Northumberland
The Cheviot
816M
2677FT
About The Cheviot
Dominating the Northumberland skyline, this sprawling dome is the range's highest point. While the summit plateau was once a notorious quagmire of peat hags, a paved path now secures the crossing to the trig point. On clear days, the views reach the Eildon Hills and the Farne Islands.
Key Statistics
Rank
1st Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Cheviots
Prominence
?
557.5m
Nearest Town
Northumberland
Geology
You are walking across ancient lava flows and a deep core of solid granite, the remains of an old volcano and its cooling underground magma.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NT907205
Latitude
55.4782°N
Longitude
2.1487°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely derives from the Brittonic or Old Welsh root 'cefn', meaning a ridge or the back of an animal, describing the hill's broad, rounded profile.
- •Though the Pennine Way passes close by at Auchope Cairn, the summit of The Cheviot actually requires a 1.5-mile 'out-and-back' detour to reach the highest point of the entire 268-mile trail.
- •Geologically, the hill is the remains of an extinct Devonian volcano. The summit plateau sits on a massive granite core, though this is mostly hidden by a layer of peat that can be up to two metres deep.
- •During the Second World War, the hill’s frequent shroud of mist and its height led to several aircraft crashes; the most famous was a B-17 Flying Fortress in 1944. Two of the crew were saved by a local shepherd and his collie, Sheila, who was the first animal to receive the Dickin Medal for bravery.
- •On a clear day, the summit offers a specific 'land and sea' panorama, looking east to the distinctive silhouette of Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands, and northwest to the three peaks of the Eildon Hills near Melrose.
- •Until the recent installation of flagstone paths, the summit plateau was legendary among walkers for being a near-impassable liquid bog; it was perhaps the only place in England where you could genuinely risk drowning while standing at over 800 metres.