Carter Fell

About Carter Fell

Sitting squarely on the Anglo-Scottish border, this broad, often boggy Cheviot shoulder offers a wilder perspective on the frontier. Rising above the A68 at Carter Bar, its summit plateau rewards the effort with clear views across Kielder Forest towards the distant, distinctive triple peaks of the Eildon Hills.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The hill's summit ridge forms part of the international border between England and Scotland, a boundary largely formalised by the 1237 Treaty of York. For centuries, this area was the heart of the Middle Marches, a region patrolled by border wardens to curb the violence of the Border Reivers.
• •It overlooks the site of the 1575 Raid of the Redeswire. This was the last large-scale skirmish between the kingdoms of England and Scotland, famously sparked by a heated argument during a 'truce day' meeting between the English and Scottish March Wardens.
• •The name is believed to stem from the Old English 'cræt', meaning cart, signifying the ancient pass that has carried traffic between the two nations since long before the modern A68 was constructed.
• •The summit provides a superb vantage point for spotting the 'Border 1000'—the vast expanse of Kielder Forest to the south-west, which stands in stark contrast to the rolling, treeless grass moors of the Scottish Borders to the north.
• •Reaching the top allows you to stand with one foot in England and one in Scotland; however, given the local drainage, you are more likely to have both feet firmly submerged in the same trans-national peat bog.