Leap Hill

Rising above the remote Harthope Valley, this rounded Cheviot summit offers a quiet alternative to its more famous neighbours. Its grassy, heather-clad slopes provide a steady climb, rewarding walkers with a clear perspective across the rugged northern moorland towards the imposing mass of Hedgehope Hill and the distant North Sea coast.

• •The name likely stems from the Old English 'hlyp', suggesting a 'leap' or a point where a stream or narrow gap in the terrain could be easily jumped.
• •The summit offers a particularly fine view of the northern fringes of the range, looking towards the prominent Iron Age hillfort of Yeavering Bell.
• •Walkers often reach this top by following the ridge line from the Newton Tors, a route that avoids the deeper, more notorious peat bogs found on the higher Cheviot massif.
• •At 471 metres, it is high enough to feel the full force of a Cheviot gale, but just low enough to be overlooked by the crowds heading for the main summit cairns.