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I had 4 Hewitts in the Cheviot range that I wanted to bag, and as it's a long drive up to Northumberland I decided to combine all four in one trip. Windy Gyle and the Cheviot (both of which I'd climbed previously) could be added on with a couple of short detours, making it a round of all six hills.
I had to buy a new rucksack before starting out, as I found when I tried to pack that the old one wasn't big enough, so I didn't get a very early start, and arrived at the beginning of the walk at about 3 p.m.
I started from Hartside, which is down a minor road off the A697. There's room to park on the road just before the farm entrance.
The first couple of miles were along a vehicle track which winds around the side of Shill Moor.The track comes to a dead end, but if you carry on a short distance in the same direction you soon reach another track, called Salter's Road. From near the top of the pass on Salter's Road I turned left to go uphill onto Bush Knowe, and then a path along the ridge leads up to the summit of Cushat Law.
- Cushat Law ascent
- Cushat Law summit
Although the walking so far had mostly been quite easy, the unaccustomed weight I was carrying was giving me a pain in the neck and shoulders. I managed to adjust the rucksack to make it a bit more comfortable ( it's got about 20 different straps on it. I'm still not sure what half of them are for), bit it was still a bit of a pain for the rest of the trip.
The next hill, Bloodybush Edge, was reached by a simple walk along the fence line. Fortunately, it hadn't rained much recently so the ground was quite dry. This would be a much more difficult walk in wet conditions.
I'm not sure why it's called Bloodybush Edge, as it didn't seem very bloody, or bushy, or edgy.
- Bloodybush Edge summit
From here, I followed a fence line heading west, and then a path down into the valley towards Uswayford. Until fairly recently, this was a bed&breakfast which was used by walkers on the nearby Pennine Way, but now it's just a private house.
- Uswayford
There's a path from Uswayford leading up to the border ridge, but it wasn't easy to find at first- it may be starting to fall out of use since the b&b closed. Once you find the path, though, it's a nice easy climb up through the woods.
At the top of the path there's a crossroads, with a bridleway going across the ridge towards Cocklawfoot, and the Pennine Way path going along the ridge, which is also the England-Scotland border.There's also a bit of flat grassy ground which is good for putting a tent on.
- Home for the night
It was now getting close to sunset, so I quickly put the tent up and headed along the ridge to the next hill, Windy Gyle. Thanks to a good path, and the fact that I no longer had a heavy weight on my shoulders, I was able to make good progress, and got up to the summit and back down without having to use the torch.
- Windy Gyle
- Windy Gyle summit
Getting back to the tent,I had a sandwich and made a cup of coffee, but as it went dark it quickly began to get very cold, and the only way to get warm was by going to bed.Unfortunately I didn't sleep too well and when it started to get light decided to make an early start.
- Sunrise
There's a stone path along the Pennine Way, although there are gaps in the path where it could still get boggy in wet weather.
After a couple of miles the PW splits into two, with one branch going up to the Cheviot, and the other heading down towards Kirk Yetholm. I left the rucksack at the junction and made a short detour to visit Auchope Cairn. Although this is only a minor summit it's a much better viewpoint than the Cheviot.
- Auchope Cairn view
I then went back to the bag and carried it a bit further to Cairn Hill, where I left it by a fence junction and headed up to the Cheviot summit. Although this is the highest point in the area, there's not much of a view as it's in a big flat plateau.
- The Cheviot summit
Returning to pick up the rucksack, I followed the fence downhill towards Comb Fell. across a very boggy col. Even in dry weather this was hard work with a series of large peat hags to climb over.
- Descent
- Comb Fell summit, looking at Hedgehope Hill
From the undistinguished summit of Comb Fell, it's another boggy trudge along the fence line to the sixth and final Hewitt, Hedgehope Hill.
- Hedgehope Hill summit
It was quite a pleasant descent from Hedgehope Hill, with a good path leading south-east from the summit to join a long grassy track down to Linhope, and a short walk on tarmac back to the car.