Northumberland
Hotbank Crags
327M
1073FT
About Hotbank Crags
Rising sharply above the dark waters of Crag Lough, this dramatic section of the Whin Sill offers some of the most iconic walking in Northumberland. The Hadrian’s Wall Path hugs the escarpment’s edge, providing a rugged, undulating route with expansive views north over the remote wastes of the Border Mires.
Key Statistics
Rank
116th Highest in Region
Parent Range
England
Prominence
?
68
Nearest Town
Bardon Mill
Geology
You are walking atop the Great Whin Sill, a hard layer of cooled magma sitting over ancient beds of limestone and sandstone.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY775684
Latitude
55.0096°N
Longitude
2.3533°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is taken from Hotbank Farm, located just south of the ridge; 'bank' refers to the steep slope, while 'hot' likely stems from the Old English 'hat', indicating a sunny, south-facing aspect.
- •This summit forms part of the most dramatic section of Hadrian’s Wall, where Roman engineers utilised the natural basalt cliffs of the Whin Sill as a ready-made foundation for their northern frontier.
- •Looking north from the highest point, the landscape is dominated by the vast, peat-filled basins of the Border Mires and the distant, rolling silhouettes of the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border.
- •To the immediate west lies Milecastle 37, one of the best-preserved fortlets on the wall, featuring a rare surviving stone archway that once served as a formal passage for north-south traffic.
- •The crags provide a prime vantage point for Crag Lough, a glacial lake sitting at the foot of the cliffs which frequently hosts whooper swans and goldeneye during the winter months.
- •Attempting to maintain a Roman military pace over these crags is a quick way to discover that the imperial definition of a 'flat' road was apparently very different from our own.