Visitor information
Opening hours
How to find us
Parking & prices
Facilities & access
Contact details

Opening hours

Access to Simonside can be made 24 hours a day.

How to find us

How to find us
Rothbury, Northumberland
Sat Nav Postcode: NE65 7NW
By Car

Signposted from the B6342 (Rothbury to Scot’s Gap road).

By Public Transport

Bus number 416 connects Rothbury with Morpeth (both mainline rail station and buses to Newcastle).On Sundays and Bank Holidays, Northumbria buses run an additional service direct from Newcastle and Gateshead to Rothbury (number 508). Simonside is two miles to the south of Rothbury.To access the Hills on foot, follow the public footpaths from Rothbury via Whitton and Hillhead Lane, a distance of 2.5 miles (4km).

OS Grid Ref
NZ037997
Get directions

55.291237509198, -1.9430565834045

Parking and prices

There are no parking charges at Simonside.

Additional information

Number of accessible parking spaces: 0

There are no designated accessible parking spaces at this forest, have you seen our Easy Access trails page?

Facilities and access

Assistant dogs welcome
Dogs allowed
Picnic area

Contact details

Landline Number
01434 250209
E-Mail Address
kieldercastle@­forestryengland.uk

See breathtaking panoramic view from the top of mystical Simonside, one of the best in the North East of England

The Simonside Hills lie within Northumberland National Park on the northern-most edge of Harwood forest and have beckoned walkers for years because of their wild and rugged beauty. The range dominates the skyline forming a dramatic southern backdrop to the middle reaches of the River Coquet.

The climb up the hills to the top (430m) is rewarded with the whole panorama of the Cheviots to the north and from the top of Simonside itself, the whole Northumbrian coastline is revealed.

Mountain bikers and horse riders are also welcome here however, please note the unsurfaced tracks on the open moorland at the summit of Simonside are for walkers only.  

At a glance

  • Stunning viewpoint
  • 2 walking trails
  • Mountain biking
  • Horse riding

 

Things to do

Picnics at Simonside

Enjoy a tasty treat in the forest at Simonside. Just bring along good food and company!

To prevent forest fires and reduce waste, please do not bring any barbecues into our forests.

Find out more

Walking trails at Simonside

There are two waymarked walks in the forest. The shortest is a one mile loop (green markers) through the stands of pine and larch which provide a backdrop to the car park. The Simonside Ridge Walk is a longer route (4 miles, red markers) that leads through the forest to the top of Simonside Crags.

Enjoy the spectacular 360 degree panorama of Northumberland from the top of this atmospheric place.

Find out more
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