Northumberland
Cartington Hill
304M
997FT
About Cartington Hill
Rising just shy of the thousand-foot mark above the Coquet valley, this sandstone outlier offers a quieter alternative to the popular Simonside Hills. The summit provides a grandstand view of Cartington Castle’s ruins below, framed by the distant, rounded silhouettes of the Cheviot range to the northwest.
Key Statistics
Rank
128th Highest in Region
Parent Range
England
Prominence
?
41
Nearest Town
Cartington
Geology
You are walking on the Fell Sandstone Formation. These durable layers of sandstone create the firm, rocky ground under your feet.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NU048053
Latitude
55.3417°N
Longitude
1.9259°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Cartington is derived from Old English, likely meaning the 'farmstead of the people of Kert', reflecting the early Anglo-Saxon settlement of this fertile stretch of the Coquet valley.
- •The hill overlooks the historic ruins of Cartington Castle, a 14th-century pele tower that was once the home of Sir Edward Radcliffe and saw significant action during the English Civil War.
- •From the summit, walkers have an excellent perspective of the Simonside Hills to the south, particularly the sharp profiles of Simonside and Tosson Hill, which appear more dramatic from this lower vantage point.
- •The surrounding slopes are characterized by Fell Sandstone, which creates the distinctive craggy outcrops and acidic soil favoured by the heather and gorse that carpet the approach.
- •Standing at exactly 997 feet, the hill serves as a mild irritant for those who prefer their summits to reach the thousand-foot milestone.