The Simonside Hills from Lordenshaw

From the Lordenshaws car park the walk takes the St Oswald's Way footpath west along the foot of the scarp and climbs to the ridge at Dove Crag, then follows the crest of the Simonside Hills, with the crags falling away on the north side, to the summit of Simonside at about 430 m. The Northumberland National Park describes a 360-degree view from the top over the Cheviot Hills and the North Sea coast. The path drops through the pass on the far side and runs north to Little Church Rock, a viewpoint on the edge of Simonside forest, then returns east on forest tracks below the ridge and by footpaths over the moor, past the cup-and-ring marked rocks at Lordenshaws to the car park. The Iron Age hillfort of Lordenshaws lies a little east of the last stretch of path.

It is 10.0 km round with 358 m of ascent; allow about 3½ hours. The grade is Moderate: the climb is steady and the ridge path is rocky in places and wet on the moor.

The north face of the ridge drops in crags, so keep to the path along the top, and in mist the paths over the open moor are hard to follow. Forestry England asks visitors never to light a barbecue, campfire or stove in the forest, and says the unsurfaced tracks on the open moorland at the summit are for walkers only. Curlew and red grouse live on the heather moor, so keep dogs under close control.

Lordenshaws car park is on the single-track road that leaves the B6342 south of Rothbury; the National Park lists Lordenshaws Hillfort among its larger free car parks. The nearest station is Acklington, about 17 km away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.