The College Valley is one of five cuttings into the

Cheviot Hills The Cheviot Hills (), or sometimes The Cheviots, are a range of uplands straddling the Anglo-Scottish border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The English section is within the Northumberland National Park. The range includes T ...

. The valley is owned by College Valley Estates which in turn is funded by a trust created by Sir James Knott MP. The valley is spectacularly beautiful and affords a serenely satisfying ascent of

the Cheviot The Cheviot () is an extinct volcano and the highest summit in the Cheviot Hills and in the county of Northumberland. Located in the extreme north of England, it is a walk from the Scottish border and, with a height of above sea-level, is lo ...

- 815 metres (2674 ft) - the highest peak in the area. The Estate covers approximately {{convert, 12000, acre, km2 and is now managed by a Board of Directors whose duty is to manage it in a way that increases its value as an environmental, social and economic place of excellence. From north to south the estate is approximately 10 km and at its widest 7 km. There are over 105 km of roads and pathways criss crossing the College Valley. The valley is open to the public, but access by car is restricted to permit holders only and these are limited on a daily basis.

Access

There is one road into the valley. This starts at Kirknewton on the road between

Wooler Wooler ( ) is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, near the Cheviot Hills. It is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots". As well as many shops ...

and

Kirk Yetholm Kirk Yetholm ('kirk yet-ham') is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, southeast of Kelso and less than west of the border. The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies ...

. On entering the valley itself the road splits into two, the right hand turn to Trowup burn. The left hand fork goes to the estate office and farm there up the main valley to the Cheviot itself.

History

The valley is ringed by

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

s along the hill tops. There is evidence of habitation from very early times. More recently the estate was owned by

Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1748 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as ...

, then the Grey family of

Howick Hall Howick Hall, a Grade II* listed building in the village of Howick, Northumberland, England, is the ancestral seat of the Earls Grey. It was the home of the Prime Minister Charles, 2nd Earl Grey (1764–1845), after whom Earl Grey tea i ...

followed by

Arthur Sutherland Sir Arthur Munro Sutherland, 1st Baronet, KBE (2 October 1867 – 29 March 1953), of Hethpool House, Kirknewton, Northumberland, was an English shipowner and philanthropist. Sutherland was the son of Benjamin John Sutherland, a shippin ...

Houses in the valley

The estate office is at

Hethpool House, Kirknewton Hethpool House is an Edwardian house in Hethpool, in the civil parish of Kirknewton, near Wooler, Northumberland, England which has Grade II listed building status. Built in 1919 on the site of a late 17th-century house which had been the seat ...

. After this there are a number of estate cottages designed in the arts and crafts style. Hethpool Mill is now converted into self-catering accommodation. There is evidence of habitation here back into the 13th century. As the valley approaches the Cheviot itself it splits into two. The right hand fork going to Mounthooly which is now a YHA hostel. The left hand fork going up to Goldsceugh by way of Coldburn cottage and Dunsdale house.

Hills within the College Valley Estates

The Cheviot The Cheviot () is an extinct volcano and the highest summit in the Cheviot Hills and in the county of Northumberland. Located in the extreme north of England, it is a walk from the Scottish border and, with a height of above sea-level, is lo ...

. 815m The Schil. 600m. Black Hag.549m. Scald Hill. 546m Newton Tors. 537m Preston Hill.520m. Broadhope Hill.516m Saughieside Hill.487m Coldburn Hill. 484m Whitelaw Nick. 430m. Loft Hill.410 m. Madam Law.397m Eccles cairn.350m. Sinkside Hill. Great Hetha. White hill. 226m.

External links

The Times, Feb.27, 2010, article on College Valley

College Valley Estate

Panoramio. aerial topology and associated photographsDunsdale house on Geograph.org.ukCheviot hill fortsCollege Valley feature Length Documentary and DVD Postcards.
Cheviot Hills Protected areas of Northumberland Valleys of Northumberland