The Cheviot is the highest hill in the range, and in the whole of Northumberland, at . Other notable tops are Hedgehope Hill (), Windy Gyle (), Cushat Law () and Bloodybush Edge (). Of the hills mentioned, only Windy Gyle has its summit on the border; the rest are all within England. The English section is protected within the Northumberland National Park. Although many of the summits top , most have a relatively low prominence. Only three rise or more above the surrounding terrain: The Cheviot itself, Shillhope Law and Housedon Hill, a small northern outlier (see Marilyn). To the southwest the Cheviots merge into the Kielder Forest group of hills. and overlooking the Breamish Valley There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots. The former encompass most of the high ground and are pierced by five main valleys: • College Valley • Harthope • Breamish • Bowmont • Heatherhope valley The southern Cheviot Hills encompass the slopes running down to the valley of the River Coquet while the northern Cheviot Hills end near the valley of the River Tweed. == Geology ==

At the centre of the range is an outcrop of Early Devonian granite, the Cheviot Pluton, which is surrounded by Silurian and Devonian arc andesitic lava flows, tuffs and agglomerates of the Cheviot Volcanic Formation. These are in turn intruded by a swarm of igneous dykes with a predominantly calc-alkaline chemistry arranged radially around the pluton. Both the pluton and the volcanic rocks owe their origin to the northward subduction of the oceanic crust attached to the former micro-continent of Avalonia beneath the Laurentian plate in the course of the Caledonian orogeny during the Ordovician and Silurian periods. The surrounding lower ground is formed from Carboniferous Limestone, though much of it is obscured by superficial deposits of Quaternary age. == History ==

in the northern Cheviots, near Hethpool To the south of the Cheviot hills was the site of the Battle of Otterburn in 1388, and possibly a separate bloody battle between English and Scottish forces, after which only 110 people survived, which is described in "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". The origin of the border skirmishes between Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, and the Scottish Earl of Douglas may have been a hunt that strayed into Scotland and was interpreted as an invasion. Two other related battles were the Battle of Homildon Hill, fought within the Cheviots near Wooler in 1402, and the Battle of Hedgeley Moor, fought north of Powburn in 1464. == Access ==

Most of the range on the English side is mapped as 'open country' and hence there is a general right to roam over it as prescribed in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Traditional rights of access in Scotland, bolstered by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, provide for similar access for the public to the north of the border. In addition, a sparse network of public bridleways and footpaths stretches around the area, often providing useful means of access from the lower ground onto the open hills. The northernmost leg of the Pennine Way runs from Byrness in England to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. It is the longest, and most exposed, on the whole of the national trail. The Way follows the high level Border Ridge (literally the England–Scotland boundary fence) for nearly after the ascent to the ridge from Byrness. The terrain is boggy and remote, and two mountain refuge huts are situated on the Way for those too tired or weather-beaten to continue. The town of Wooler in the Cheviot Fringe (the lowlands bordering the hills to the east) is often cited as the "Gateway to the Cheviots" as it is the largest town in the Cheviot region; the town also has easy access being on the major A697 road. Many walking routes have been established, such as: • Breamish Valley Hillfort Trail • Humbleton Hillfort • Barrowburn Family Walk == Otterburn Army Training Estate ==

The Otterburn Army Training Estate (ATE) covers about of the Southern Cheviots, approximately 23% of the Northumberland National Park. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and used for training some 30,000 soldiers a year. Otterburn is the UK's largest firing range, and is in frequent use — artillery can be clearly heard from Lindisfarne to the north-east and Fontburn Reservoir in the south. Because of this, recreational use of the area is restricted, although it is possible for the public to use some parts of the estate subject to the relevant bylaws. The MoD publishes a booklet, Walks on Ministry of Defence Lands, which offers advice on this matter (see link below). == Peaks over 500 metres in the Cheviot Hills ==

The peaks marked with a warning sign () lie within the danger area of the ATE Otterburn artillery range. == References ==