Cheviot Hills & Meteor Shower

IMPORTANT: The event price includes accommodation, tea, coffee, OutdoorLads breakfasts ONLY. For the Staurday meal, you can choose to cook for yourself, or we have arranged for a pie & pea supper (with alternative options for vege, gluten intolerant, etc). The pies will be from a great local butcher, served with mash, peas and gravy. There will be a pudding too. The cost of this is extra - about £7, but will be confirmed nearer the date of the event.

Please note - there may be dogs (friendly) on site.

Now more about the event itself........

Northumberland has the darkest skies England has to offer, and this hostel is miles from any light source, so a perfect place to see the Perseid Meteor Shower, this very weekend! 

Mounthooly is located 4 miles from the nearest public road, deep into the Cheviots, along the College Valley. It lies less than 1/2 mile from the Scottish border, sandwiched between the border ridge and the Cheviot (815m) itself.

It is surrounded by beautifully rounded Northumberland Hills, close to the northern end of the Pennine Way, with deep, wild valleys, and dramatic gullies created at the end of the last ice age. 

The Hills

The Cheviot Hills are a range of rolling hills straddling the Scottish Border with Northumberland. The English section is within the Northumberland National Park. The range includes The Cheviot (the highest hill), plus Hedgehope Hill, Windy Gyle, Cushat Law and Bloodybush Edge.

The hills are sometimes considered a part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland as they adjoin the uplands to the north. Since the Pennine Way runs through the region, the hills are also considered a part of the northern Pennines although they are separated from the Cheviot Hills by the Tyne Gap, part of which lies within the southern extent of the Northumberland National Park.

Some of the gems are inbetween the hills. Hen Hole is one such place and it makes a wonderful route to the top of the Cheviot from the Hostel. It was created at the end of the last ice age, by meltwater, creating a deep gully with waterfalls, leasing up to an amazing basin underneath the Cheviot summit. With some very easy scrambles, it makes a fantastic route to highest point in this whole range of hills.

Wildlife in the College Valley

The valley is well known for its population of feral goats and is home to around 150. Rumour has it that they were released in medieval times by the monks on Holy Island. This primitive British breed would have died out completely if they hadn't escaped into the wild. As farming changed there was a swing to foreign breeds which produced more milk. The goats can often be seen on the Newton Tors along the eastern side of the Valley. However they can pop up in the most unexpected of places! Over the years many goats have been re-homed to help manage environments elsewhere in the UK and this has helped to ease the pressure on local vegetation. The Valley is currently trying to obtain funding to have the goats placed on the native breeds at risk register.

Roe deer are present throughout the valley. Whilst they are beautiful they also bring their own challenges with damage to trees so their numbers are carefully managed.

The valley has a healthy population of red squirrels. Hazelnuts are a great source of proteins for the squirrels. With care and quiet you could be lucky and see one of these lovely little mammals.

Adders, Britain's only venomous reptile are also present in the valley. Slow worms, which are really burrowing limbless lizards (commonly mistaken for snakes) are also common. They have been granted protected status along with all other native British reptiles.

Otters are present along the College and Lambden burns. 

There is a good population of rabbits, hares, voles, fox, stoat and weasels. These can be seen throughout the valley.

College Valley Estate has spent a lot of time and effort reintroducing black grouse, a marvellous bird at risk of imminent extinction in the UK. Black grouse UK, part of the UK Biodiversity plan, is dedicated to reversing this trend towards extinction. In 1995 the Wilderness above Mounthooly was planted with over 55000 broadleaves. This became the largest new native woodland in England. Black grouse were initially quite successful but bad weather has affected the last three breeding seasons and numbers have declined.

There is a healthy and well managed population of red grouse on all the heather areas in the valley; letting the shooting for these remarkable birds provides a significant income for the estate. The sound of them telling one to 'go-back, go-back, go-back' is one of the sounds of wilderness areas.

As for birds - there are countless. Oh, and midges too in the summer.

Perseid Meteor Shower

The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The Perseids are so bright and numerous that it should be a good show, subject to clear skies of course!