In an effort to counteract spending most of the week hunched over a laptop, I’ve been trying to get out on a decent hike in the North East every weekend now the weather is improving.
Our most recent adventure took us to Simonside Hills in beautiful Northumberland.
The name of Simonside Hills may have come from ‘seaman’s sight’, because the craggy peaks can be seen from the North East coastline. The area has some mythical attachments – the ‘Duergar’ are dwarfs who live in its nooks and crannies! These magical creatures are thought to symbolise the mighty strength of nature.
You can certainly feel its full force on a windy day out on the hills.
How to get to Simonside Hills
Located in Northumberland overlooking the market town of Rothbury, Simonside Hills is close to Morpeth.
If you’re driving, take the B6344 into Rothbury, turn south over the bridge and immediately right on to the road past Witton and Great Tosson farms.
We passed cars parked in a clearing and almost stopped there, but realised we had to carry on to get to the forest car park to get to the start of the trail we wanted to follow. Take a sharp left at Great Tosson on to a narrow road, which leads to the car park.
Taking public transport? You can catch a bus to Rothbury from Newcastle, Morpeth or Alnwick.
The walk from Rothbury to Simonside Hills will add about four miles onto your trek.
As we drove along the country roads leading away from civilisation, we were surrounded by sheep and lambs (so cute!). We even spotted a few pheasants! Drive carefully to avoid any accidents.
What to know before you attempt walking Simonside Hills
Parking at Simonside Hills is free. There are no toilets at Simonside Hills, so prepare yourself for a wilderness wee if nature calls. There is also no visitors centre or anywhere to purchase food, so definitely pack a picnic.
I’d only had a slice of toast before we set off on our day out, so by the time we reached the summit I was starving.
The walk we did was listed as ‘moderate’ difficulty and dog friendly on the Northumberland National Park website. I’d agree it was moderately difficult – I only had to use my hands to climb once or twice.
Our little cockapoo Archie was in his element walking (or running, leaping and bouncing, in his case) Simonside Hills, but I wouldn’t take dogs that aren’t used to a lot of activity on this walk.
Dogs will also need to be kept on a lead around the local wildlife. We didn’t actually see any animals on our hike.
How to get to the top of Simonside Hills
We followed the red route, which is a 4.5 mile circular walk that takes you to 797 feet up to the sandstone ridge that crowns the Simonside Hills.
The route is very clearly marked, even in spots which feel like no human has ever passed through before you.
From the car park in Coquetdale, you turn left at the wooden information sign and start walking uphill. I may have been a bit overenthusiastic and had to stop and catch my breath here, but I slowed to a more sensible pace and quickly recovered.
You can take a short detour to Little Church Rock, a place thought to have been used in medieval times for illicit preaching. You’ll be surrounded my majestic conifer trees.
I loved the variety of the scenery on this short walk. We passed through dense forest, traversed red gravel tracks and climbed craggy heights. Apparently, the beacon of Simonside was used to warn of a Scots invasion during Tudor times.
The red route is supposed to take three hours but it took us slightly less, and that was including a stop for snacks and lots of photos! We walk at a pretty fast pace though so it really depends on your pace.
The views are incredible pretty much as soon as you leave the car park, and they just keep getting better. I thought the views from the wild expanses of open countryside were just as breathtaking as the view from the top!
Once we emerged into the open land, we were flanked on each side by massive stretches of heather.
When it comes to reaching the summit, there are rough stone steps with a sharp incline. These will carry you to the Old Stell Crag, Dove Crag and The Beacon.
We paused at the top for a can of cider and some snacks. I swear anything you eat after physical activity like that always tastes ten times better than it would normally!
From Simonside Hills’ summit, you can enjoy 360 degree views across Northumberland and beyond to Cheviot Hills and the North East coast.
The walk back down to the car park goes very quickly compared to the climb up. It takes you down the other side of the hills and through lush woodlands.
What you’ll need to pack for hiking Simonside Hills
Hiking shoes are a must. It had been raining almost non-stop for about a week before our visit, so it was very muddy and the trail was actually flooded in some places. We would have been soaked to the calf without our hiking boots!
Even if it is dry, the terrain is very uneven so it’s best to wear proper footwear.
I recommend wearing layers if you’re planning a walk in Simonside Hills. It was chilly when we set off but we had patches of sunshine when the clouds parted and had to strip our waterproofs and jumpers off!
We put them back on before we tackled the short but steep climb to the summit because it as windy up there.
Find accomodation near Simonside Hills
Use the map below to find and book a place to stay in Morpeth. I’d recommend staying there because it has a bit more going on that Rothbury.
Booking.comMore places to see in North East England
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I loved our morning walking Simonside Hills and will definitely do this walk again. We were really lucky with the weather and only felt a few pitiful spits of rain. However, because there had been so much rain before our trip it was quite muddy so it might be nice to go back then the ground is dryer.
Do you have any favourite hikes in Northumberland or the rest of the North East? I’m always looking for new places to visit, so leave your recommendations in the comments!
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Michael Currie says
Brilliant,,,,must do this walk