West Kielder Moor

These are the respective distant summits, left to right, as viewed from the trackbed of the former Waverley Route. This photograph was taken during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020/21/22.

William’s Cleugh, a ravine on the eastern slope of West Kielder Moor with fragments of rowan, birch and willow woodland, contains a group of five Scots pines that pre-date the adjacent planted forest. Another pine stands alone near the foot of the cleugh. The absence of any other Scots pine in the area suggests either: 1. That they or their ancestors were planted. 2. That they are a native remnant. If the latter were true, they would represent the only surviving native pinewood remnant in England. To determine the age of the six trees, annual rings were counted from cores taken from the base of their trunks. Four of the trees were 59-80 years old and probably arose as seedlings. Two of the mature trees were 155 and 130 years old, the different ages suggesting that they hadn't been planted at the same time. Ecotype (Forest Research) No.28 May 2005: Link Scots Pine trees are undoubtedly native to the north Northumberland region as there is plenty of evidence of preserved pollen and wood. Kielder Castle has a table made from old wood dug from the peat in Black Cleugh. The presence of ancient woodland in the area was still within the memory of the last generation in the late 1880s. The name 'Woody Crags' still retained for some scars on the east side of White Kielder between 1,250 and 1,500 ft in altitude. The destruction of the woods is attributed to the sheep by many of the shepherds, and it is considered that the small patches of natural wood which still remain will also be gradually destroyed unless fenced in. The geology of the Plashetts and Kielder (explanation of quarter-sheet 108 S.W., new series, sheet 7), C T Clough (1889) That the pines in William's Cleugh are native remnants is also supported by: Possible 'pine' place names dating from post-Roman times Limited pine wood flora found in William's Cleugh: chickweed wintergreen and Issler's clubmoss The rare lichen, Alectoria sarmentosa, is found on the Kielder Stone but unknown outside the Scottish Highlands and a possible pine forest relict. Although not yet proven, the William's Cleugh pines are being used as a seed source to bolster the population in situ and for new woodland planting. Northumberland by Angus Lunn (2004).

Sadly died a few years back

Approximately Scotland to the left of centre, England to the right.

Approximately Scotland to the left of centre, England to the right.

Approaching the cairn, one of two 602m spot heights on this very boggy hill. Like Cheviot, the high point is just over the border in England. Celebrating the first traverse of the east-west watershed of Scotland by Dave Hewitt in 1987 with some irony as only a few of us actually walked as far as the border on this day.

The cairn on the English side of Peel Fell, not far from the border. Deadwater Fell can be noted in the distance. This photograph was taken during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020/21.

This huge piece of fell sandstone, also known as the Girdle Stone, weighs about 1400 tons. It is said that messages were left here by reivers in the days of the Debatable Lands on the Scottish-English border. Some members of the Scottish Borders Hill Walking Club were unable to resist a scramble on the stone.

The England-Scotland Border, heading west, leaves the deep valley of Black Needle at its junction with Green Needle and heads directly up the ridge towards Haggie Knowe marked by the bleached posts of a ruined fence NT6401 : Heather moorland

A ruined fence marks the England-Scotland Border on the climb of Haggie Knowe from the junction of the Black and Green Needles.

"By Raven Burn and Carlin Tooth She came at last to Hartshorn Pike, Then, turning east to Haggie Knowe, She rested in a rushy syke— She rested in a rushy syke And laid her baby in the fern; And low and sad the song she sang Beside the tumbling burn." Part of 'Haggie Knowe' by Wilfred Wilson Gibson (1878-1962).

View towards the Kielder Stone.

There is a closer view here NT6300 : The Kielder Stone from Haggie Knowe