Historical Highlights

Hethpool CottagesOther features of note in the Valley include the privately owned Hethpool House and the very elegant buildings known as Hethpool Cottages. The latter were built by the famous Tyneside industrialist, Sir Arthur Munro Sutherland, who owned the College Valley in the early 20th century. Sir Arthur was proud of these cottages, describing them as “among the most modern of their class in the county”. Their design, including the conical towers, echoes the style of Hethpool House itself.

Sir Arthur had a distinguished career; he was Lord Mayor of Newcastle and Sheriff of Northumberland. He owned the Newcastle Chronicle newspaper and a shipping company and later became President of the Chamber of Shipping. When he saw Hethpool House and the College Valley in 1919 he thought it would make a wonderful country retreat from the bustle of Tyneside.

The house, parts of which date back to 1687, was dilapidated when he bought it and conscious of his Scottish ancestry, he remodelled it to give it a Highland feel. The work of 1919 was carried out by the architect George Reavell of Alnwick and further work carried out in 1928, including the addition of the conical roofed tower, is by Robert Mauchlen. The house has its own hydro electric plant.

The estate was farmed in Sir Arthur’s time but he saw this as a very unreliable enterprise compared to business; “In business there are portents. But in sheep farming there is no knowing. You are contending against nature herself. She can be fractious, sulky, fickle or sprightly and generous. But mostly she is fickle.”

Further up the valley you will find the Sutherland Hall with its memorial to the Allied airmen who died in the College Valley during the Second World War.

Several planes crashed in these hills during the Second World War, claiming the lives of many airmen. There were some famously heroic rescues too. Local shepherds, John Dagg and Frank Moscrop, received the British Empire Medal for their bravery during the rescue of U.S. airmen, whose Flying Fortress bomber crashed on Cheviot during the Second World War. Dagg’s dog, Sheila, who found a group of airmen injured in the crash, was the first civilian dog to be awarded the Dickin Medal for animal gallantry.

Sheila was the first Border Collie in these hills to receive recognition for her bravery in the service of humans. Today her work is continued by highly trained collies employed by the National Park Search and Rescue Team.

Almost directly across the road from the Hall and the memorial you can see the remains of a very complex and well preserved Romano-British settlement site, complete with the foundations for at least eight round houses and related yard areas.

Trowupburn Farm is typical of many farms in the north Cheviots and is a reminder of the fact that farming has been the backbone of local life and the economy here for thousands of years. Today’s farmers contend with the climate and with global economic uncertainties. In the past there were other threats. The small settlements in the valley suffered heavily during the medieval hostilities between England and Scotland. The valley was regularly attacked and ‘laid waste’ from the 14th to the 16th century; in 1343 Hethpool village was ‘for the most part devastated by the Scots, rebels and enemies of the King’. In 1513, shortly before the Battle of Flodden Field, the village was again smashed by the Scottish army.

As the climate deteriorated during the 16th century, there was great poverty in the Border lands, made worse by frequent localised raiding. This was a time of thieves and outlaws, the people we now refer to as the ‘Border Reivers’. Faced with poor harvests and the threat of starvation, many families were forced into raiding neighbouring valleys to steal livestock. They often burned buildings and killed people or took prisoners to hold them for ransom. This led to cycles of revenge attacks and reprisals and to long running feuds between warring families.

At the north end of the valley, behind Hethpool House, the trees covering the hillside are known as the Collingwood Oaks. They were planted by Lady Sarah, wife of Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, about 200 years ago. Collingwood took command of the Fleet after the death of Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) and was awarded the title Baron of Caldburne and Hethpoole for completing the victory. He was a great lover of trees and planned to plant larch, oak and beech on his return. His wife began the project in his absence, to Collingwood’s great pleasure. He died however in 1810 en route home to England and never saw the trees. He was buried in St Paul’s Cathedral close to Nelson.

The College Valley really is a beautiful highland place in which you are free to roam on foot or by bicycle. Access for cars is restricted within the Valley and a limited number of passes is available from the Sale and Partners in Wooler. Don’t just take our word for it. Why don’t you go and see for yourself!!