Coldwell Hill

Hill, Mountain in Northumberland

England

Coldwell Hill

Gateway, Hagg Farm Credit: Andrew Curtis

Coldwell Hill is a prominent geographical feature located in Northumberland, England. Situated in the northernmost part of the county, it is part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Rising to an elevation of approximately 480 meters (1,575 feet), Coldwell Hill is classified as a hill or mountain depending on the criteria used.

The hill is characterized by its rugged and undulating terrain, covered mostly with heather and grasses, interspersed with patches of woodland. Its slopes are relatively steep, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, including the Cheviot Hills to the northeast and the Northumberland National Park to the west.

Coldwell Hill is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. It offers a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, walking, and birdwatching. The hill is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, including heather, bilberry, and various bird species such as curlew and red grouse.

The hill is easily accessible via well-maintained footpaths and trails, providing visitors with the opportunity to explore the area's natural beauty. Additionally, the nearby villages of Allenheads and Nenthead provide convenient accommodation options for those wishing to spend more time in the vicinity.

Overall, Coldwell Hill is a picturesque and tranquil location, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the stunning natural landscape of Northumberland. Whether it's a leisurely stroll or a challenging hike, this hill provides a rewarding experience for anyone seeking to connect with nature.

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Coldwell Hill Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.971198/-1.8210617 or Grid Reference NZ1164. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Gateway, Hagg Farm

Andrew Curtis

East Lodge, Hagg Farm

Andrew Curtis

Close to railway, Tyne Riverside Park

The second edition Ordnance Survey map (published 1897) shows the route of an old waggonway NZ1064 : Old wagonway, Ovingham Riverside which joined the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway just west of a junction at Hagg Bank. The modern line is protected by the green-painted metal fence on the right of the photograph. The old waggonway served a colliery near the River Tyne close to Hagg Farm but neither the colliery or waggonway are shown on the first edition 6" map (published 1864) and both appear to have gone out of use by 1897. A branch railway along the same route was installed later to serve an aerial ropeway across the river used to transport materials for the construction activities of the Newcastle & Gateshead Water Company.

Andrew Curtis

Hagg Farm

Andrew Curtis

View over River Tyne from the Spetchells

A rainbow in the dark, sunlit sky shows of rain on its way.

Andrew Curtis

Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata), The Spetchells

Yellow-wort is a yellow-flowered member of the Gentian family. It grows from ten to fifty centimetres tall with stiff, branching stems. The leaves are glaucous, opposite and entire, the upper ones perfoliate, being united at the base. It bears terminal cymes of bright yellow, stalked flowers, 1–1.5 cm across. The calyx is deeply divided into 6–10 linear lobes or sepals, spirally arranged, free or nearly free from each other at the base and shorter than the corolla. The petals number six to ten and form a short tube. There are six to ten adherent stamens and a two-lobed stigma. It flowers from June to October in Britain where it is widespread but not common. Link

Its main habitats are lowland calcareous grasslands and fixed sand dunes, but it can be an abundant colonist of disturbed ground, including quarries and railway cuttings, and on road verges and pathsides. There has been little change in the overall distribution of this species since the 1962 Atlas, although it has spread into Northumberland since then. Link

Andrew Curtis

Walking on Northumberland's chalk hills

Although geology left no chalk rocks in Northumberland, strangely the county does have one area of chalk grassland, the Spetchells. Spetchells, is an old name of uncertain origin, originally applied to the area of rough grassland and scrub along the south bank of the River Tyne near Prudhoe which was traditionally used for recreation. According to Northumberland Words by Richard Oliver Heslop (1894), a spetchel or spatchel was the thin layer of turf laid between horizontal rows of stones used in building a wall ('a stone and spetchel dike'). The name is now associated with the 1km long mound of calcium carbonate dumped between the River Tyne and the railway as industrial waste by ICI as the result of manufacturing ammonium sulphate for fertiliser and explosives during World War II. The plant closed in 1963. The process involved using calcium sulphate obtained from powdered natural gypsum, or anhydrite, added to a solution of ammonium carbonate. Calcium carbonate precipitates out from the reaction Link

The Spetchells are estimated to comprise two and a half million tons of this chalk. The dump was turfed over to make it less obvious to German bombers. Ash and sycamore trees were planted on the slopes, and hornbeams on the top, in an attempt to stabilise the mounds. The Spetchells now support plants typical of the ungrazed chalk grasslands of southern England, and a specialised chalk-loving fauna has also arrived, including rare butterflies and moths. Link

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Archive Link

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Archive Link

Andrew Curtis

Terrace path below The Spetchells

More naturalised Columbines growing on the chalk showing large variation in flower shape and colour.

Andrew Curtis

Mining bee burrows on the Spetchells

Apparently several varieties of mining bees make their homes on the only chalk hills in Northumberland. For an explanation of the Spetchells, see Andrew Curtis' entry NZ1064 : The Spetchells, east end

Leanmeanmo

Road/bridleway between South Lodge and North Lodge

Roger Templeman

Gateway from sewage pumping station onto Ovingham to Wylam road

Ordnance Survey documents indicate that a rivet benchmark levelled at 13.426m above Newlyn Datum was verified in 1961 on a culvert at the junction of the stream on the left hand side of the track and the fence

Roger Templeman

Crane by River Tyne

Northumbrian Water's Ovingham Raw Water Pumping Station (RWPS) is an abstraction station located on the north bank of the River Tyne in South Northumberland between the towns of Wylam and Ovingham. The station provides raw water from the River Tyne to Horsley Water Treatment Works (WTW) and the Great Southern Reservoir at Whittle Dene WTW. Treated water is then pumped to Birney Hill Reservoir and supplies the City of Newcastle upon Tyne and Tyneside with a population in excess of 800,000. The current project here involves the installation of new vertical turbine pumps and variable speed drive to avoid problems caused by silt uptake. The company involved is Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB). Link

Archive Link

Andrew Curtis

Crane at pumping station opposite The Hermitage

Roger Templeman

Footpath through woodland towards Horsley

Roger Templeman

Enclosure of sewage pumping station on west side of Mill Way

Ordnance Survey documents indicate that a rivet benchmark levelled at 49.509m above Newlyn Datum was verified in 1961 on a manhole on the left hand side of the road at this location

Roger Templeman

Mill Way passing entrance to sewage pumping station

There is a manhole cover in the middle of the road in the foreground

Roger Templeman

Works at Ovingham water intake on River Tyne

The white fence surrounding the Water Treatment Works at Horsley can be seen at the top of the hill. The construction works are described here NZ0964 : Crane by River Tyne

Andrew Curtis

Path along the south side of the Spetchells

The Spetchelles are a giant man-made ridge of industrial waste in the form of calcium carbonate. It now constitutes a chalk downland ecosystem unique in the north of England.

Oliver Dixon

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Coldwell Hill is located at Grid Ref: NZ1164 (Lat: 54.971198, Lng: -1.8210617)

Unitary Authority: Northumberland

Police Authority: Northumbria