Simonside Ridge

Simonside HeatherA walk onto the iconic ridge of Simonside, involving some steep climbing which is rewarded by panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including Coquetdale and the Cheviot Hills.The route follows the Forestry Commission Red Route - look out for red arrows as an additional guide.

Grade:  Strenuous
Length: 4.2 miles (6.7km)

Points of Interest

Many of the paths through the forest have been improved by inverting the top soil so that the hard-wearing and sustainable substrate is on the top.

Simonside forest is a owned and managed commercially by the Forestry Commission. The dominant tree type is coniferous – with needles as leaves which do not fall in winter and cones containing seeds.The exception to this is the Larch which is a conifer but which does lose its needles – the only conifer species to do so. There are larch trees throughout the forest. The other conifer species are Sitka and Norway Spruce,Douglas Fir, and the native Scots Pine. There are also deciduous trees,which lose their leaves each winter, including the Silver Birch which can be seen on this route.

Simonside has been an integral part of peoples’ lives for thousands of years and is steeped in folklore. Archaeology has unearthed prehistoric flint tools, bronze swords, pottery and ornaments as well as burial cairns and cists from the Bronze Age, and rock outcrops and caves used as shelters. The burial cairn in the clearing below Little Church Rock was excavated during the 1890s and the stones from the centre remain banked up around the edge,with the cists (chambers) and capstones revealed.

Little Church Rock is an outcrop of the fell sandstone geology that underpins the Simonside Ridge. The name may be a reference to the rock as a gathering place, possibly for illicit preaching. The carved rock on the ground as you climb up through the trees shows a grid pattern,whose meaning and origin of these lines has not yet been determined. They may date back to the Stone Age,and be linked to the mysterious cup and ring marked rocks at Lordenshaws on the far side of the main road.

Alternatively they may be linked to the droving trade of the 17th to 19th centuries that saw cattle driven many miles through this area on their way to markets.The ‘hollow-ways’ left behind by the passage of hooves are a clear indication of the routes they took, this footpath follows one such route. It may be that the lines carved into the rock were to prevent the cattle slipping as they made their way uphill.

Look out for wildlife on this walk. Simonside is legally designated a European Special Area of Conservation, for its special habitats of heather moorland and blanket bog. These support a range of species of birds such as Curlew, Lapwing and Red Grouse.

Birds of prey such as Buzzards and Kestrels can be spotted circling above. In the forest you may catch a glimpse of the shy Roe Deer or Red Squirrels.

Thanks to funding from Northumberland Strategic Partnership and One North East,we have recently undertaken the latest phase of a large programme of conservation work.This has included laying flag stones and pitching the steeper sections of the footpath along the ridge with natural sandstone. This provides a sustainable walking surface, to prevent erosion of the peat and damage to the vegetation.

Local facilities

Shops and services are available in Rothbury, including pubs and cafes, tourist information and accommodation.

Download the Simonside Ridge walk guide

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