A beautiful walk via the waterfall on College Burn

Our Hethpool Linn and Yeavering Bell walk is a great way to visit the beautiful waterfall on the College Burn, then up to the summit of Yeavering Bell, also known as a the Hill of the Goats.

See if you can spot the wild Cheviot goats roaming the surrounding hills; they can usually be seen near to Yeavering Bell. Please keep dogs on a lead when in the vicinity of the goats and other livestock. These goats live a totally wild existence, they are shaggy coated and long horned and are hardier than modern breeds.

You may also see hares lying low in the long grass as you walk up the hillside. Kestrel are often hovering overhead whilst buzzard circle high in the sky. Skylark, curlew and lapwing can all be heard and can be seen flying over the hills. Gorse covers the sunny slopes of many hills in this area for most of the year. Its bright yellow flowers smell of coconut.

Download the PDF guide to Hethpool Linn and Yeavering Bell Walk

Download Route

Walk overview

Walk difficulty
Moderate
Walk distance
6 miles / 9.6km
Walk duration
4 hours
Location
The Cheviots
Recommended OS Map
OS OL16 1:2500 The Cheviot Hills
Accessible
No
Dog friendly
No

Step by step route

From the Village Hall turn left along the main road

From the Village Hall turn left along the main road. Pass the red sandstone buildings on your right that were once Kirknewton Railway Station.

Cross the road bridge over the College Burn, go over the stile on the left, signed ‘Hethpool’. Follow the footpath up the field to the next stile on the left.

Cross the stile

Cross the stile and turn right following the track down to the haughland (flat land beside a river). Turn right along the haughland.

After approx 200m the path bears right across the valley bottom, away from the river. Follow the track uphill, and through the gate at the top of the bank, and on to the stile in the wall ahead.

Go over the stile and follow the path

Go over the stile and follow the path as it contours around the hill just above the trees on your left. Cross the stile into the woodland, continue along and down the well worn path. At the bottom of the hill turn right and carry on, keeping the fence on the left, to reach a stile.

Cross the stile, turn right

Cross the stile, turn right and carry on up a gentle slope to cross another stile. Continue on for a short distance, at the junction turn left taking the path down to the footbridge.

(Hethpool Linn waterfall and College Burn are well worth looking at here.)

Cross over the College Burn footbridge

Cross over the College Burn footbridge, and turn left. Cross the stile and turn right up the hill.

At the junction turn left

At the junction turn left, (you are now on St Cuthbert’s Way) and follow the path down through the gorse, over the burn, up the other side and over the stile. Continue uphill along the grassy path to the square stone stell (a roofless stone shelter for sheep). Join the farm track and follow it uphill to the wooded area. Carry on along this track through the trees and past Torleehouse.

Continue along the track

Continue along the track, and just before the dry stone wall and cattle grid turn right up to the gate. Once through the gate follow the track up to the next gate. Go through the gate and turn right and continue up the well worn path.

At the junction turn left

At the junction turn left, signed ‘Yeavering Bell’, and follow the path down through the heather. Cross the burn and follow the obvious path as it winds its way to the summit of Yeavering Bell.

Leave the top of the hillfort

Leave the top of the hillfort through the gap in the stone ramparts, bear left and zig-zag down the hill following the well-worn path. Cross the stile and follow the wall down to the next stile. Once over this stile, continue on through the field turning left down to the farm track to the stile.

Cross the stile

Cross the stile, and turn left up the road.

After the cattle grid

After the cattle grid leave the road and turn right over the stile. Continue up the field to the gateway in the wall, go through the gate and turn right onto the grassy track Keep to this track and follow it downhill to the stile by the road. Cross the stile and turn left along the road back to Kirknewton.

Walk route

Getting there

The starting point for the walk is at Kirknewton Village Hall.

Going north past Wooler on the A697, turn left at Akeld onto the B6351. At Kirknewton village park alongside the village hall.

Grid Ref: NT 914 303

W3W: pelting.clubbing.renew