From Rothbury, you can reach Simonside on foot via Whitton and Hillhead Lane; the route is 2.5 miles (4 km). From the summit, views extend to the Cheviots and along the entire Northumberland coast. There is also an easy walk along the River Coquet, the listed Church of All Saints and an annual music festival. Rothbury therefore offers a range of nature and cultural themes to consider when planning your trip.

Simonside: summit and panorama

The Simonside Hills lie in Northumberland National Park, at the northernmost edge of Harwood Forest. The climb to the summit reaches 430 metres. From there, the view extends north to the Cheviots and along the entire Northumberland coast. These two panoramic outlooks make the summit destination particularly distinctive: views of the northern inland area and a coastal panorama come together here.

The route from Rothbury leads via Whitton and Hillhead Lane; it is 2.5 miles (4 km) long. Another geographic point of reference is the Beggars Rigg car park, west of Rothbury. The Riverside Walk offers a different way to enjoy the outdoors: it is an easy walk along the River Coquet. Comparing the summit climb with the riverside walk highlights two different destinations and types of route.

Riverside trails and scenery in the Coquet Valley

The Rothbury Riverside Walk is an easy walk along the River Coquet. The section of St Oswald's Way between Warkworth and Rothbury is different: it follows the Coquet Valley through woodland, along riverside paths and across rolling farmland. While the Riverside Walk focuses on an easy walk by the river, the route of the valley and its changing landscapes define the scenery along St Oswald's Way. This distinction helps you choose between a short riverside trail and a route section whose landscapes are explicitly part of its description.

Church of All Saints: several eras

The Church of All Saints in Rothbury is a parish church and a Grade II* listed building. It stands on a significant site that existed before the Norman Conquest of England. Its history includes reconstruction in 1850 and the remains of a 13th-century chancel. This brings together several periods: the early significance of the site, the medieval chancel remains and the much later reconstruction. The combination of listed status and architectural history gives the church a distinctive cultural and historical focus.

Music, golf and a regional theme

The Rothbury Traditional Music Festival is a community-based music festival in Rothbury, in the Coquet Valley. Each year, it holds friendly competitions for young musicians, singers and poets in the Northumbrian dialect of northern England. Music, singing and dialect poetry are the three distinct competition categories. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the specific festival dates before setting your travel dates.

Another activity in the Coquet Valley in Northumberland is Rothbury Golf Course, an 18-hole golf course. Cragside adds a broader regional cultural and natural dimension: this pioneering country house is associated with Victorian devices for efficient, modern living. Cragside's Pinetum includes a collection of non-native conifers; some are among the tallest of their kind in the United Kingdom. The house and Pinetum offer different points of interest: the history of domestic life on the one hand, and a distinctive tree collection on the other.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Slaley, Newbiggin-By-The-Sea, Alnmouth, Longwitton, Eshott, Chathill, Cornhill-On-Tweed, Slaggyford

For the main travel overview: Northumberland.